How to Make Your Customers Feel Stupid Saying No

I did it. I finally caved.

I’ve always loved the brand Pura Vida. Their bracelets, their mission, their impact. But it wasn’t until I came across one of their ads on TikTok that I bought a few of their products.

Here's the thing. I already knew they were one of the best around when it comes to social media marketing.

But man oh man, it wasn’t until I received one of their post-purchase email campaigns that I realized what an absolute marketing masterclass the brand is.

If you’ve never heard of Pura Vida before, here’s a quick rundown:

Pura Vida works with artisans in Costa Rica to produce fashionable and affordable jewelry. They donate to various charities around the world and inspire others to live the Pura Vida lifestyle (translating to ‘pure life’ in Spanish). The brand was created in 2010 and is now valued at over $130 million.

So how exactly did they grow into a globally-known brand?

The answer lies in their raving fanbase and word-of-mouth advertising. More specifically, their genius referral program.

Here’s what you’ll learn today:

• What makes Pura Vida’s referral program so powerful

• Why it works so well

• How you can use it

Alrighty, let’s dive in…

What Makes Pura Vida’s Referral System So Powerful 🌴

We’ve all heard it before.

The best type of advertising is word-of-mouth advertising.

Now, while anyone can simply tell their friends about a brand or encourage them to buy certain products, they don’t have much of an incentive to do so if all they do is spread the word.

That’s why so many brands have a referral system that incentivizes people to buy.

Usually this comes in the form of some sort of discount, giveaway, or exclusive offer.

But Pura Vida takes their referral system to a wholeeee new level. Frankly, I was blown away when I saw this at the bottom of one of their emails ↓

So you’re telling me that not only do you have an incentive to share Pura Vida with your friend, but your friend gets a whopping 50% off when they use your link?!

Now that’s what I call an irresistible offer (Alex Hormozi would be proud lol).

While most brands share a measly 10% of whatever your friend purchases, Pura Vida does the exact opposite.

Offering $10 off your next purchase, you could literally buy yourself a free bracelet.

And as for your friend?

Sheesh, 50% off is one of – if not the best – discount offers I’ve ever seen from a brand.

As you can see from the 212,613 people who’ve shared the “Pura Vida lifestyle” with their friends, it clearly works.

Here’s why…

Why It Works So Well 🤔

Like I mentioned above, this is quite literally the definition of what an irresistible offer looks like.

What does that mean?

Well, if your friend offered you a 50% discount on already fashionable and affordable products (especially if you’ve been eyeing them for awhile), you would feel stupid saying no. Right?

And the same goes for you.

If you have even the slightest bit of inclination to buy from Pura Vida again in the future, you would feel stupid not sharing a 50% off discount with your friends because… well, the brand is essentially offering you a free $10 to their store.

(With that said, I would feel stupid if I didn’t at least add a link here in case you want to check out Pura Vida and their products haha.)

Anyyyyyways, not only is their referral system an insanely great offer, it also acts as a positive feedback loop.

You see, here’s how it works:

I buy something from Pura Vida → I share a link with you for 50% off your purchase → You buy something from Pura Vida → You share a link with your friend for 50% off their purchase → We both buy from the brand again with our $10 discount…

It’s the gift that keeps on giving. At least for Pura Vida in the form of more products purchased and more customers gained.

At the end of the day, Pura Vida makes more money, we’re both happy because we got a great deal on our purchase, and we share that happiness with our friends so they can get a great deal on their purchase.

Now that’s what I call a win-win-win situation if I've ever seen one.

So how can you use this system to get similar results for your own brand?

How to Use It❓

While we can’t all replicate the massive success of Pura Vida’s referral system or afford to offer such a huge discount, there’s a simple formula you can follow:

Irresistible Offer + Positive Feedback Loop = $$$

If your brand has some sort of referral system (and it should), make sure that your offer is irresistible. That your customers and their friends feel stupid for passing up on the offer.

If you’re able to do that, you’ll create a positive feedback loop where you make more money, everyone is happy, and they share that happiness again and again and again until the end of time…

Here are a few examples of what that might look like:

• Offer a free product in exchange for a referral

• Share exclusive content or access for those who refer their friends

• Have a tiered-system where the more people someone refers, the more they earn

It’s up to you to decide how you implement this into your own brand. But just make sure your offer is irresistible and you create a positive feedback loop with your system.

And that’s how you create a win-win-win situation where everyone walks away happy and you grow your customer-base at the same time.

Cheers,

Connor “Livin’ the Pura Vida lifestyle” Flynn