better business blog

Tips and stories to add value to you and your organisation

If You Don’t Ask…

26 May 2014

Last week, I was teaching a group of people how to set themselves up in business and one of the questions that came up was about pricing and how you go about getting people to pay you.

We need to price ourselves according to the niche we are in and what the market will bear. Too cheap and we could look like a misfit, or a purveyor of poor quality, too expensive and we could find ourselves without any clients.

However there are times when people will attempt to either ask us for free goods and services, or to haggle for a better price. Customers are entitled to ask for a discount and we suppliers are entitled to say a polite ‘no thanks’.

Asking for what we want cuts both ways and the simple message this week is that if we are in business and ask for a fair price then we stand more chance of getting it. We don’t have to assume the client is looking for a discount and therefore offer them a more timid price, before they have even asked us for one.

When asked how much we charge we can take a breath, fix the person with a steady eye and tell them the price of our goods and services. In short, we can ask for what we want.

If the client wants to pay then we have earned more money, and if they don’t there may be another possible client just round the corner.

Good business starts with the confidence to ask for what you want and it also means asking from the money! If you have a bad debt and don’t ask for the money you are essentially working for free, and that’s a quick road to ruin!

So, this week think about what makes you worth your value and how much will you be asking for next time you are asked?

Have fun!

Next week: The joy of tech!