Podcast Episode Summary

The $100 MBA Show – MBA2694: 5 Ways To Use The Holidays To Make More Money

Host: Omar Zenhom
Date: October 24, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Omar Zenhom dives into five actionable strategies for leveraging the holiday season to drive business revenue, foster customer loyalty, and bolster your brand—without resorting to massive discounts that hurt your margins. Drawing on decades of entrepreneurial experience, he offers step-by-step advice for deploying smart, emotionally resonant offers that motivate customers to buy, while strengthening your business for the year ahead.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Understanding Holiday Buyer Psychology

• The holidays are primed for sales—not because of deep discounts, but because customers are already in a buying and giving mindset.
• Omar: "People expect to get offers from you. They want a deal, they want a reason to buy, really... The goal isn't to slash prices until, until you bleed out all your margins." (03:05)

2. Five Strategic Holiday Offers

(1) Buy One, Give One

• Inspired by Masterclass, this offer is about generosity: Buy a membership for yourself, and gift a second to a friend.
  • Simple implementation: After purchase, give the customer a unique code to gift.
  • Sets up emotional resonance with themes of gifting and togetherness.
  • Works best for lower-priced digital products or memberships.
  • Adds value for both purchaser and their social circle, increasing engagement and accountability.
• Omar: "By getting a friend to do the courses with you, you kind of have a study buddy... and you're more likely to do the work and implement and get results." (06:20)

(2) Buy and Get a $100 Gift Card

• Great for buyers who are practical; instead of discounting, give a tangible gift card (e.g., Amazon) for their holiday shopping.
  • Useful for higher-ticket products or services with larger margins.
  • Key implementation: Hold the gift card until after the refund period to minimize risk.
• Omar: "It literally feels like you're giving them money." (09:09)

(3) The Price Goes Up Next Year

• Build urgency and transparency by announcing price increases for the impending new year.
  • Effective for encouraging action without devaluing your offering.
  • Reinforces trust through follow-through and public communication ("Prices are going up Jan. 1").
• Omar: "This offer actually gets better over time ... It rewards people who take action early without devaluing your product." (13:14)

(4) Buy Now, Pay Later ("Buy Today, Pay Most in 2026")

• Remove December financial stress by offering generous payment terms.
  • Customers pay a small deposit now, with the bulk of payment deferred to the new year.
  • Works well for pricier programs or products.
  • Ensure communication that purchasing now locks in the current price.
• Omar: "You could say, hey, pay $97 now and the rest over 12 months starting in February ... You lock in today’s price even though payments start later—that’s a win-win." (15:22)

(5) The "Anti-Black Friday" (Green Friday)

• Instead of cutting prices, donate to a cause (e.g., plant trees, sponsor families, support charity) for every holiday purchase.
  • Reinforces brand values and stands out from discount-noise.
  • Especially effective for mission-driven companies.
• Omar: "Once everyone else is screaming, 'Sale, buy now,' you can stand up by just saying, 'Hey, we’re giving back.'" (17:27)
• Memorable example: Webinar Ninja’s Green Friday campaign: Plant 10 trees for each customer instead of offering discounts.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On emotional resonance:

  "You want to tie into those emotions so that you give them a compelling reason to buy now." (03:32)

• About the power of the Buy One, Give One model:

  "I think this is even more powerful because by getting a friend to do the courses with you, you kind of have a study buddy." (06:36)

• Handling risk with gift cards:

  "Wait seven or 14 days until the refund policy is over with ... you don’t want to give everything at once and then they want a refund." (11:00)

• Building trust:

  "That builds trust for the next year, saying that you kept your word." (14:46)

• Standing out from discounts:

  "Customers remember that. And it goes a long way after the holidays and it’s a good boost for your brand." (18:13)

• Guiding principle:

  "Ask yourself that question ... Would you find this to be a compelling deal? Would you find this to be a good deal? And it’ll be pretty clear on what to do." (18:55)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:00] – The importance of emotional triggers during holiday sales
• [04:05] – Strategy 1: Buy One, Give One explained with Masterclass example
• [09:00] – Strategy 2: Gift card offer details and implementation
• [13:00] – Strategy 3: Announcing upcoming price increases as a motivator
• [15:20] – Strategy 4: Deferred payment/play now-pay later option
• [17:20] – Strategy 5: Green Friday and giving-back campaigns
• [18:45] – How to choose the right strategy for your business type
• [19:00] – Recap of all five strategies

Advice & Recap

• Match strategies to product price and audience (gift-one for low price, payment plans or price increases for high-ticket, giving for mission-driven brands).
• Make deadlines and messaging clear and simple; always deliver genuine value.
• Be transparent and honest about why you’re making these offers ("Just be honest and people will kind of resonate with them". 18:44).
• The holidays offer an opportunity for creativity—not desperation. Not every business is like Toys R Us, relying on a single season for the bulk of revenue.
  • Omar: "It doesn't have to be this mad rush ... Know your business, know your market, know your product." (19:07)

Final Takeaway

Implementing thoughtful, relevant holiday offers builds customer loyalty, boosts seasonal sales, and strengthens your brand—even after the holidays. Do it with intention, offer real value, and communicate honestly, and your customers will keep coming back.

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