Wednesday Words
To Go Where Your VisionPoints, a few inspiration points for you and your business.
If the other fellow sells cheaper than you, it is called dumping. ‘Course, if you sell cheaper than him, that’s mass production.
—Will Rogers
It’s back—and it never goes away, really. Long, long ago in April, James Chartrand at Men With Pens led a lively discussion about pricing and ethical guidelines for freelance writers which I jumped right in on because it’s clear from my experience that this is an issue for almost any business, not only for freelancers.
I mean, hamburgers that run over $100? How do you know what to charge for your service or product when there’s so much variation? What’s the real issue?
Hunter Nuttall, who’s not one to complain, sent a serious and heartfelt email exploring the issue to Naomi Dunford at IttyBiz, and the heat is on again.
Now, really. Some of you have weighed in on “good” and “bad” pricing at Men With Pens or IttyBiz—if you haven’t read those two articles and the comment sections, please do, they’re great. I don’t want to go there.
Here’s a snippet of what I said back in April at MWP, and this is what I’m thinking about again today:
If the rates you charge go up significantly…. [the] kinds of clients you can work with would change greatly. (You know that.)
If you know what problem you alone can solve for your customer, then your pricing is right in front of you.
$100 burgers (temporarily) solve boredom and narcissism, not hunger. A mere $4 burger can’t do that.
A three-year, $250,000 consulting job that resulted in a terrible new tagline for the state of Delaware in 2005? “We paid big money, so it’s good.” (That’s my Ideal Customer, next time they’re looking. Whew!) Plenty of companies would have charged hundreds to a few thousand dollars, but the consultants on that job were paid to cover-your-… oh, you know. Yes, that’s an Ideal Solution for some customers.
My question to you: Are you charging to make a living, charging what you can, or charging to attract and keep your Ideal Customer?
Because if you ask me, it isn’t ethics and it isn’t greed. Pricing is marketing, and a major part of the Customer Experience. You’re making a choice that tells the customer how to feel about your company.
I’m not telling you what to charge, but don’t just throw it out and see what sticks. Plan it, and know why. Design your pricing with a clear purpose.
Grow and be well,
Kelly Erickson
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3 September 2008, 6:11 am
It’s very, very early… but I’m going to gather my thoughts and come back. Pricing is marketing, agreed - but that does *not* mean arbitrarily smacking up a high price and cheering, “I’m worth it!”
3 September 2008, 6:42 am
James,
Good morning, dear Mr. Chartrand. *Long* time no see. I’ve missed your input.
Arbitrary is bad. Definitely agreed. (See the last paragraph above.)
So (how was the coffee?) how about it? Is your pricing designed to attract a certain customer?
Until later,
Kelly
3 September 2008, 8:54 am
Funny you should write about this today… for I am still working through the email you sent to me a while back, and there was a small subset of that plan we didn’t talk about that fits into the $100 hamburger category. So I’m working on the pricing now. I’m definitely not going to compete with Best Buy. Nor do I want to do so. Nor do I want my pricing to reflect that. Sometimes people don’t want the lowest price, and if you set your prices too low, you’ll miss out on opportunity.
(Or so I’ve read.)
-Brett
3 September 2008, 8:59 am
I’m sorry.
I think any customer who pays over $100 for a slab of animal protein and some fungi is an IDIOT.
But let’s not hold it against the merchants. If they can get away with it, hey, why not? More power to them.
Besides, they’re providing valuable customer service: they take money away from idiot clients who aren’t responsible enough to hold onto it themselves.
Friar’s last blog post…Lessons in Pike Psychology
3 September 2008, 9:03 am
It’s all relative though, isn’t it? I’m sure the guy who works at the hotel in the Dominican Republic for $50 a month thinks I’m an idiot for paying $20 last night at Subway to feed my family…
I think any customer who is willing to pay over $100 for a hamburger is a customer I want paying me for my services!
Brett Legree’s last blog post…viking fridays - raiding party.
