It seems like everyone and their dog these days is touting the wonders of charging ‘premium rates’ for ‘high-end packages’.
Ugh. I’m tired of it… and here’s why.
First of all – it implies that if we aren’t charging ‘as much as we can!!’ then we are missing out. That the only goal of business is to squeeze every last dime out of the work we do.
Second – I’ve seen this set people up for failure. Either they struggle to sell at their new ‘premium’ rate (because deep down they don’t believe it’s worth it) or they sell at this premium rate but fail to deliver what the client was expecting (and find themselves in a bit of a pickle).
If the goal isn’t to charge as much as we can – then what do we aim for?
How do we know what the ‘right’ price is?
My friend Carolyn Herfurth shared this article with me recently and I daresay it’s the best article on pricing that I’ve ever read – including a really simple strategy to find your right price without going overboard.
Click here to read the article –> Your ‘Happy Price’ vs. Your ‘Sad Price’: How To Charge An Amount That Motivates You
And share below to let me know what you think? I’m curious to see if – and how – this might change the way you set your prices.
It certainly got my wheels turning…
Hi Tina, the article is spot on the money. It’s the best explanation for pricing services. Thank you for sharing it.
Thanks for sharing! This is fantastic!!
Charging only new customers raised prices is so fiendishly simple, we miss it as we go along our must-complicate-everything-in-our-lives ways.
What was I talking about again?
Thanks Tina??
fiendishly simple indeed! love when that happens 🙂
I’m so glad you shared this, Tina. It’s so like you in that it brilliantly simplifies a usually uber-complex decision-making process.
I’ve been using the phrase “fair to all” when talking about my pricing (in other words, I seek to charge prices none of the stakeholders will resent). This sums that concept up nicely AND adds a litmus test to boot.
LOVE it! I just shared it with my peeps in turn (mentioning you, of course!). As always, you rock!
that’s what i liked too – a way to ‘test’ the pricing to see what fits
Tina, THIS is what I call “listening to your body…” and I absolutely love the way the author articulated the process!! I will say to @nancymarmolejo:disqus that even someone with self-worth and money issues can do this. It simply requires a gentle inquiry (along the lines that the author suggests) and a light attention to what’s going on in your body, after posing the questions. The inquiry itself is so empowering (especially if guided by someone — including oneself — whose stance is coming from a kind of “positive curiosity”): any self-worth or money issues that are relevant to be looked at will arise and can be seen through the lens of non-judgement… and then easily be rolled into the inquiry. It’s really cool: immediate, clear and effective. @LouiseCrooks:disqus: Yes to Mark Silver’s work! While this article talks about listening to your gut, Mark talks about connecting to your heart. Whatever floats your boat — the processes are essentially the same. Love it. Thanks, Tina, for opening the conversation.
You remind me too Katherine of the importance of having someone outside of ourselves to work this process with us – I can see how easy it would be to get stuck (stay small) if we were still trying to figure it out in our heads
I think that’s a great guide for pricing AND I want to caution people who have self-worth and money issues to first address internally those before they set their “happy price”. When I first started my business, my pricing was more influenced by old money beliefs than the value I provided and my happiness level. Until I got help with why I wasn’t valuing myself, why I felt guilty and fraudulent for charging certain price points, I couldn’t move forward.
Totally agree. I wonder if this process can be helpful there too though – even if someone was to start by ‘underpricing’ themselves, then seeing the value they bring, they can ‘try on’ the next level of pricing in a way that feels aligned and in integrity.
Love it Tina! I’m familiar with doing pricing this way, and do it with my clients all the time. I credit Mark Silver with the idea of Resonant Pricing – getting to ‘feel’ what’s good with the pricing and what’s not. It’s just awesome. Very similar. It really also emphasizes why we shouldn’t be listening to every ‘guru’ out there, and listening more to what feels right for us. 🙂
I love Mark! Makes sense that he has been teaching this already…