Scarcity, Upsells, Downsells and One Time Offers Are Selling Tactics.
Many Products related to Internet Marketing are offered at a basic level and have OTOs that provide extra features or services that can be bought within a time limit or later on. Our reviews will tell you whether there are OTOs and tell you the value they offer.
OTOs means One Time Offers and I describe the types below.
- They may say there are few available – Scarcity.
- There could be an extra feature or application – Upsells.
- They could even be a version with FEWER features – Downsells.
These words have become synonymous with Internet Marketing. If you are on the receiving end, they can be extremely annoying. If you are on the selling end they can get your eyes rolling with exitement.
However, they are not restricted to the online marketing world.
Not at all.
The principles behind them have been applied to business and shopping for an age.
We are exposed to these tactics on a daily basis – to a lesser or greater degree.
And we don’t always mind.
The degree of annoyance or gleeful embrace is directly related to our mood and interest at the time of the ‘attack’.
So What do they mean?
I’ll run through them one at a time. The examples should serve as explanation.
Scarcity
The Picture Gallery: That’s a limited edition, there are only three left of that print.
You ree-ally want it – you don’t want to miss out. You buy the print.
Upsells
At the Italian bistro: Would you Like salad with that?
You’re out on the town you might as well enjoy yourself.
At the Clothes shop: That would look great with a scarf!
You want to look your best – you buy it. It’s just an outfit to look respectable at the office – you don’t need the scarf and you decline.
Downsells
At the Car Dealers: That model has a sat-nav and all the accessories; you can take the one without accessories for $$ less.
It’s an expensive addition. You decide you don’t need all that techy stuff – you take the bare bones model.
One Time Offers
At The Electricity Supplier: Extend your contract to 24 months before the end of July and lock in this super-low price for 24 months. *Terms and conditions apply.
You need electricity anyway. It’s a good deal so you sign up.
You see how it works? The customer still has a choice but there is an incentive to buy something more.
These are valid efforts by businesses to generate more sales. And that’s ok as long as you, as a potential customer, keep your head.
Indeed, to succeed at internet marketing you will, no doubt, engage in these tactics yourself.
These Selling Tactics appeal to different emotions and circumstances depending on the situation and the the individual.
- Sometimes it’s Fear – Fear of losing out
- Sometimes it’s Reason – Common sense prevails
- Sometimes it’s Greed or Vanity – A person wants everything he/she can get.
And Sometimes it’s Desperation – That sucks, as my American friends would say.
Now if you are buying products to do with marketing, making websites, software related to IM or anything remotely connected, you will have encountered one or more of these tactics by now.
Don’t be the Desperate one.
Stop and think. Do you need this RIGHT NOW? Will it further your project?
If you do, then Go for it, by all means, but first check whether you can afford it and whether it will help you.
In my IM product reviews I will endeavour to prepare you for the OTO’s. I’ll tell you what they are and whether they are worth having.
Sometimes it depends on where you are at present and a newbie might benefit where an old hand might not.
Armed with the right foresight I hope you will be able to make educated choices for your purchases.
And when you are on the other side as a seller, be sure you use ethical selling tactics and make your extra offers valuable:)
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