The sales period is a key moment for your business and a quick way to boost your sales and clear out stock with peace of mind.

However, whether it's winter or summer sales, their success depends largely on your ability to implement an intelligent marketing and communication strategy, featuring progressive markdowns.

The first markdown involves offering moderate discounts, designed primarily to capture the attention of early shoppers looking for the best deals. During the second markdown, you will offer more significant discounts to accelerate stock clearance. As for the third markdown, it is about highlighting the final opportunities to grab, with maximum discounts, perfect for liquidating remaining items before the end of the sales period.

SMS proves to be the ideal tool to guide your target audience through each of these stages. Its quick readability on mobile ensures immediate awareness of your announcements and instant traffic to your physical or online store.

Discover which strategy to implement for each markdown, with supporting examples, as well as the advantages of this channel and best practices for a successful campaign.

The SMS strategy for each markdown

First markdown: building excitement

The first markdown is a crucial step in any company's strategy. It marks the kickoff of this period so eagerly awaited by consumers, and its main objective is to attract as many shoppers as possible right from the start.

Objective: attract and engage from the start

During this initial phase, the discounts offered are moderate but strategic. They must be attractive enough to capture attention while preserving your margins.

These initial offers cater to the impatience of the most reactive shoppers, who are always on the lookout for the best opportunities on the items they covet.

How to build excitement?

• Highlighting flagship products

First, you can highlight your most popular items or those with high perceived value. These should be at the heart of your promotions to maximize the impact of this first wave.

• Creating a sense of urgency

Messages like "First come, first served" or "Limited stock" will create a sense of urgency and encourage your target audience to act quickly so they don't miss out on your deals.

• Using the right channels

SMS is a powerful lever, and in this context, it is highly advisable to use it. It will allow you to inform your recipients in real-time about the launch of the sales and direct them straight to a dedicated webpage or encourage them to visit your store.

SMS examples

It’s go time! The sales start today: enjoy 30% off our best-sellers. Limited stock, so hurry!

The sales are on! First markdowns: up to 30% off your favorite items. Act fast, stock is limited.

In short, the first markdown is the perfect opportunity to grab attention, drive traffic, and build sales momentum that will intensify with each stage.

Second markdown: reigniting interest and targeting the undecided

The second markdown introduces a new strategic goal for your business: maintaining the momentum of the sales while re-engaging your contacts.

Once the initial excitement of the first wave has passed, this phase aims to convince those who haven't bought yet, or to encourage those who have already purchased to return and complete their basket, either online or in-store.

Goal: win over the hesitant and build loyalty with early shoppers

Discounts are deeper, often between 30% and 50%, making the offers much more attractive.

These promotions help reach a wider audience, especially those who were waiting for a more significant price drop before taking action.

It is also an opportunity to re-engage buyers who were already won over during the first markdown.

The keys to a successful second markdown?

• Offer more generous discounts and target hesitant shoppers

Highlight a discount that marks a real turning point compared to the first wave.

Also, it is worth targeting the undecided. Through a personalized message, remind them that stock is running low and it’s time to act if they don’t want to miss out on their favorites.

• Emphasize urgency and exclusivity

Play on the sense of scarcity by reminding them that the products they recently viewed or added to their wish list are almost sold out.

SMS examples for the second markdown

Second markdown: Up to 50% off the entire collection! Time to treat yourself, stock is limited. [Link to your site]

It’s time for the 2nd markdown! Up to 50% off an even wider selection. Limited stock, don’t wait.

With this second stage, you reactivate consumer interest while maximizing sales on items still in stock. It is a key opportunity to maintain strong momentum until the third markdown.

Third markdown: Boosting last-minute purchases

The third markdown is the final stage of the sales.

It is a decisive moment to drive sales and clear out remaining stock by leveraging a strong sense of urgency and unprecedented price drops on your items.

