30+ Black Friday Tips to Win the Holidays Like a 9-Figure Ecommerce Brand
OPERATORS · with Sean Frank, Matt Bertulli, Jason Panzer, Mike Beckham · September 23, 2026 · 52 min
Summary
This episode reveals how 9-figure ecommerce brands approach Black Friday & Cyber Monday, focusing beyond just discounts to strategies that significantly boost Average Order Value (AOV). Learn tactical approaches for tiered offers, strategic upsells, and leveraging proven creative to maximize holiday season profitability. The insights shared by seasoned founders provide a playbook for converting peak season traffic into record-breaking revenue and increased customer lifetime value.
Key takeaways
Implement a tiered offer strategy with backup deals, including a "worse deal" to make your primary offer more attractive, encouraging customers to spend more for better savings.
Prioritize upsell strategies, particularly at checkout, to significantly increase AOV. One example cited generated an additional million dollars in revenue.
Leverage "spotlight bias" by reusing older, proven marketing creative during high-demand periods like BFCM, as familiarity often outperforms new assets.
Plan comprehensive inventory management and optimize your website for seamless conversion to handle peak traffic and demand during the holiday sales period.
Focus on AOV alongside order volume by designing promotions that incentivize bundles and higher spending, not just driving initial purchases.
“The best Black Friday offers don’t just increase orders, they increase AOV.”Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case x Lomi), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) share the Black Friday & Cyber Monday tips they rely on every year. Every tactic comes from hard-won experience over decades of combined holiday wins and losses.They break down why every Black Friday deal needs a backup, sometimes even a worse one, ready to launch. Mike explains why spotlight bias makes old creative beat anything new. Matt shares the upsell that added a million dollars. Small moves like these are what separate a good quarter from a record one. Powered By Postscript https://9ops.co/postscript Aftersell https://9ops.co/4i3bb5 Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Fulfil https://9ops.co/fulfil Northbeam https://www.northbeam.io/ Saras Analytics https://bit.ly/4a3gzVv Operators Portal https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/
Implement a tiered offer strategy with backup deals, including a "worse deal" to make your primary offer more attractive, encouraging customers to spend more for better savings.
What does this episode say about conversion & cro?
Prioritize upsell strategies, particularly at checkout, to significantly increase AOV. One example cited generated an additional million dollars in revenue.
What does this episode say about paid acquisition?
Leverage "spotlight bias" by reusing older, proven marketing creative during high-demand periods like BFCM, as familiarity often outperforms new assets.
What does this episode say about customer retention?
Plan comprehensive inventory management and optimize your website for seamless conversion to handle peak traffic and demand during the holiday sales period.
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Focus on AOV alongside order volume by designing promotions that incentivize bundles and higher spending, not just driving initial purchases.
