It’s not about growth
Pricing is not about growth. It’s about profit. About getting the maximal monetary amount your customer is WILLING to pay. BUT, also, it’s about profit AFTER bringing your customer to a better place. If you don’t get this one principle clear, any pricing you’ll try won’t last.
Pop Quiz
Can you charge different prices for the (very exact) same thing? For services. For productized services. For products. Let me know. 🙂
Involution
When moving prices up little by little, it’s all about the seller (you). About their costs, their margins, their “compensation” on inflation, etc. It has nothing to do with the customer. It’s involution. Because it focuses more and more to the inside. The short term. The survival of today.
Low prices are the right message
Price is the representation of your promise. If you have a high price, the implied promise is that it’s of high value. It’s the right message. If you have a low price, you’re also sending the right message: of low value. The understanding of it is like a force of nature: it just happens. And fast. The question is: do you intend to send the message of low value or of high value? Either is ok. There’s a market for everyone. Are you making the right message?
Orders, orders, orders.
More often than not, there is a big focus on revenue as the thing to measure (success, growth, improvement). All of this nonsense of “Orders. Orders. Orders.” The thing is, to someone new into a business or sales, this misbelief is misleading. Instead of seeing revenue as a proof of concept and an enabler of cash flow, they see it as the end. And then fail. On top of that “Orders, orders, orders.” hides something unintendedly: you get to be an order-taker. Taking orders. Following orders….
Choosing revenue
Choosing revenue means choosing vanity. It means that what’s important is what goes into the business. The today, rather than the long game. It dilutes the way you make decisions, because it’s revenue over all. It dilutes your power to say no. It pushes you to comply with what your customer demands. And when revenue is not hitting the mark, you stench of desperation. So you get pushed down. To what they say. In fear. Revenue is not all.
You’re not a brand
The price you set is not a reflection of you. The price you set is not a reflection of your worth. It’s not a reflection of your effort. It’s not a reflection of your passion. It’s not a reflection of yourself. You’re not your price. You’re not a brand.
Defend your price
By agreeing with the objections. “It’s too expensive.” It is. “The price is ridiculous.” It might be. “Why so expensive?” That’s the price. “But it’s SO simple.” You’re right. It’s not your job to convince anyone —or to talk anyone into buying. Your job is to qualify early and bring those objections yourself at the beginning. The best way to defend your price is by making peace with your price. If you think it’s too expensive, they will too.
Your first option in the sale: Zero
Don’t get invested into what you want to get. The moment you do that, you’re too invested in the sale and giving your power away. You’ll take the zero as a lose. You’ll take the zero as non-appreciation. You’ll confuse the zero with your self-worth. Start the other way around What could you give away for zero and help? Examples of Giving away for zero: deep knowledge in a general setting your insights and POV on a subject a recommendation to somebody else a recommendation to a competitor…
Budget protectors
When you find a budget protector (one who sees costs as the core, efficiencies in the systems, how to spend less in order to gain more), no matter what you do, you won’t make a case of how you’re creating value for them and their organization —and pay accordingly. It’ll be a battle for how to pay the least possible. Their driver is reducing costs. Everything that involves getting money out of the pocket is a expenditure. When you find them, look for the one in charge of value creation to be…