A few days ago, I was helping an e-com client promote their newest product.
This is one of their most expensive items:
40 buckaroo for just 50g.
(3x their other collections)
The client thought this was going to be an easy home run because…
They’ve sampled the product, and the quality silenced everyone in the tasting room.
But I knew something was off…
Because when I asked the client:
“So… what is special about THIS particular product?”
They couldn’t give me a clear positioning.
I dug deeper.
~ the taste
~ the production
~ the source
Everything is so vague.
(and every competitor who sourced the same product was equally vague)
In other words, the client relies on their authority to sell this product without proof or mechanism.
“This is good… and you should trust me 100%.”
This is not enough.
The result:
The slowest movement in all their collection.
Even after I drain all the rarity, mechanism, price anchoring, storytelling, Us vs Them…
I could only sell 53% of their total inventories in the first 10 days.
This is not a bad number—considering that they only did ~1% of this number 2 years ago when they last ordered this product.
BUT
Compare this to all the other collections I’ve promoted so far…
~ 90% in the first email
~ sold out in the first 2 weeks
etc
I’m not happy with the result.
Lesson:
When you’re creating a campaign, trust your instincts.
(not the clients)
If you feel like the positioning is weak, it’s likely true.
And the result will suffer.
Talk soon,
– WYH
PS – This does not mean we cannot clear the inventory…
All I need to do is send more emails.
Because I’ve been secretly helping my client build their “Authoritative Branding” so that in the long game, we can sell almost anything with just the relationship.
But the job is so much easier whenever you find a strong positioning.