Marketing Information

Dont Use Yourself as Your Pricing Yardstick


"I wouldn't pay more than what I charge now."

If you are not a member of your target market, toss this thought about your own preferences out the window this very minute. What you consider a reasonable price has nothing to do with how they spend money. Even if you are a member of the market you are selling to, it's a fallacy to assume that everyone in that group feels as you do. Chances are, some feel that your current rates are more than they want to pay, some feel you're charging just about right and others feel you're a real steal. You probably don't need to sell to all three of those categories and can do well by aiming at those who'd respect you more if you charged more.

The belief that she couldn't charge more than she herself would pay was a huge barrier for a friend of mine who was a photographer. She had to do a lot of talking to herself about her customers' enthusiasm for her work, her strengths as a photographer and the fact that the few colleagues charging more in her town weren't any better at their work than she was.

She also had to steel herself against customers trying to bargain with her. She reminded herself that when she held firm on her fees, most customers did pay what they'd just objected to. Some people bargain mainly as a habit or a game.

Additionally, she joined a mastermind group of other photographers and picked up a few pointers on subtle ways to increase the average amount a customer spent with her. For instance, photographers offering frames in different sizes along with enlargements of family portraits always sold the most of the next to largest size on display. By adding a larger size frame to those hanging on the wall of her studio, she sold more of the next-to-largest size, previously the largest.

Create a solid difference between yourself and competitors to feel more confident about raising your rates. To separate yourself from colleagues, you can emphasize selectivity (you accept only a certain level or kind of client), specialization (you possess more experience and expert knowledge on one aspect of your industry), results (your superiority consists of a spectacular success rate that you can document) or concrete benefits of your work (results that your colleagues also produce but never explicitly point to).

Pricing is a psychological phenomenon primarily, and the road to higher profits begins with getting your own head straight about what's reasonable to charge.

Marcia Yudkin is head mentor for MarketingforMore.com and the author of 6 Steps to Free Publicity and 10 other books. As an author, marketing consultant and coach, she has spent 22 years successfully turning words into money. By going to http://www.marketingformore.com/survey.htm , you can download a free report, "Charge More & Get It," that discusses five common self-sabotaging beliefs that stand in the way of higher earnings.


MORE RESOURCES:

FedEx trims '09 marketing budget by 25%
Bizjournals.com, NC - 1 hour ago
FedEx Corp. will cut its marketing budget by more than 25 percent for 2009, the company recently disclosed on its blog. FedEx executive vice president of ...


Tivo CEO says stepping up marketing partnerships
Reuters - 5 hours ago
O) plans to establish more marketing relationships with entertainment producers and retailers such as Best Buy Co Inc (BBY.N) in the current quarter and ...


Brightview Senior Living picks Crosby Marketing Communications for ...
Bizjournals.com, NC - 6 hours ago
The Annapolis marketing firm will develop a new logo, sales materials, ads, direct mail and other materials to promote Brightview’s communities. ...


Reuters

FedEx cuts marketing spend by more than 25 percent
Reuters - 27 minutes ago
N) has cut its marketing budgets by more than 25 percent in 2009 as part of its response to the bleak US economy, the package delivery giant said on ...


Hawaii marketing to put Korea on hold
Bizjournals.com, NC - 8 minutes ago
But the HTA will wait until at least late January to spend another $607000 on marketing to South Korea, as well as spending an additional $238000 for ...


Call 4 Action: Marketing Of 'Weight Loss' Berry Drawing Fire
MSNBC - 9 hours ago
... is also taking resentment with some of the claims. They're also suing Central Coast Nutraceuticals in an effort to stop some of its marketing practices.
Acai Promoters Targeted by BBB, Arizona Natural Products Marketplace
Consumers warned to avoid 2 supplement sales sites The Associated Press
all 56 news articles


Marketing into a Meltdown
Wall Street Journal - 20 hours ago
It turns out that Mr. Michaelson didn't get very far inside the company: He was a mid-level marketing executive at Countrywide from mid-2003 until October ...


BrightTALK Hosts Marketing Automation Summit
International Business Times, NY - Jan 6, 2009
This online webcast summit will provide marketers with tips and techniquesto optimize their marketing programs by utilizing the latest marketingautomation ...


Aon Affinity Insurance Services Signs on With Goodman Marketing ...
MSNBC - 19 hours ago
SAN RAFAEL, CA - Goodman Marketing Partners (GMP), an independent full-service direct marketing company based in San Rafael, CA, announced today that Aon ...
Aon Affinity Insurance Services Signs on With Goodman Marketing ... International Business Times
all 8 news articles


Monterey Gourmet Foods Appoints Food Marketing Expert Tammy G ...
MSNBC - 5 hours ago
As an expert in branding and consumer marketing she has led the marketing for major brands including Miller Lite®, Ortho®, RoundUp®, Enfamil®, Boost®, ...

Marketing - Google News

Good Credit Loans | home | site map | School Bus Clothing | Florida Pool Heating
© 2006