Unusual Discounts From Your Technology Business Are Not the Answer...

I follow a couple of forums that are frequented by different technology business owners. Engineers, IT people, general computer services people etc.

What I find alarming is the amount of talk concerning doling out discounts that these business usually don't give out. Actually it's not the discounts as much as it is the fact that they are planning on giving them out when nobody has asked for them.

Not a good idea.

If they ask for a discount that you normally would not give, then by all means figure out a way to accommodate them. You should consider also taking away a bit of value from your services with the discounts though or you may be putting your business in jeopardy.

Helping clients to survive while they kill your company is not the answer. Believe me when I tell you that a deep discount that amounts to your technology business doing the same amount of work for much less money is just as bad as losing that customer all together. Actually, it's often worse.

I know it's difficult to see that, but it only takes 1 month too many with discounted service at normal value to put you in a hole you may very well never get out of.

Here's the real problem if you're running into a lot of clients needing a break... You have too many bad clients for your business. If they can't handle a reduction in service for a discount you can't afford to give them, they are not your ideal client to begin with.

Too many people want something for nothing. Eventually, you get exactly what you pay for. They don't give their services away for free, why should you?

Giving some things away as part of a package adds value. Giving away the farm will de-value you, your employees and your business.

A couple of clients like this here and there is OK. But if your entire client list is composed of very needy businesses, you're not positioning yourself as a valuable asset to potential clients and therefore are not attracting the good ones you want.

Know your value and live up to it. You and your business deserve it.

To Your Business Success

George Sierchio
The Consultant's Coach