I am copying this article and giving a copy to all my employees to read. I feel the way it was written was clear & concise enough to get a simple point across - don't be afraid to say no to a simple discount request, but give options & alternatives so you both come out winners.
We also don't match pricing, or come down on our pricing, but we do trade services if it benefits us, or it is a cause I believe is worthy. And we don't donate cash, only product. When I really feel I win is if I can get my business name out there in the public, not just once, but repeatedly. So I don't mind sponsoring things that use radio advertising and will use our name in the promotions, and then we also end up on promotional banners & everything that happens with that event.
I am still working off a trade with a radio station for an event they sponsored. In exchange for product, I have had two years of radio advertising - and I get to pick the times the ad runs and I can change it, drop the ad for a while, and do pretty much anything I choose with it. I give them the topic, and they write the ad. They run it by me, make any changes I want, and presto/chango - I have a professional radio ad to promote our wedding dept during the wedding show! Or whatever I want it to be.
Thanks for sharing this article with us - I wholeheartedly agree with the author.
Cindy M |