Practical Sales Training™ > How To Lose The Sale> Pointless Discount
Pointless Discounts: What They Are, Why They Don’t Work, and How to Avoid Them
What Is a Pointless Discount?
A pointless discount is a price reduction that fails to influence customer behaviour or drive more sales. It may look like a deal on the surface, but in reality, it offers little to no real value. These types of discounts are often too small to matter, too awkward to redeem, or simply irrelevant to the buyer’s decision-making process.
Businesses often use them in an attempt to drive urgency or conversion – but when done wrong, they can actually damage trust and reduce perceived value.
Why Do Pointless Discounts Fail?
Pointless discounts fail because they don’t change what your customer thinks, feels, or does.
Instead of motivating action, they can feel:
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Insulting (e.g. saving just 1p)
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Manipulative (e.g. false urgency)
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Confusing (e.g. strange amounts with no clear reason)
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Inconvenient (e.g. requiring unnecessary steps to claim)
Rather than encouraging a purchase, they raise eyebrows – and sometimes, red flags.
A good discount should feel like a genuine advantage. A pointless one feels like noise.
How to Avoid Pointless Discounts (with Examples)
1. Too Small to Matter
Example: £1 → 99p
Why it’s pointless: A one-penny difference doesn’t motivate anyone. It feels like a pricing trick rather than a real benefit. For high-ticket services, this tactic can cheapen your brand.
2. Costs More Than It Saves
Example: £5 off—but only after applying a code, signing up, or clicking through 3 pages
Why it’s pointless: If your customer has to jump through hoops to save a small amount, it adds friction to the buying process. You’re making them work for something that barely matters.
3. Doesn’t Change Buying Behaviour
Example: 2% off an infrequent or high-cost purchase
Why it’s pointless: The discount is too small to tip the scale. People either want the product or they don’t—this kind of minor offer doesn’t add urgency or meaningfully shift decision-making.
Better Alternatives to Pointless Discounts
If you want to boost sales without devaluing your product, consider:
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Meaningful, time-limited offers (e.g. 20% off until Sunday)
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Value-add bonuses (e.g. “Buy now, get this free extra”)
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Psychologically satisfying numbers (e.g. round figures like £100 → £75)
Always ask:
Will this offer make someone more likely to buy—or just more likely to question my pricing?
Final Thought: Price Smart, Not Small
Pointless discounts may look like clever pricing tricks, but they often work against you. If your goal is more sales or better conversions, your discount strategy should be clear, compelling, and commercially sensible.
Discounting should feel like a gift, not a gimmick.
Example
1p saving on a can of Coke anyone?
See also
