My discount scheme : a failure!

One idea I had for my tailored shirt business was a scheme where I gave someone a discount code and if they or their friends used it, they would after five uses get a free shirt.

When I formulated this plan I had a lot of good feedback but since the launch of the business it has hit a pretty big snag - lots of people have got codes, but noone has been using them!

Why?

It’s a question of culture.

In Australia more than, say, America, we generally take particular exception to people trying to sell us things. I know this is a common complaint world-wide but it seems to be more prevalent here than other places.

Our culture doesn’t appreciate those who try to promote themselves. In many social situations it’s a pretty big faux pas to say anything good about yourself - at all!

Just two weeks ago I was talking to someone whose cousin was recently made partner at a prestigious law firm at a very young age. Was she proud of her cousin? Well, no, not really. She was crticising her cousin for having the gumption to tell anyone else - even family - that she had been successful.

This cultural rule extends into selling or recommending products to your friends where you get a kick-back.

Because of this low take-up I am going to drop this program and restructure my pricing.