Last week, we started the hard work by creating new service levels (and pricing) and then organized your customers into similar groups. Then we’d started figuring out which of your new service levels makes the most sense for each group. It’s time to finish up.
Once you’re done with the groupings, look at your numbers, whether they are in some fancy software or on a chalkboard in the shop. Figure out a price that makes sense for each tier. Not a price relative to the 20 year old price, or even a price that tries to “look right” when compared to the entry price. Make the price a good value that preserves your margins.
Update all your prices and service information to reflect all of this work. Ask for feedback as people buy. You’ll want to know why they chose tier A instead of tier B. What’s different about the customers who consistently choose A over B, and vice versa. The value… the economics must make sense – but the mix of services at that level must also make sense. You wouldn’t give a teenager a Tesla X on an icy winter morning. You also wouldn’t send them out without studded snow tires on their 15 year old sedan.
It’s time to raise prices. Finally.
Tell your existing customers the truth about your unsustainable pricing and what you’ve done about it. They’re going to figure it out eventually anyway. Explain your new tiers and tell them what you believe is a good process for identifying where they belong. Don’t get all sales pitchy. Tell them how it is, tell them when the old price disappears and tell them specifically what they need to do and when. Make it as easy as possible – then make it easier. You’re not punishing them for the last 20 years. You’re setting things up so you’ll be around to help them for the next 20.
Some people will not understand. They will leave. Thank them for their time with you and let them go. Don’t argue with them. It’s their decision. A small percentage will be angry. Let them be. You can’t change that about people. It’s their decision. Thank them and move on.
So you raised your prices and the world didn’t end, but you know the problem isn’t completely solved.
With the new pricing, the economics of your business will change. Pay attention. You may have to go through a price exercise like this more often. You may find that assumptions about you customers will change – or maybe they won’t. Either way, you need to stay on top of it.
Don’t do anything that’s not sustainable. It was a lot of work to get out of the mess you were in. Let’s not do it again if we can avoid it.
Explain the economics
Some will wonder why your prices are what they are. It’s their nature. Your costs are usually none of their business. People don’t buy stuff from you because your costs are $x or $y. They buy because they want or need something and the value is acceptable.
If you need to explain your prices – do it as a value proposition. For example “We charge $1200 per month for our service, while allows our customers to save an average of 47 work hours of labor (for example) per week.” Buy or don’t buy becomes simple math at that point.
Sometimes, this is harder than it sounds, but you may as well do it because they are absolutely going to do it – and they may miss something because they don’t know your service or the follow on benefits as well as you do. There are times when all of the benefits are simply not obvious. Make them obvious.
Even if they choose not to buy your stuff, make it easy for them to assess their decision. If you need 90 minutes on the phone and 13 finance questions to close a sale, find a way to make it easier to understand.
This doesn’t mean assume your customers are dumb or lazy. They are busy. They don’t have time to mess around with spreadsheets and deep research and thought about your service. Make it like the buffet. Lay it out in front of them so all they have to do is choose – even if the choice is “not now”.
Mark Riffey is an investor and advisor to small business owners. Want to learn more about Mark or ask him to write about a strategic, operations or marketing problem? See Mark’s site, contact him on LinkedIn or Twitter, or email him at [email protected].