When Less Really is More

OfficeMax, the computer/technology/office supply store, has a unique promotion to get customers to buy as much as they can—as much as they can stuff into a paper bag, that is. Customers get 20 percent off everything they can fit into one grocery-size large paper bag. A big bag and a chance to get a lot for your money with a discount on the side.

What about a chance to buy less than you ever have in a smaller package? Doesn’t sound like a good deal? Some retailers have decided that selling less in a different package make good business sense. It seems to be working, too. According to a Time Magazine article, “Budweiser’s New Pitch:  Less Beer, Pay More,” Budweiser is going the way of other retailers by scaling down their packaging. Their new beer can comes with a twist, or should we say, an angle. The cans are shaped like a bow tie, and they are clever enough to entice beer drinkers to shell out the same money for a can of beer with about 0.7 ounces less beer inside. Instead of the standard 12 ounces, this redesigned, smaller-capacity can holds just 11.3 ounces. 

Budweiser isn’t the first to use the “shrink ray” packaging. Companies that make ice cream, orange juice, cereal and potato chips have done the same. The packaging can fool the customer into thinking they are getting the same amount of product as the larger, standard packages. 

The bowtie design targets a younger crowd and Budweiser is hoping to capture more market share with this creative packaging. If you’re in the sales business, a change in packaging your product, approach, and delivery can make a difference. Beer is beer. Computers, online services, phones, lawn services—whatever you have to sell, may not have a lot of variety. Sometimes an innovative approach or bundling of services is all that’s needed to reignite interest.

The same goes for a lagging sales career. As time goes by, even successful sales pros can benefit from a change in approach. Continuing your education in your product, process or self-improvement can re-energize your career. With online technology, it’s easy to work all the time, chasing the next sale. Turning off your smartphone to play a round of golf, tennis, or kayak around a lake can be enough to clear the mind and reset your creative process. Change it up. Your customers won’t notice that you’ve taken a little more time for yourself.

Change for change’s sake doesn’t always work. New Coke fizzled. Apple Maps was a disaster. Crystal Pepsi was pulled because of dismal sales. Trying to be something you are not or mimicking something else doesn’t work. Know what works and stick with it. Budweiser still puts the same beer inside the new cans. Keep the best of what you do in sales and just change the packaging, delivery and maybe the energy. More may not always be better. But delivering more quality in a smaller package will make customers feel satisfied and asking for more.

Photo Source: Wylio.com