There’s a thing in marketing, where they teach business owners to only give your potential clients a short window to sign up in. The theory goes, if there’s a short window or a tight deadline, it’ll motivate them to act, and act quick, when they see your promotion.

But think about that for a minute.

Underneath the whole premise is a tactic. A gimmick to manipulate people into deciding to purchase something, not because they really, deeply need it (although that might be true) but because they’re being subjected to an artificial deadline.

They’re afraid it’ll be gone, they’ll forget, or time will run out. In other words, because of scarcity. And that scarcity, the reasoning goes, is something you, as the business owner create in the minds of your potential customer.

It IS true that people need some sort of deadline to act, and that having them is very useful for both the potential client AND for you as the business owner.

And,

people need time to consider if the offer is right for them.

If the time is right for them. And if you’re the right person for them.

But more than that, they need to arrange calendars. Juggle schedules. They need time to speak to spouses and partners. About important things, like money, time and commitments.

They need time to look at their work or personal commitments to make sure this class or course or group is something they can commit to with their full and happy heart. They need time make some arrangements to get some additional help for other things.

I often tell my youngest daughter, if she's impatiently waiting for my response. "If you want a fast answer, it's a 'no.'"

A lot of your potential clients think that way too.

SO HOW LONG IS LONG ENOUGH?

So how much time do you need to give people when promoting your offers? There are two underlying premises, and a consideration, that will help you decide.

What's the commitment?

The first premise is that the larger the commitment (both financial and time,) the longer you need to give people to decide. Here are a few examples.

Free webinar or training class

A free webinar scheduled to last an hour has no financial and only a limited time commitment. People, do, however, still have to put it on their calendars. Approximately 10 days to 2 weeks out should be enough time to promote this type of offer.

You’ll have time to get the word out, share some personal invitations, along with reminders to those who registered. All while still ensuring attendees have time to schedule it into their day and haven't forgotten what sparked their interest initially.

If, however, it's a webinar series or several calls as part of a free training, you'll need a bit more time so people can clear their calendars. I once got an invite for a five-day series of FB live training calls every day one week at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. I really wanted to attend. But I got the promotional announcement just one week prior, and my calendar was already full for the next week.

Group course or online class

For something like a group course or an online class where there is a live component over a series of weeks or several months, you'll need more time. For example, potential attendees need to see if they’re free on Thursdays at 1 p.m. for the entire eight-week time block. If they have a pre-existing appointment, they'll have to see if they can move it. Or, they'll need to  consider how easily that missed time can be made up.

Here, the financial commitment also plays a factor. If the cost is more modest, say several hundred dollars, less time is required.

For a higher priced commitment, most people need time to let the cost sink in, see if their budget can accommodate the payment schedule, and/or talk to a partner before agreeing to it.

A solid three to six weeks is a good starting point, a falling in the upper or lower end of that depending on where your offer falls along the time/cost commitment.

In-person/virtual retreat

Although in-person events are less common these days, something like this requires usually a multi-day commitment. The price is also typically higher. By both counts, a longer decision making window is needed.

If your event is in person and travel is needed, eight weeks is a good ballpark. If international travel is needed, you'll want to offer at least 10-12 weeks. If no travel is needed, you can promote it in less time.

How big is your audience?

The second premise is based on how big your audience is. The smaller the audience, the longer you need to give people to decide; and vice versa. This is a function of pure numbers (the more people considering the offer, the more buyers you're apt to get) and of trust. Those with larger engaged audiences have built up a level of trust with their audience that makes them more apt to purchase.

If you have a large audience and are filling only a few spots, your program might sell quickly. Imagine if Elizabeth Gilbert or Oprah were hosting a writing or personal development seminar for a few dozen women. It probably wouldn't take long to sell at all.

For those with a smaller audiences, it's going to take longer. They need time to communicate with their audience about the offer, send reminders, share others' experiences. This is largely about creating a safe enough space for people to make a comfortable decision.

What's your bandwidth?

Finally, you should consider your own bandwidth when planning a campaign. A well-run campaign has many facets - a initial announcement, a well-crafted landing page, supporting articles, email promotions, social promotions, among others.

Trying to cram all of that into too small of a timeframe not only makes the overall campaign less effective, it can burn you out too or bring a frantic energy into your communications. The more space you give yourself to execute your marketing, the better the energy that gets reflected through to your audience.

Giving people enough time to make decisions about your offers signals that you want them to sign up after they've reached inside themselves and heard a resonant yes.

It also lets your potential clients decide if it works for them, and, if so, make arrangements to welcome it into their lives. Factoring in your own audience size and bandwidth further helps ensure your promotion will be as spacious, and successful as possible.

That sounds like something worth giving time to.

Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash