Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Step back, step forward. Take a look!

Have you ever noticed that if you change your perspective, ever so slightly, that it makes a world of difference in your view? This has been happening to me a lot lately.

It happened to me again today in the midst of a discussion with my new E-commerce partner. We were discussing how they bill for Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns and they informed me that they simply billed for the amount of time it took them to manage the buys rather than as a percentage of the spend. So, instead of recommending a high-cost PPC, with an accompanying high commission for themselves, they charge the client honestly and fairly for their efforts. Wow.

All it took for them to devise this rate structure was to understand what was best for their clients; not their own business or shareholders. Simple and equitable.

When was the last time you took a look at your own pricing model? Is it customer-centric? Do you have their growth, profitability and goals in mind or, do you serve a different master?

If you're a buyer, when was the last time you asked a new vendor partner to meet with you, to learn fully how they differentiate themselves from others in the marketplace? With business as awful as it is, now's the time to be creative, open new doors, try new options.

If I were a buyer (and I have been), I'd have a veritable open-door policy right now and I would learn everything I could about potential partners, to the advantage of my company.

As a seller, I'm pleased that I have excellent products & services to offer which are fairly priced. And that, my friends, will win out every time. So......step forward and take a look!

A low, slow wave,

Joe Rocket