3 September 2008, 9:04 am
Kelly, just yesterday I heard about this coach whose minimum commitment is 100 hours for $150,000. I couldn’t help thinking that the clients he gets must be very different from what a more modestly priced coach gets! Thanks for the link.
Hunter Nuttall’s last blog post…Akashic Record Reading With Akemi Gaines, Part 2
3 September 2008, 9:10 am
It may sound crazy, I know, to charge these rates - but isn’t it just a matter of getting your products or services positioned in front of the right people?
For instance, in 2006, the median salary for the top 100 CEO’s in the USA worked out to $70,000 PER DAY.
I have a feeling someone like that wouldn’t balk at a $100 hamburger, or paying $1500 per hour for consulting, seeing as they make almost $9000 per hour…
Brett Legree’s last blog post…viking fridays - raiding party.
3 September 2008, 9:40 am
Think of the size of the pyramid required to pay these bosons $70K per day.
How many thousands of regular workers putting in the long hours, how many factories get shut down and how many people get downsized, in order that these Elite Nabobs can make the big bucks?
Imagine working overtime all weekend, missing out on your kids’ baseball game…to meet some stupid project deadline.
And all those extra hours you worked, all your contributions for that weekend, will maybe go towards paying for your CEO’s deluxe Foie-Gras hamburger.
Pisses me off, if I think about it too much.
I wanna know where these guys live.
Not so I can get revenge.
But so I can exploit them, and somehow convince them to pay me $1500 an hour, like Brett says.
Friar’s last blog post…Lessons in Pike Psychology
3 September 2008, 9:47 am
Now you’re talking, Friar!
(For what it’s worth, the CEO at The Factory put a referral on his Linked-In profile to his “personal organizer”… she makes more money than you and I do, combined… so these people do exist, and it is possible to get them to pay you for good services rendered - remember, it’s all relative, a KIA and a BMW are both cars, yet they both sell like hotcakes in spite of the order of magnitude difference in price.)
Brett Legree’s last blog post…viking fridays - raiding party.
3 September 2008, 10:21 am
I had this challenge when working as a professional organizer. Unfortunately I did not have the connections to the CEOs etc… so what I could charge was significantly lower than what my colleagues who had those connections.
So it’s not just how much your worth and how much your Ideal Client will pay - it’s also governed by who is in your network and who is in their network.
With the workshop that I’m about to launch next week, I’m starting with a low price then as I build social media cred, I’ll raise it to stay level with my perceived expertness.
Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome’s last blog post…Practicing Flexibility to Remain Steady
3 September 2008, 10:31 am
Alex,
Exactly - networking. It happens everywhere, of course. I believe the work I do is much more challenging than work done by people making 10 or 100 times what I make (or more). But I guess it all depends on who you know, as always!
Looking forward to your workshop, btw…
-Brett
3 September 2008, 10:50 am
Just the other day Colin and I were having a heated discussion on my prices. He thinks I’m undervaluing myself and he doesn’t want to see me doing this for EditQuest. In the end, he said my main problem wasn’t how much I was charging, though that was a problem; my main issue was how I thought of myself and my occupation…and I had to agree. I really have to work on my thinking about my services, myself as an editor, and so on.
What I ended up doing immediately was looking up the rates editors charge (high, med., low). But as you said, Kelly, I don’t want to arbitrarily pick any rate and see what happens. I need to figure out a bunch of stuff first, I guess! I find this the hardest part of the business. I know who my target clients are, but it’s still not a matter of picking out a number I think they might want to pay.
Brett: totally agree that everything is relative. Those making much money won’t feel a hundred-dollar burger. Here’s what stumps me, though: how on earth did you feed your whole family for $20 at Subway? Are the sandwiches cheaper in Splat Creek or something!?
steph’s last blog post…Letting Go
3 September 2008, 11:00 am
Steph,
You and I are in the same spot right now, in a lot of ways with our ideas. Cool…
Subway “math”:
One 6-inch cold cut combo for “mom”
One 6-inch double meat club for “dad”
One 12-inch ham for “kids”
I did conveniently leave out the carrot sticks and apple slices we already had at home, mind you…
so maybe another $2 or so for that, once they finished grazing… my kids are like a plague of locusts!!!
