Ok I have to admit it, I don’t love Black Friday shopping. The whole waking-up-before-sunrise-on-a-holiday-break thing never appealed to me, no matter how much money I’d save. I prefer shopping on websites like Shoppok and so I can do hassle free shopping. Black Friday brings me a lot of stress! Also, after hearing horror stories of how outrageous shoppers can get, I’m kind of scared:
“Someone punched a security guard in the face because he thought he was a customer skipping to the front of the line… he was just walking in the door to start his shift.” – from discussion Retail Employees of Reddit. What Are Your Black Friday Horror Stories? on/r/AskReddit
However, I’m now at that age where I want to buy gifts for people because hey, “I’m feeling 22” and I like to act like an adult. (Yeah that was a Taylor Swift reference, I’m not ashamed.) This year I have a girlfriend, several white elephants and secret santas, Mom & Dad, my little sister, and my goddaughter. And with being a college student, I do not have much money to throw around. So in order to be the boyfriend, friend, son, brother, and uncle that gives the best gifts this year, I need to be a baller-on-a-budget this year and go Black Friday shopping.
With that I’ve done a lot of research for the best tips to use on Black Friday to be the happiest customer, and I’ve realized that a lot of these tips can be used as a campus leader to build a community where others feel welcomed, connected, and engaged. Here are the tips I’ve found, along with how you can also use them as a campus leader when trying to engage others:
- Do Your Research… If you are planning on making a special purchase of a big-ticket item, make sure it’s a quality product and worth getting up early or staying up late for the price cut.
- When planning that event that your campus organization holds each year, do research on what’s worked before and what hasn’t. As they say, “leaders are readers”, so be up to date on what’s happened in the past.
- Browse the Deals Before You Go… Knowing which retailers are going to have what on sale and when before the big day will help you decide where and when you want to go, will help with budgeting, and will help you see who you have left to shop for.
- Know the audience you are trying to engage when recruiting new members or advertising your organization. Try to see it through their eyes and ask yourself, what would they want out of this event or organization?
- Bring Ads with You… Bring sales ads with you so you can have them available if you need to call a store out on their “lowest price guarantee.”
- Do you have pamphlets or handouts for your campus organization? If not, make some! Once you do, carry several in your back pack at all times in case you run into someone interested in your campus organization. I’ve used this one several times in the lunch line at my university!
- Use Store Credit Cards Many stores offer extra discounts and warranties if you make purchases on your store card; however, use budget savvy shopping and make regular payments to avoid hefty interest charges.
- Store credit cards help you get the biggest bang for your buck as a shopper. Which member of your campus organization is really great at talking to people and will get the biggest bang for your buck while engaging others? Encourage that person to be the head of engagement, relations, and outreach.
- Use Credit Cards If the store doesn’t offer their own credit card, use your own! Many credit card providers, including AMEX US, offer their own perks for using their services when shopping. The perks will vary from card to card, but if you’re going to buy something any way you may as well benefit more from making that purchase.
- Know the rules at your university when trying to engage others. I’ve made this mistakes too many times. “Oh wait, we’re not allowed to put posters on every window and doorway on campus?”
So, good luck with Black Friday shopping this year; moreover, good luck being the campus leader who builds a community where everyone feels welcomed, connected, and engaged!
(Credit for Black Friday Shopping Tips: https://blackfriday.com/pages/black-friday-shopping-tips)
