Kenny Chapman (the "blue collar coach") discusses irritation around Black Friday, reframing it as a retail marketing scheme that works because it leverages scarcity and fear of missing out. He argues business owners should observe and ethically adapt effective retail tactics (limited-time deals, promotional events) to bring customers into their own businesses while remaining authentic.
Hey, everybody. Kenny Chapman, the blue collar coach, coming to you live with this week's video version of Freedom Friday. Focus. Now. Let me ask you a quick question. Does Black Friday have you irritated? I'm coming to you live with Black Friday is happening today. Now, granted, it might have happened on Monday or I heard Black Tuesday Wednesday. You know, maybe it's just going to be black November and then we'll figure out how to get it ahead of Halloween. Who knows what's going to happen? But here's the thing. Does it have you irritated? I'm driving around, I'm hearing, like on radio stations, everybody's up in arms and it's such a bad thing and so negative and all these kinds of things. And let's look at it and call it what it is. It's a retail marketing scheme. It's an opportunity for them to say, hey, how can we get you in our doors to spend money with us? We're business people. We're looking to do the same thing. Remember, it got its name because Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, that's when they finally got into the black out of the red, starting to make profit. We, we can relate to that. Many of us work 22, 23, 25, 27 days out of a month before we get into the black. So once they get there, they go, oh, hey, overheads met. What kind of gross margin deals can we offer to get somebody in? So even if it upsets you, I'm not a fan of it. I don't shop on it. I don't shop any of the deals. That's not what I'm about. But I'm not going to be a victim to the fact that retailers are simply putting an option out there and, and people are utilizing it. So what does that mean? I don't agree with it, but guess what? It works and people use it. Look at your competition. What are some things they're doing where you go, oh, there's no way, I can't do that. That would never work. Really, would it? Or would it not? If it's ethical and it's integrity based, maybe it would work for you. I'm not a fan of Black Friday, but if it wasn't working, if people didn't show up, then it wouldn't be. I was watching the news a couple nights ago. Somebody was, they had a tent set up at Best somewhere in the country last Sunday. That's insanity to me. But people are using it. It got Best Buy on the national news for free. Getting that marketing and that advertising. So when you look at things like this, remember people make decisions based on fear. In our society, by and large, we make fear based decisions. People go to Black Friday deals because they're afraid they're going to miss something. How can we bring that in? Is it a half price tune up? Is it a half price sewer clean? Is it, is it a special XYZ thing offered with an electrical inspection? Whatever it is for you and your company, how can we look around us and use the things that are working that even though we don't agree with them, they work and people want to use them and spend money? Be authentic. Be who you are. Enjoy this weekend as we celebrate an opportunity for all of us to give thanks. Don't get caught up with the retail hype, but learn from it so we can implement strategies that work and in our own companies. I'm Kenny Chapman, the blue collar coach. Until we talk again, have a better than fantastic week and I'll see you next.