But I never buy drinks or chips or anything at those places. Too expensive.
3 September 2008, 11:08 am
@Brett
I prefer Mr. Sub.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a Mr. Sub within 100 miles of Splat Creek (Not since that one in the Big City shut down).
Though I did find one on the way to Wawa. It was a big novelty to eat there.
(Sigh…see what I’m reduced to, for amusement?)
Friar’s last blog post…Lessons in Pike Psychology
3 September 2008, 11:10 am
Still not fully coffeed-up but reading and thinking.
@ Alex - There’s one phrase you mentioned that I’d like to caution you on: “what you’re worth”.
One of the worst things that anyone can do is attach a price tag to self-worth. Your personal value will never be the value of your work and price/rate has absolutely no bearing on that.
I mention this because people consistently confuse the two. “I have to charge 1 million an hour because that’s what I’m worth!” Sure, YOU may be worth that. The work that you supply to clients based on market value, perception, etc, may be worth about $32.50, and that’s NO reflection on YOUR value.
3 September 2008, 11:14 am
@Friar,
There was one in the next closest town (where the boys in green work and live), but it closed down, and was re-opened as “A1 Sub”, same letters for the word “Sub” on the front of the building. I assume the food’s mostly the same…
@James,
True enough. Each of us is “worth” - or more correctly, could be paid - a lot more than we are - if only we could find that work, and assuming we wish to find it. But we are *worth* much more.
3 September 2008, 11:35 am
@Brett
I saw that…I just didn’t trust that it would be the same.
Mabye I should give “A1 Subs” a chance.
At least they don’t shut down the toaster oven 90 minutes before closing
Friar’s last blog post…Lessons in Pike Psychology
3 September 2008, 11:42 am
It’s probably pretty good, or it would have been out of business by now - I haven’t tried it myself because usually when I’m on my way through there, I’m not hungry. But we might try it this weekend, if we take the kids to the beach at the point.
Brett Legree’s last blog post…viking fridays - raiding party.
3 September 2008, 12:11 pm
I think my service is worth good money because I’m aware of all the hard work and effort I put into it, and not without experience and knowledge and skill. The trouble is believing people will want the service. So many writers out there don’t consider editing essential, or something they want to cough up for.
steph’s last blog post…Letting Go
3 September 2008, 12:24 pm
Haven’t read the comments because I am lazy and elitist. However, this comes at a great time. I have a post today that I’m totally in love with and now all this drama is making me change it because I have a lot to say. I know this comes as a shock.
BUT. The real reason I’m commenting is because of the burgers. I went over and looked at the site you sent and it got me thinking. My father makes hamburgers by hand and I would pay $100 right now for one. In fact, I’d probably buy 6 and freeze some. Better than most of the steaks I’ve eaten, and I’m pretty picky about steak and stuff, too. And it’s not like I’d want it because my Dad is dead or anything — he isn’t. But that taste brings me back to a time when we weren’t worried about bacteria in our meat, we weren’t worried about the trans fats in the chips, we didn’t care that red meat would probably kill us one day. We were just eating our burgers and enjoying the summer.
The thing about my Dad’s burgers is this… if someone could recreate that big hunk o’ meat, they would give me back my childhood. And THAT is worth far more than a hundred bucks.
3 September 2008, 12:25 pm
The discussion at Ittybiz did get very interesting.I enjoyed watching how it resolved.
I agree about being cautious about attaching a price tag to self worth and or ego. That is a very dangerous game to play. In any area, there is going to be a general consensus of value for service or product. Then the question becomes what are you willing to do for the client and how are you going to position yourself above or below that mark. Are you shooting to be the Neiman Marcus of service or the Target? How much time, money and energy are you willing to spend creating a buzz and word of mouth about your product. What reputation and credentials do you add that set you apart from the competition.
