Sunday, March 06, 2011

9 reasons to thank your employer today

Not everyone has the entrepreneurial spirit it takes to run a successful business. In fact, there's a lot to be said in favour of being an employee yet how rarely it is heard!!

In case you need reminding, here are 9 reasons to thank your employer today:

1. Your employer takes ultimate responsibility for creating new business.

2. Your employer manages the cash flow and takes the risk of clients that won't pay.

3. Your employer gives you the security of a regular income you can plan on.

4. Your employer takes the biggest hit if there is an economic collapse or some other sensitive market situation arises.

5. Your employer has confidence in you; that should make you feel good.

6. Your employer deals with the legislation, pays the taxes and does the paperwork.

7. Your employer pays to train you, and if they don't send you on training courses, they still pay to train you as they pay for the mistakes you make as you learn on the job.

8. If you are on a salary you usually only have to negotiate your price once and the deal is done.

9. You get to go on holiday and leave the business behind. You can always leave. All care and no responsibility. How good is that?

Employers are everyday heroes and optimists. If you are employed right now, recognise that a job is a very great privilege and go say 'Thank you' to your boss today!

©2011 Jane Francis is the author of Price Yourself Right: A guide to charging what you are worth (ISBN: 0-595-38601-6) available at Barnes and Noble (USA), WH Smith (UK) or online at amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

Jane Francis is available as a Professional Speaker, Coach and Seminar Leader to help sales teams and companies pitch and present their price with creativity and confidence. Email

What do your online prices say about you?

If you are feeling battle-weary from trading in a recession it is easy to fall into the trap of believing price is the only thing that matters—but have you considered how your online prices might affect your reputation?

Thanks to more relevant search engines and price comparison sites (PriceMe, PriceSpy, PriceComparison), comparative price shopping has become quicker and easier. Sites like Ebay, CraigsList and TradeMe have opened accessibility to the secondhand and near-new market, also putting an additional downwards pressure on prices.

To be competitive it is natural you may feel pressured to post the cheapest online price possible but have you thought about the long-term damage you could be doing if you put all your attention on price?

If you are selling on price alone you can easily be matched, and if you have no other competitive advantage you are vulnerable to any competitor who can undercut you. Worse still, you can’t rely on your customers because it is the nature of the cut-price hunters to go where they can to get the best deal. Loyalty is not one of their endearing traits.

If you are pricing low online to attract business, take a good look at your customers: Are they the ones you want to do business with?

If not, take a look at your choices. Your business probably has a mix of customers—clients that appreciate quality items, clients that want convenience, a chat, free delivery, reliable advice, professional product support, ironclad guarantees, a business they can go back to year after year. In other words, clients that value other things you offer, besides price.

While many shoppers do go online to do their research before going in store to purchase, it may not always be price that is the deciding factor. Are you making a hero of those other attributes you do well? Have you got a strategy in place to attract these clients?

Every business should have a top tier type of client that has some, or all of the following traits: easily satisfied, joyfully profitable, nice to deal with, loyal, good for referrals and attracting other customers, an opinion leader or innovator that is in some way good for business.

There’s a joke that’s been going around the ‘net for some time where a printer thanks his client for his business: ‘Thank you, Mr Brown, for your business. I wish I had twenty customers like you.’

Mr Brown replies: ‘Gosh, it's nice to hear you say that, but I'm kind of surprised because I argue over every bill and I always pay late.’

‘That’s true,’ the printer replies, ‘but I'd still like twenty customers like you. My problem is I have two hundred.’

Is it possible you too have customers you would be better off without? Next time you look at your website check that you have catered to the aspirations of the type of customers you want to attract, not just the price hungry!

©2011 Jane Francis is the author of Price Yourself Right: A guide to charging what you are worth (ISBN: 0-595-38601-6) available at Barnes and Noble (USA), WH Smith (UK) or online at amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

Jane Francis is available as a Professional Speaker, Coach and Seminar Leader to help sales teams and companies pitch and present their price with creativity and confidence. Email