10 Tips on How to Increase Prices and Keep Your Customers

May 31, 2012 - PRLog -- Cool facts to keep in mind to dispel your fears:

FACT #1: Less than 10% of customers actually leave following a price increase.
This is a very small percentage! In many businesses no customers leave. (Geoff Vautier http://howtoincreaseprices.com)

FACT #2: Only one in seven customers buy on price alone. (Dale Furtwengler, “Pricing for Profit” http://pricingforprofitbook.com )

FACT #3: This means 6 out of 7 prefer value over price and are willing to pay more for the value they are looking for.

FACT #4: In corporates, only 20% of the purchasing decision is based on cost. The other 80% is based on value, relationships, bonuses offered, and reputation. (Dan Kennedy, “No B.S. Price Strategy”)

Two main reasons customers don’t leave:

1. They know that they get value from you.

“People will find a way to afford what they want.” - Dale Furtwengler

They’re existing customers, right? So they’ve bought from you before and have been satisfied with what they received. They know you, your company and your product or service.  They’ve invested time, effort and money in the relationships which might have taken months to develop. Who really wants to give these up?

2. It ‘costs’ them to leave.

“Even under adverse economic pressure, the majority of buyers respond to motivating factors other than price.” - Dan Kennedy

Have you ever tried to change an internet provider? Did you try and then give up? In the end did you stay with your supplier because you couldn’t be bothered?

How about an airline ticket? Yes, we know there are security implications so questions have to be asked but does that justify the hoops you have to go through, the different departments you have to speak to, the extra costs you have to pay? Who’s the customer here?!

When you change suppliers, it might not cost you dollars (though it can!), but it will certainly cost you time. And the same is true for your customers.

How to increase prices and keep your customers:

How can you make an advantage of these two reasons?

Top Ten Tips:

1. Emphasize the importance of your relationship

2. Mention how long they’ve been a valued customer

3. Remind them how satisfied they’ve been with your product or service in the past

4. Reassure them they’ll still get great service from you and better value

5. Give them a simple, straightforward, no questions asked, money back guarantee (and be prepared to honor it)

6. Offer them an incentive to stay

7. Point out that there is no-one else offering what you offer

8. Acknowledge how much you appreciate their loyalty

9. Show them how much you understand their business or situation

10. Remember that if they do go somewhere else after you’ve made a justifiable increase in your prices, then they may not be the right kind of customer for your business

These are simple steps to give your business a raise, and those revenues will go straight to your bottom line because the acquisition cost was paid for long ago.  If you lose a couple of customers, the 10% increase will be more than enough to compensate.

Plus, all newly acquired customers will be at the 10% higher rate giving your business even more revenue.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Here at AAA Phone On Hold (http://aaaphoneonhold.com) we're proud that we have NOT raised prices in over 15 years! WHY NOT, you ask? Because, we value service to our customers above everything else. We're here to fill a need for our clients, not give ourselves a raise every time we feel like it. Of course, when our costs get too high to maintain a fair profit, we make adjustments as needed. However, those adjustments don't always have to mean higher prices for our clients.