Charge accordingly. The client for that price range will come if you have done your homework and are ready to do what you have said you would/ and can do.
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post…Changing Colors
3 September 2008, 12:32 pm
@ Wendi - Just want to clarify something you mentioned:
What happens if you have Target rates and Neiman Marcus service? Or vice versa?
3 September 2008, 12:45 pm
I guess I kind of want Target rates and Neiman Marcus service. I mean, I’ve never believed in only working according to how much I’m getting paid. Yes, I always gets screwed, but I feel like SHIT if I give less than I’m capable of. And now that I’m working on EditQuest, I want to carry over the same philosophy. Whether they’re paying me $4.00 a page or $60, my idea of a good copyedit doesn’t change. Same with consulting. If they pay me $ 50 an hour or $500, I’ll still say the same thing; I’ll still help as much as I can.
I know that people disagree with this, but I’ve never been able to change my thinking on it. I’m not going to skip over an error I see just because someone paid less.
I have a general idea of my target customers. They’re are not likely to have a lot of money, so I have to keep them in mind when I make my prices, rather than think of me first and then make up the prices and attract the people willing to pay. I think.
steph’s last blog post…Letting Go
3 September 2008, 1:15 pm
Target rates and Neiman Marcus service, or vice versa - just make sure you have the right customers, I guess.
Or start your first business with Target rates and NM service, then start another one later with NM rates *and* service?
Brett Legree’s last blog post…viking fridays - raiding party.
3 September 2008, 1:33 pm
Hi Kelly (and everyone else that I seem to know already!) first time commenting here, so “Hi”.
It looks like I’m in the same position as Steph and Brett. I know one of the services I want to charge for, but I keep flipping on what would be a good rate. Like Steph, a lot of my potential customers may not have a lot of money (student types).
But on the other hand, these are the same students that have shelled out tens of thousands of dollars on an education that I can help them even more with. By giving personalized feedback that they don’t/didn’t get from school (or even on the job).
If it’s too cheap, I’ll attract too many ‘hobbyists’ or folks not really understanding the value of what I offer. It’s finding that sweet spot of the person who realizes what they’re really getting and me putting the proper value of my experience and talent.
Ugh…
3 September 2008, 1:37 pm
James,
If you have Target rates and Neiman Marcus service you are likely creating a (dare I steal it?Sure, its her blog)Maximum Custumer Experience and creating a huge buzz and word of mouth that will propel your growth. (Example: Pen Men)
Once the company’s growth has achived maximum levels where it is busting out at the seems it has new choices to make ( As you seem to have realized, congrats on your new MAN by the way) it can grow bigger, raise prices, or some combination…
IF the company, at this point decides…hey, I think I’ll switch gears now and become the Neiman Marcus instead of the Target because I give that kind of service and by the show of clients I have its obvious I can do that… they may find that they have some repositioning to deal with because their clients were Target clients. Now they need Nieman Marcus Clients.
That isn’t to say a company can’t have a price increase, just that its hard to change perception after the fact once you have branded yourself in one area or another.
My point is decide WHO you want to be…charge accordingly. It is difficult to change after the fact and not without cost to yourself.
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post…Changing Colors
3 September 2008, 1:39 pm
First—you all rock. Great discussion. I’m so happy right now.
Brett,
“Sometimes people don’t want the lowest price, and if you set your prices too low, you’ll miss out on opportunity.” Yes, and I think folks have hit on that a few times today. No matter how idealistically a person might want to look at it, pricing changes Perception, and Perception determines who sees your soltuion as a good fit for their problem.
Friar,
Two points: “pays over $100 for a slab of animal protein and some fungi” Nope. NOT what they’re paying for.
