In a slow economy, whether it's local or national, dropping prices is easy to justify. But here is why you want to do everything you can to not drop your price. When you drop your price for any reason, it becomes the new price. No justification will sound reasonable to your customer when you raise the price back up to where it "should" be. Here are ways to avoid lowering our price;
Change the offer. You can offer a slightly different package of items, or a slightly different model for the same price. It isn't that people have no money. It's that they feel like they need a better deal for their money. Just give them what they would see as a better deal.
Add something for free. As long as the price stays the same, you can give something away as a premium to make the offer look more attractive. Adding something for free makes it much harder for a customer to ask for a lower price.
Change the terms. If you add a longer payment term, it will lower the monthly payment (or account billing terms). It will feel to the consumer as though you are offering a better offer, even though you are really just giving better terms.
Add something for a better price on the add-on. Added on products can be offered for a reduced price instead of free. For example, if you sell men's clothing, buy a suit and get the shoes for half price. Nobody is going to come back later for shoes and say that the price is twice what it used to be.
But three get one free. If they buy in greater quantity (at one time) they get a discount on the last one they buy, or get it for free. This offer can be discontinued later, without the price being compromised for one.
Offer free services or an extended warranty at little or no cost to the consumer. An extended warranty offered for free is a good inducement, and feels like a lower price. In fact if you give the price with the extended warranty built in, and then lower the price to your regular price without the extended warranty, you are giving the customer the feeling of a lower price with little out of your own pocket. Later, when you no longer include the warranty for free, your price will remain unchanged.
The big reason you do not want to lower your price; The customer will then know that you will lower the price. The price becomes flexible in the prospect's mind. Once the customer sees that you will lower your price, they will negotiate everything they buy from you.
Do not artificially increase your price, just to take money off. These should be real offers that provide real value. That is selling.
I hope this helps.
Author Resource:
Sales and marketing expert Claude Whitacre gives talks and seminars on small business marketing and sales. You can get his free weekly selling and marketing tip at http://www.claudewhitacre.com You can also download a free copy of his book The Unfair Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual at http://www.local-small-business-advertising-marketing-book.com
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