Goal: Clear out unsold items with unbeatable prices

With discounts often reaching 70% or more, this phase targets shoppers looking for the best deals and rock-bottom prices.

It also uses time pressure to encourage immediate purchases, particularly by reminding customers that the sales are coming to an end.

How to make the third markdown a success?

• Maximum discounts

For an effective campaign, offer exceptional promotions on your unsold items to motivate your recipients to act quickly; this will help you clear your stock with ease.

• Heightened sense of urgency

Send messages like "Last chance" or "Sales end tomorrow" to encourage quick action.

• Targeting latecomers

Send SMS messages to those who haven't purchased yet or who have left items in their cart, reminding them that time is running out.

SMS examples for the third markdown

"Last chance! Third markdown: Up to 70% off. The sales end tomorrow. Don't miss out on our exceptional offers!"

"Don't miss out on the item of your dreams. Enjoy a 70% discount on all remaining stock."

By fully leveraging this final phase, you ensure efficient stock liquidation while generating one last wave of excitement before the sales close.

The benefits of targeted SMS communication for sales

SMS marketing offers your business numerous advantages at every stage of the sales:

Create a sense of urgency

Because it is instant and concise by nature, it is ideal for creating a sense of urgency and motivating your customers to take immediate action.

Phrases like "Limited offer" or "Last few days to enjoy our discounts" automatically encourage your contacts to act quickly.

Personalize to boost sales

Targeted communication allows you to send personalized messages that are perfectly aligned with the expectations and preferences of each identified segment.

For example, you can:

1. Reward your loyal customers (VIPs) with exclusive offers or early access;
2. Attract and convert your prospects with a great promotion on your flagship products;
3. Convince undecided shoppers with personalized follow-ups on items they have viewed or left in their cart.

Reach your target audience at the right time

In principle, an SMS is read within 3 minutes of receipt, making it the ideal tool for communicating at key moments, such as the start of a sale or the final days of a clearance event.

This allows you to capture consumer interest at the exact moment they are most likely to make a purchase.

Practical tips for a high-performing campaign

To get the most out of every marketing campaign, it is essential to follow certain best practices. Here are a few tips.

Write short and engaging messages

SMS has a 160-character limit, so every word counts.

Be clear, direct, and provide a quick call to action with a short link leading directly to your site. If you want your contacts to visit your store, be sure to mention it.
Example: "Final days of our second markdown. Up to 50% off our must-haves. Use promo code SOLDES25!"

Example: "Come discover our unmissable deals in-store. A surprise awaits you! Offer ends February 4th at 8 PM."

Schedule sends for strategic times

The success of your sales depends heavily on the timing chosen for each message in your campaign.

Choose time slots when your contacts are available, such as in the morning, during their lunch break, or in the early evening. They will be more likely to read your message and take action!

And if you know each customer's preferences, send your messages at the perfect moment for an optimal conversion rate.

Use a click and conversion tracking tool

Analyze your campaign performance by tracking key data: open rates, click-through rates, number of conversions, and the number of items purchased after an SMS is sent. This data allows you to adjust your messages and optimize your results.

Comply with legal requirements

Ensure your recipients have provided prior consent (opt-in). And always include an unsubscribe option in your messages (e.g., "Reply STOP to 12345").

These measures ensure your compliance with regulations and strengthen customer trust.

Why integrate SMS into your sales strategy?

As you can see, SMS is an essential tool for businesses looking to boost the impact of their campaigns, thanks to its ability to deliver short, clear, and instant messages in real time.

As mentioned, a well-thought-out communication and marketing strategy, adapted to the three markdown periods, is essential to:

• Drive traffic to your store or website as soon as the sales begin;
• Renew interest at every stage to trigger sales;
• Stimulate last-minute purchases and clear out your remaining stock.

With our powerful and intuitive Octopush platform, create impactful campaigns using advanced personalization tools, schedule your sends for strategic moments, and measure effectiveness with precise metrics.

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