Imagine scrolling through Instagram, and a beautiful dress catches your eye. You want to buy it, but there’s no price, no website, no online catalogue, nothing. Instead, you get a “DM for price” response. For those who don’t know, “DM for price” is a tactic that small business owners use to get their potential customers to DM them to enquire about pricing. Although this shouldn’t be a thing, it’s more common than you can believe. These business owners usually do this because they don’t want their competitors to know what they charge, or they may need to convince the customer to make the purchase. Both of these reasons aren’t good ones, and “DM for price” harms businesses.
I am an avid Instagram shopper, and most of my recent purchases have been through the gram, but when I see an account asking me to DM for the price, I immediately unfollow and move on. Trust me when I say I am not the only one annoyed by this selling tactic.
Don’t “DM for price”, but do this instead.
If you’re a small business owner and can’t afford an online store or prefer selling through Instagram, then these tips are for you! When you market your products without pricing, it can be irritating for potential customers. “DM for price” also interrupts the buying process and wastes your customers time. More importantly, it gives the impression that your business is shady and not professional. All professional companies will be transparent about their pricing.
- Your sales process needs to be short, transparent and straightforward.
- Don’t request customers DM you to enquire about pricing.
- Be transparent and include the product price in your post copy or state the price that products start from.
- Make things easier for your customers, and you will most likely increase sales.
Be upfront about your pricing and give your customers a clear call to action. Buyers often want to make decisions quickly, and if it’s an impulsive purchase, they want to conclude the transaction within minutes. With “DM for price”, you’ve already lost a large percentage of impulsive shoppers. Don’t underestimate the amount of money that gets spent during late-night impulsive scrolling.
If it’s competitors that you’re worried about, stop! If your competitors really want to know what you charge, they can also DM you for the price and quickly find out. Pricing shouldn’t be the only thing that sets you apart from competitors. Companies need to focus on the value they offer their customers, including the overall shopping experience from purchase to delivery. Instead of worrying about who’s selling the same products cheaper than you, pay attention to how you can deliver better service and value to your customers. Perhaps you charge slightly more but offer free returns/exchanges. Maybe you can give your customers a discount voucher on their birthday or implement a loyalty point system.
Customers love transparency, so please just tell them what the stuff costs!
