Scarcity is a great tip unless you’re desperate

We all know that the use of scarcity can increase the desire for our product or service. Letting prospective customers know there’s only a limited time available or little left only exacerbates demand. Amazon use it “only 3 left in stock”, hotel sites use it “10 people have been looking at this hotel in the last hour”

But what happens to scarcity when you’re desperate? Despairing for the next sale and scarcity drops out the window. This can give the wrong message, and I thought so, until I read the following board outside a bistro hotel in Stow on the Wold last weekend.

That’s how you do it. Turn it into a positive. Never admit a weakness, a desperation for business. Customers can sniff this a mile away.