Confront the brutal truth #10357.
Product pricing etcetera.
Some folks are wondering why I spent so (too?) much of the week on the merit-or-otherwise of Tim Sales' latest effort—if you're interested, click the 'previous entry' link (at the foot of this and every post) a few times and back-up to 'Jumpers & leapers.' then read-forward.
Well, to have not reviewed it would have been incorrect, and such is the nature of some of it that further exploration was appropriate. Whatever, it's done and now let's turn to the efforts of another 'Network Marketing celebrity', Kim Klaver.
With much no-nonsense straight-talk, Klaver is likely the person doing most to 'confront the brutal truth' (a process raised in the earlier entry 'Excellerate').
Whilst she and I don't always agree, I have continuing respect for the 'in search of sanity' efforts published through her weblog. Almost always relevant and often incisive, in terms of no-cost NM-oriented info & advice, I've yet to find a better source.
Often though, and certainly in no way 'confront the brutal truth', many of her commenters become defensive or otherwise fail to embrace the points she makes. A pity, she offers good learning to those with open minds rather than open mouths arguing with stuff they don't like.
In 'Are MLM products overpriced?' she says:
'Networkers have heard that for years. But what if it's members of the Network Marketing community who say it?
Are MLM (network marketing) products overpriced? How can you tell?
And if it's true, what should you do?
Among the usual 'things are fine' comments are a few who suggest it's not—including this gem from Jackie Ulmer: 'Many network marketing products are overpriced, and it's another thing that contributes to some negativity surrounding our industry.'
The pricing issue is long-running and contentious—often de-focused with suggestions of 'the products have nothing with which to genuinely compare and and are usually of higher quality than store-bought counterparts'.
As it stands, that line is of course silly. Most NM products are sourced and manufactured from producers of retail-oriented product—and in most instances almost identical products aren't difficult to find.
In some cases NM product is overpriced, and in others offer excellent value. It varies, and there's no one-size fits all measure.
Expect them to rightly cost more than supermarket budget ranges, and on-par with luxury brands. Nought wrong with that.
What's important is this from Dan Jensen: 'Have a realistic retail price otherwise people won't be able to sell it to end consumers. Don't sell products whose wholesale price is really the market retail value and then add an artificial retail price even higher.'
As we've previously said in 'Who the hell can afford it anyway?': What's good value? What's not? And where on the sublime->ridiculous scale is that stuff you peddle?
One thing to not overlook: when something is seen as widely overpriced (and that's entirely different from merely 'expensive'), sales suffer and always fall. The solution is two-fold: better consumer education (read: marketing) and/or an appropriate price reduction.
Remember: 'confront the brutal truth'. We'll all be better for it.
Filed by g on January 2 2008
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