Imagine spending the same amount of money on marketing and performing the same amount of work to deliver your products or services, but earning more money and keeping more after your expenses. That's what happens when you institute elite positioning for your business.
With elite positioning, you are not any old accountant, cabinetmaker, software maker or fitness trainer. You deliver superiority or exclusivity and therefore charge (and get!) more. Here are five ways to add an aura of extraordinariness to your business.
1. Specialization. If as an accountant, you only work with family businesses, clients perceive you as more familiar with and more skillful in dealing with their unique issues and circumstances. Whether or not you really have that much more expertise is not the crucial factor. The clients' knowledge that you specialize makes them comfortable paying more for your services.
2. Selectivity. Suppose that as a cabinetmaker, you didn't take any job that came along, but only those that offered interesting aesthetic or technical challenges for you. In that case, clients feel grateful that you have taken on their project and understand that if you are turning away projects, you of course charge more than your competitor who serves one and all.
3. Better results. Do you have any very, very impressive testimonials, awards or performance figures that prove you get superior outcomes from the work that you do? If so, highlight those credentials and raise your prices. Clients understand that the software that never, ever crashes computers costs more than the buggy kind.
4. Fame. When you're the fitness trainer who's just appeared on Oprah - or actually who ever appeared on Oprah! - you have a license to charge premium fees. As with most other kinds of elite positioning, your skills aren't necessarily greater, but your visibility places you at a higher level than colleagues who aren't trailing clouds of media dust.
5. Self-confidence. Perhaps you don't specialize, turn away clients, get better results or have fame. If you have bravado and nerve, you can charge premium prices anyway. This works only if you can say, "I charge $400 an hour" (or whatever stratospheric fee you choose) without any wavering or uncertainty in your voice. Does this idea make you indignant? Then consider whether you're ready to charge more. If you believe deep down that you're worth it, then you have what it takes to pull off higher prices. Stop letting fear hold you back!
Marcia Yudkin is the author of 6 Steps to Free Publicity and 10 other books. She runs an online mentorship site, MarketingforMore.com, which supports business owners who are growing their businesses. Download her free report, "Charge More & Get It," at http://www.marketingformore.com/survey.htm . Or find out about her upcoming Marketing for More seminars at http://www.marketingformore.com/survey.htm .
quick home cleaning Glenview ..If you own a mobile car wash business or auto... Read More
Some analysts credit [Larry] Ellison with anticipating the consolidation in... Read More
"Did you hear what your competitor is doing?" This question... Read More
Many business start-up kits or consultants will tell you one... Read More
GETTING STARTED WITH SUCCESSION PLANNING: PART IA survey of 4,300... Read More
It is always said "If you Fail to Plan, you... Read More
Here's a really simple way to make sure your plans... Read More
In 1997, David Steele was making the transition from a... Read More
Remember reading "Alice in Wonderland?"She asks the Cheshire Cat, "which... Read More
Every new business owner knows that a business plan is... Read More
Is there really anything as a problem? Does chaos or... Read More
( * - the word 'product' can be substituted to... Read More
Why cut costs now? Efforts are multiplying to cut costs... Read More
Before becoming a netpreneaur, I was an entrepreneur. First, I... Read More
Diversify - to make diverse, give variety, to balance, to... Read More
Conventional wisdom has it that there are only three ways... Read More
Storytelling and writing a business plan actually go hand in... Read More
Want to become more strategic? Add these traits to your... Read More
Too much goal setting and strategic planning can leave you... Read More
I recently took an organizational behavior class where my professor... Read More
"Rubbish!" shouted the large, aggressive man in the red-striped shirt... Read More
I've either been involved with or held a process-related role... Read More
Much of what we heard in the mass media about... Read More
I. INTRODUCTIONThe term resilience, which is of frequent use in... Read More
The format of a Business Plan is something that has... Read More
scheduled maid service Winnetka ..One of the difficulties we face in our industrialized age... Read More
I am not a big fisherman, but I do enjoy... Read More
Business planning is widely acknowledged as one of the keys... Read More
While writing an article recently on effective ways to bridge... Read More
To stop a computer virus you must understand how it... Read More
The trick is to determine what uniquely identifies your best... Read More
A survey released by the American Institute of Certified Public... Read More
This will make some people angry as hell, but it's... Read More
Writing a business plan for a franchised outlet of a... Read More
When in doubt, cut that out! Yeah, yea, doubting Thomas... Read More
1. Attempt Succession Planning Without Other Strategic Plans. Succession plans... Read More
Richard L. Daft one of the country's recognized academic leadership... Read More
It is always said "If you Fail to Plan, you... Read More
Private equity firms have raised so much capital over the... Read More
What do Mark Victor Hansen, Robert Allen, Anthony Robbins, Andrew... Read More
If you are a manufacturer wanting to use your business... Read More
Here is an abstract thought on studying nature and the... Read More
The foundation of any business transaction is the promise of... Read More
ACTION PLANNING: Action Planning is a process to develop strategies... Read More
Many business start-up kits or consultants will tell you one... Read More
A strategic alliance is when two or more businesses join... Read More
Writing a business plan to help you direct and manage... Read More
Do you work in or own a business that's affected... Read More
A significant advantage of some business ideas is that the... Read More
To Grow (Catapult) Your Business That's Why.When it's in your... Read More
Strategic Planning |