They are paying for an Experience, for doing something unique, for feeling pleased with themselves like the cat who ate the canary. When you realize that, it’s a bit different. How much did you pay for your recent vacation? When you realize that these cats are rather fat and can afford to have that feeling last for only an hour or so compared to your ten days… it’s a similar feeling they’re after.
“If they can get away with it, hey, why not?” I see I got under your skin today, but I have to disagree with this also. I don’t like “get away with it” pricing.
Is it wrong to know, as a restaurant owner, that there *are* people with plenty of disposable income who enjoy pampering themselves? Is that “get away with it,” or is that not seeing yourself as a pusher of nutrition, but as a provider of delight? IMHO that is a perfectly reasonable business model.
(BTW the most expensive burger ever—from Burger King, for those who didn’t click through—is giving the profits to charity. Another layer to the fat cat’s self-pleasure.)
I’m going to break my answers up so my comment doesn’t get too long. Back in a flash…
3 September 2008, 1:41 pm
@Naomi
Aww…now you got me craving one of your Dad’s burgers.
Oh, man, they sound GOOD.
Friar’s last blog post…Lessons in Pike Psychology
3 September 2008, 1:41 pm
@ Wendi - Ah, good, that’s what I was hoping you were saying
Smart lady!
3 September 2008, 1:41 pm
@Wendi,
Your third paragraph could be possibly solved by what I (sort of) alluded to above - and what does happen anyway. One company in the background, holding the reins of a Target and a Neiman Marcus. I don’t see why one couldn’t have a basic service level company, and a premium service level company. Built the basic one first, then the premium one. Or the other way around.
Seems to work for car companies sometimes.
3 September 2008, 1:42 pm
@Wendi,
Your third paragraph could be possibly solved by what I (sort of) alluded to above - and what does happen anyway. One company in the background, holding the reins of a Target and a Neiman Marcus. I don’t see why one couldn’t have a basic service level company, and a premium service level company. Built the basic one first, then the premium one. Or the other way around.
Seems to work for car companies sometimes.
Brett Legree’s last blog post…viking fridays - raiding party.
3 September 2008, 1:43 pm
Naomi,
In Real Estate,
We would spend a good deal of time dressing up the bathrooms with nice smelling candles, fresh puffy soft towels, warm lighting and soft relaxing music.
Why? Because clients would come in and think in their heads If I buy this house I’ll have time to relax and take bubble baths and have a simpler peaceful life. Not in a concious way…but somewhere in the back of their mind it evoked a *feeling*.
You bet…if we could eat a burger that could give us joy, our childhood, peace, a little bliss…people would pay more than $100 easy.
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post…Changing Colors
3 September 2008, 2:05 pm
Hunter,
I know of a few “overpriced” folks like that. As I commented to James back in April, the higher the consultant’s/freelancer’s pricing, the more you’d better know how to justify it using dollars and cents. So can they justify it?
And yes yes yes, The Client is a whole different animal at that price.
Alex,
Networking is important. People work with people they know and like. Still, start with a solid pricing strategy, and you won’t have to jettison clients you never meant to attract in order to later attract those you want to work with.
I think there’s a big difference between gradually raising rates as your (company’s) value increases—your expertise, Naomi’s experience in teaching her new course successfully, even McDonald’s gouging me another dime on my a.m. diet Coke today—and pricing that locks you into taking on problem clients and appearing unfocused. “Today, I want better clients!” The “better” clients will already have formed their image of you (think Wal-Mart), and your old clients feel dissed when you don’t “want.” them anymore.
More thoughts…
3 September 2008, 2:09 pm
Pricing does change Perception. If I went to buy a Mercedes, I wouldn’t buy one that only cost $10,000 new.
Why?
Because I’d think, “why’s it so cheap? What’s wrong with it?” and I’d also think, “what’s the point? Everyone I know can afford one, I want the Porsche instead”.
Guess that’s why Mercedes owns Smart (though Smart cars are not that cheap either…)
This is a great conversation, isn’t it.
