What does discount management mean?
To put it simply, discount management is the process of controlling discounts and other rewards to get the most money from sales.
By offering discounts, companies can make customers loyal, get paid faster, get more oversized orders, and meet their sales goals. Not only does this help their bottom line, but it also keeps customers happy.
But businesses also face risks when they discount. If they discount too much, they may lose customers, and their goods may not be worth what they initially priced. That’s why having a well-thought-out plan for managing discounts is essential.
Different amounts of discounts or other incentives are given to customers based on their needs. This is how discount management works. These deals could be given on specific goods or services, and the terms of each discount could be different for each customer.
Synonyms
- Manage Discounted Pricing: In sales management, this term refers to the pricing decision-making process for offering discounts on products or services.
- Price Negotiation: This involves negotiations with customers over the price of a product or service. It can include both standard and discounted prices, depending on customer needs.
- Coupon Management refers to creating, distributing, and managing coupons or other customer discounts.
- Sales Promotion Management: This is similar to coupon management but is more specifically about creating and managing customer promotions.
Management of sales promotions for customers. This is like managing coupons but more about making and managing customer promotions.
Managing discounts to stop lost revenue
When discounts and other benefits cause money to leave a business, this is called revenue leakage. This could happen for several reasons, such as customers taking advantage of deals they shouldn’t have or companies giving out too many discounts.
Leaking money can be a big problem for companies because it cuts into income and hurts the bottom line. Businesses need to ensure that their discounts and other incentives are well-run and that they give suitable discounts to the customers who earn them to stop this from happening.
Here are some ways businesses can do this:
They are setting clear coupon rules that explain when and how discounts can be given.
Different types of customers should get different amounts of discounts. Customer data should be analyzed to learn how customers buy things, and discounts should be based on that.
They make sure that discounts and rewards aren’t leaking money regularly.
Different Kinds of Price Cuts
Price discounts come in a few different types, each with its use cases and goals.
1. Deals on large orders
Customers get price breaks when they buy a certain amount of goods or services (for example, when they buy in bulk). This makes people more likely to place more oversized orders, which can help businesses make more money.
Businesses that run on subscriptions also use bulk discounts, meaning that customers who buy yearly plans pay less than those who buy monthly plans.
2. Deals for paying early
Customers who pay their bills early can get this kind of deal. Businesses can give a set discount, like 2%, or a sliding scale, where the faster a customer pays their bill, the bigger the discount they get. This helps businesses get paid more quickly and escape having bills that aren’t paid.
3. Discounts for loyalty
Customers who have bought a certain number of things from the business or have been customers for a certain amount of time can get these deals. The goal is to thank customers who buy from you repeatedly, which can lead to more steady sales over time.
4. Discounts for special events
Promotional deals lower the prices of goods and services for customers, boosting sales by making them feel like they need to act quickly. One way for businesses to quickly boost sales is to offer 50% off a product for the next 24 hours.
5. Discounts during certain times of the year
Seasonal discounts are special discounts that businesses offer customers during certain times of the year, like Black Friday and Christmas. Businesses can make more sales during slow times of the year or when more people are likely to buy by using these discounting tactics.
Software for managing discounts
Software-as-a-service (SaaS) discount management software helps businesses keep track of their sales and deals. This kind of program usually has features like making coupons, keeping track of discounts, dividing customers into groups, and analytics.
Companies that use this kind of software can better handle their deals and save time by automating some tasks.
Do I need a system to keep track of discounts?
Of course, not every business needs a method for managing discounts. But if discounts are a big part of your business plan and you want to ensure your deals are handled correctly, then buying a discount management system might be a good idea.
Check out these questions to help you decide if a deal management system would be suitable for your business:
- Do I often provide deals for my goods and services?
- Do I have trouble keeping track of how my savings are doing?
- Do I want to be able to divide people into groups based on how they like to get discounts?
- Have I checked to see if discounts will make money for my business?
One of these price management systems might work well for your business if you say “yes” to any of them.
How to Pick a Discount Management System
If you want to get price management software for your business, there are a few things you should think about.
Pricing: Of course, budgeting is an important thing to think about when picking a discount tracking system. These systems can be as cheap as accessible or as expensive as a few thousand dollars. It’s essential to find one that fits your budget. Figure out how much you are ready to pay and think about how much money you will make by buying one for your business.
Things that the price management software can do: Different systems have different features and functions, so it’s essential to compare them before buying. Think about what features are essential for your company, and then look for a system with those features.
It should be easy to use because sales training and managing contracts are already hard enough. You don’t want your new system to make things even harder. Look for a system that is easy to understand and use, and make sure it can be quickly added to your current process.
Integrates: If you already have software systems, ensure the price management system works with them. Ask the possible seller if they already integrate with other software tools and if they can do a custom integration.
If you think about these things, you can find a price management system that works for your business and your budget.
Integrations of discount management software
Discount management tools can connect to several different types of software. These are some of the most well-known:
- CRM: Customers can receive personalized offers based on their data stored within your CRM system. CRM integration also allows for customer segmentation, targeting suitable discounts to the right customers.
- ERP: This integration allows you to track discounts at the transactional level so you can get an accurate picture of their profitability.
- E-commerce Platforms: Discounts and promotions can be managed from your e-commerce platform, including coupon codes, loyalty programs, and more.
- Marketing Automation Software: Leverage marketing automation software to personalize discounts and ensure they are sent to the right customers.
- CPQ: Configure, Price, and Quote (CPQ) software helps you streamline sales and discounting with accurately priced quotes, discounts, and automated workflows.
- Payment Processors: This integration helps ensure that discounts are applied correctly at the check
People who handle payments: This integration helps ensure discounts are correctly applied to payment processors at checkout.