“Our biggest sale of the year!” So what have you been doing the other 364 days? Ripping people off?

Of course not! You work your tail off every single day to offer the exact goods Ms. Jones wants at a fair price that still lets you pay the bills. You probably keep close track of every penny, watching expenses and negotiating deals. The margin tightrope you walk requires careful balance and complete focus. It’s exhausting and exhilarating at the same time.

So what’s up with the sale story? Is it authentic? Is it the real deal – and there are times when it is – or is it a ploy? Is it overused? Is it as effective as it was two years ago? Ten years ago? Does Ms. Jones buy it? Do you really only want her to buy when your margins are at their lowest? When your story is all about price, what happens when El-Cheapo Furniture comes to town?

Younger customers tend to turn a deaf ear to old jargon. The next time you advertise a sale, track the average age of the customer who responds. What’s your business look like in ten years when you add ten years to the average age of today’s “sale” customer? Can that customer get you where you need to go?