Brett Legree’s last blog post…viking fridays - raiding party.
3 September 2008, 2:37 pm
Steph,
I think you’re still refining.
It isn’t about what you (or Alex, or anyone else reading today) is worth, of course. You know that! —but believe me, having watched soaring successes and thundering failures, everybody gets themselves wrapped up in the worth of their company. (Just as we have “better” days when our blog stats rise.)
It’s about the value you provide. When you know WHY clients should choose you, and what return you can provide them with, the client will know why, because you are great at expressing yourself. You’ll get there, but I think that self-esteem monster has *got* to get out of your way!
Naomi,
Thank you for that. You really get it, my lazy, elitist friend.
Wendi,
Yes, let’s take Target—I read that they charge on average 10% less than your local grocery store, and 5% less than Wal-Mart. What’s interesting about that? They are perceived as more expensive than either.
Why? Because they are clean, have wide aisles, and bright lighting. Look at your fellow shoppers the next time you are there and at Wal-Mart. Whoa, different. They’ve blended a more upscale feel—not NM, of course—with low prices brilliantly. And the way they are perceived brings in different customers! They make it look easy, but it’s certainly not.
And speaking of real estate, did you ever watch an agent who’s become known for inner-city housing try to move out to suburbia? You’re not exactly “charging” more when you do that, but you’re offering a product that goes for more, which to the customer is the same thing. It breaks their trust, referrals are confused when they come to you and it’s not your area of concentration anymore, and as far as “branding,” it’s Start. From Scratch.
“My point is decide WHO you want to be…charge accordingly. It is difficult to change after the fact and not without cost to yourself.” The Wendi-bird not only uses my phrasing, but totally sneaks inside my head to make her points. Thanks for that.
Regards, all,
Kelly
3 September 2008, 2:53 pm
Karen JL,
Sorry you got stuck in moderation-hell! Welcome, my favorite storyboard artist! (I am your biggest lurker.)
Naturally, you’ve got me thinking…
How many of you have faced budget-conscious clients who say they just can’t afford even your minimum charge (as Naomi has heard lately—but then, she’s heard all sides)? If you say to me, pay me $150, and you will make $1,500 guaranteed, I’m going to pay you. That $150 is a drop in the bucket.
When we get to waiting 3 years and paying $250,000 for Delaware’s “It’s Good Being First” slogan (oh, am I embarrassed to even type it here), tell me that brought in a single dollar over what it cost. Heck, tell me it broke even. I don’t believe it. BUT IF IT DID bring in the tourist bucks, everybody wins and it’s a drop in the marketing budget.
People see consulting, writing, design, as “expenses.” One of the basic problems with the freelance-pricing arguments is that you are there to make your clients money. It’s not an expense, it’s an investment in improving the health of the client’s company.
As such, though I don’t want to tell people what to charge, I admit I am not fond of the low-price concept. It can come across as “dumping,” as Will Rogers and Skellie have argued. Even more, I question why clients don’t see the value? What more can be done to demonstrate the foolishness of the “do-nothing” option?
Brett,
Until later,
Kelly
3 September 2008, 3:09 pm
@ Kelly -
The problem is that only us freelancers understand that argument and it becomes absolutely invalid when presented to most clients. Not all, but most.
3 September 2008, 3:20 pm
@Kelly
I agree with pampering yourself and buying expensive stuff. We all want to do that.
But sooner or later, there’s a line you cross between paying the extra money for the experience and extra value, versus just indiscriminately pissing your money away just because you can.
Why not pay $1000 for a hamburger? Or $10,000? (I’m sure there are some mid-eastern oil sultans who’d gladly pay this).
Also, at what point does one’s lavish spending border on selfishnees and vanity? At what point does it become immoral? (i.e. how much should you give to charity before you can justify buying burgers from hand-massaged cows).
Maybe I shouldn’t have gone on my fishing trip, I could have donated the money to OxFam.
I’m not trying to be self-righteous or preach….just bringing up some interesting questions.
