One thing you should never, ever do.
Never, Ever, Ever apologize for your price.
Ever.
I know, I know. You feel guilty asking for cash for that thing you’ve built your business around.
But all you do when you get all sheepish, turn your eyes down or (heaven forbid) say “Oh, golly is that too much?” is paint yourself as an un-professional.
Don’t do it.
Ever.
If you do, I will find you and I will hit you with the slappy stick.
That is all.
November 9th, 2006 at 9:00 pm
I’m so thankful to have a big brother biznik ready to whip my butt into shape for doing silly things like apologizing and putting my blog on blogger. Not that I would ever do that…
Thanks Chris!
November 9th, 2006 at 9:37 pm
Well, you know, it pays to have a skill for being mean to people.
November 13th, 2006 at 4:03 pm
I’ve been through that thing of thinking I charge too much, or having someone try to low-ball me, and I’ve come out the other side. Now, when I tell someone my price, I give them the number and shut up. I say nothing. 99 percent of the time their response is “OK”. And when it’s not, I’m not afarid to let that business walk away. But before letting it walk, if they’re looking for a discount, I usually reiterate my credentials and what goes into my price. Not in a defensive way, but an informative one.
Cheers,
Neil
November 14th, 2006 at 8:32 am
I’m with Chris on this one. There is a book which illuminates some fascinating differences between how men and women (in general, of course) differ in their approach to this issue: Why Women Earn Less: How to Make What You’re Really Worth by Mikelann Valterra. She’s based here in Seattle.
Nancy
November 14th, 2006 at 8:34 am
Right on, Chris!
As a small business we can’t compete with the big guys on price. Sometimes we feel bad, but then we remind ourselves that our business is based on service. We are not like the big guys, we are going for people who want great customer service and that’s who we get. We might lose a few who are price conscious, but some of them eventually come back when they are dissatisfied with the others. : )
Thanks for the reminder!
Martha
November 27th, 2006 at 10:47 am
[...] Information Technology Professional $70,000 Copywriter $60,000 Accountant/Bookkeeper $50,000 Graphic Designer $45,000 Project Manager/Coordinator $44,500 Editor $40,000 Writer $40,000 Artist $39,250 Photographer $36,000 Fitness Instructor/Trainer $32,000 On the subject of earnings, Biznik has a great tip: never apologize for your price. [...]
December 12th, 2006 at 10:44 am
[...] Never, ever, ever apologize for your price. Gots to remind myself of that one periodically. I think I learned it from TJ or maybe my father first, but oh how it’s easy to forget. [...]