"What's Your PERCEIVED Value?" 
by Carmen 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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