Wow..this post has god everyone thinking, hasn’t it?
Friar’s last blog post…Lessons in Pike Psychology
3 September 2008, 4:21 pm
James,
I loved that post, as you know. You make my point for me, there, with the client with knowledge of the hand-carved roses. If you have a Wal-Mart brand perception, you don’t see too many folks looking for Neiman’s Customer Experience.
Yet many folks want to show off (and be paid for) their hand-carved roses. So, how can we dollarize (or otherwise quantify) the value better, so that the undercharging is left to under-deliverers?
Friar,
Narcissism, as I mentioned in the post, is a big part of the outrageous hamburgers’ appeal. I don’t want to scare you, but there are plenty of places where you can drop $10,000 on a night (without heading over to Harry’s hometown to gamble). There are bottles of wine that cost over $1,000, and if you can afford one for the table of four, why not a couple?
I think the morality/ethics gets some folks mighty concerned. “Too big for your britches” pricing! Glory be!
“Humility” as a pricing strategy isn’t sound business practice, to me. I repeat, I don’t wish to tell anyone what to charge. I want to take the debate beyond good and bad (turning down money is good? but don’t turn down too much, because that’s bad? oh, dear).
Coming at this from the perspective of an advisor, I do hope we’re making the wheels turn for folks. Your pricing determines (in part) who you attract, where your fans come from, and what they say about you.
Another tidbit I read recently: businesses who want to create fans have to create enemies. The harder someone pushes against you, the harder others will push for you. (Apple needs Microsoft.)
The $186 hamburger people need you to hate the idea of wasting so much cash, to help create fans who can argue “for” the experience.
Later,
Kelly
3 September 2008, 5:24 pm
Holy crap, I have to take a day off to follow the conversation here!
steph’s last blog post…Letting Go
3 September 2008, 7:07 pm
I had a huge comment here and then deleted it. You’re right. I’m still refining. And I do have that monster to get rid of! But you’ve given me some excellent other points to think on, as well, specifically these: When you know WHY clients should choose you, and what return you can provide them with, the client will know why. I question why clients don’t see the value? What more can be done to demonstrate the foolishness of the “do-nothing” option? Your pricing determines (in part) who you attract, where your fans come from, and what they say about you.
Wendi also had a good point about deciding who you want to be and then charging accordingly. I can do that. It’s deciding what exactly is “accordingly” that’s hard, I guess.
3 September 2008, 7:22 pm
Steph,
I would love to see a whole blog of all the stuff people say “I had a huge comment here and then deleted it” about. That would be the most intimate, amazing place (I know, I’ve done it myself).
Keep refining, but, one more thing for Steph only: don’t overanalyze!
Later,
Kelly
3 September 2008, 10:40 pm
So much to think about! (but not overanalyze hehehe)
4 September 2008, 1:14 am
This does not contribute to the conversation in any way, but I have to say it anyway. When I am very rich, I am going to write a blog about it. And the tagline for that blog is going to be:
“Indiscriminately pissing my money away, just because I can.”
That is the best goddamn line I’ve heard in a very long time.
Naomi Dunford’s last blog post…We Interrupt This Program with… The Home Office Day Spa?
4 September 2008, 6:37 am
Alex,
Thanks—you wouldn’t dare overanalyze. Then you’d have to talk about it at SS!
Naomi,
Sometimes The Deep Friar is very, very deep, eh?
He’s the best with a rant.
Later,
Kelly
4 September 2008, 7:25 pm
Kelly - Oh, I don’t know, there was nothing really in that comment that was too personal or anything. I just deleted it because it seemed too unsure of itself and too rambling…
C’mon, you know me: when do I ever hold back?
PS. Overanalyzing is my specialty. What exactly is that, anyway?
steph’s last blog post…Letting Go
4 September 2008, 8:28 pm
Steph,
ROFLOL! Then you’ve finally finished refining?
Can you make that pay?
Later,
Kelly