"What's Your PERCEIVED Value?"
by Carmen Sakurai-Maranon of MarketingChick.com 

In high school, while my friends worked at the mall and
fast food places, I earned extra c.ash as a hula/Tahitian
dancer.  I performed at weddings, birthdays, cotillions,
corporate Christmas parties, you name it - and charged
a hundred bucks a dance.

The parties would usually request 3 dances, each
dance around 3 minutes long, and I always had at
least 2 performances every weekend.

At $100 per 3 minute dance, and 3 dances each
performance = $300 for 9 minutes... twice a week
= $600 for 18 minutes

My friends were working their butts off, waiting on
tables and organizing the stockrooms, 4 hours after
school, three times a week... earning $5 per hour.
$5 x 4 = $20, at 3 times a week = $60.

Who worked harder?  Who earned more?

One more example... 

About 10 years ago, my little cousin, who was
5 years old at the time, played the role of "Tam"
in the "Miss Saigon" First National Tour.

If you've seen this breathtaking musical, you
know the kid stands there for a few seconds, get
carried around by a pretty girl, then bows his
head when someone is shot.

The little brat ear.ned $2,000 each week.

You'd have to work 8 hours a day, 5 days a
week, earning $50 per hour to make that.

It's like investing years of your life in research,
testing, and creating your product, spending hundreds
and thousands of dollars in marketing what could be
the most brilliant item ever to hit the market, and
making just enough to almost break even... while a
22 year old mixes some nail polish colors to match
a pair of sandals, and that idea quickly explodes
into a multi-million dollar business.

"Carmen, you're rambling again.  What's your point?"

My point is... the amount of work you put into your
product doesn't determine how much your market will
gladly pay to get it.  Consider what products and
services have a high perceived value in the eyes
of your prospective customers, and cash in!

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About the Author:

Carmen Maranon :: www.MarketingChick.com
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