While pausing sales for 6 months to rebuild, Legora framed the delay as a consequence of overwhelming demand. They put new, signed customers into a "queue," creating scarcity and social proof that inadvertently made the product even more desirable by the time it was ready.
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Instead of viewing pre-orders as a customer inconvenience, a founder was advised to reframe them as a community-building tool. By being transparent and offering a small discount, a brand can create loyal early supporters who feel invested in the company's journey.
After their launch video went viral and they immediately sold out of razors, Dollar Shave Club kept sales open. They transparently informed new customers of a shipping delay but allowed them to continue placing orders. This captured massive demand that would have otherwise been lost.
Apparent inefficiency, like the queue at Gail's Bakery, can be a potent marketing signal. The visible wait, amplified by large windows, serves as social proof that the product is highly desirable and worth waiting for, attracting more customers.
Labeling a product 'Sold Out' instead of 'Out of Stock' or 'Unavailable' reduces customer irritation by 15%. 'Sold Out' implies popularity and high demand (social proof), whereas 'Out of Stock' suggests logistical failure and company ineptitude. This simple, costless language change reframes the entire situation.
To create urgency online, the founders use a Shopify app literally named 'FOMO.' It automatically shows customers what others are buying, how many people are viewing an item, and when stock is low. This directly translates the psychological principles of social proof and scarcity into an automated sales tool without manual effort.
Service-based businesses inherently have a limited capacity for new clients. Instead of viewing this as a weakness, small businesses should leverage it as a powerful and authentic form of scarcity in their marketing. Stating you only have capacity for a few more clients creates genuine urgency without fabricated deadlines.
After raising $35M, Legora's founder halted sales for six months to address scalability issues. Despite VC pressure, he correctly identified that onboarding prestigious clients to a faulty product would burn their reputation and kill long-term growth, a risk greater than a temporary sales pause.
After raising $35M, Legora's CEO made the bold decision to halt all sales for six months. This time was used to refactor the product for enterprise-level reliability and scale, preventing churn and enabling the company to later onboard thousands of users per day. This prioritizes technical foundation over short-term revenue.
Aggressive, fear-based marketing tactics attract customers motivated by FOMO, who are often a poor fit. Shifting to permission-based selling—building waitlists, asking who wants to hear more, and respecting a 'no'—attracts more committed, enthusiastic customers who genuinely need your offer.
To launch Beehiiv's waitlist, the founder tweeted about "limited time" and "a few spots," admitting it was a "complete lie." This manufactured urgency successfully converted his small Twitter following into a 400-person lead list before the product was even ready.
