In addition to the Royal Rivieras, at certain times of the year the company also sells Maverick pears -- in other words, the Royal Riviera pears that may have a blemish or "minor cosmetic imperfections". These gems truly do taste the same, but are sold for half the price of the premium versions. They come with their own special packaging and disclaimer: "We grow a lot of pears. Everyone knows that. And naturally, some of our Royal Riviera Pears don't grow pretty enough to be wrapped in gold foil and put in our baskets..."
In other words, these are the Royal Riviera rejects. Harry & David understands that much of their brand rests on the excellence of their fruit, so they don't want to disappoint customers by selling a slightly uneven or discolored pear as part of the package-to-impress. So they align expectations with reality and sell them as "Mavericks". People are excited to get the same taste (and very close to the same appearance) for a bargain price. Those who pay full price can rest assured that the quality will be impeccable for the gift recipient.
What steps can you take to align your client's expectations with what you actually deliver? Can you rename/repackage a product or service for a discount and end up delighting your customers instead of disappointing them because of the inferior quality? How can you create a pair of high/low price/quality? Think Banana Republic vs. Gap. Or the grades of ground beef in a supermarket. Or free apps that are full of ads vs. the paid versions that are ad-free. Or AKC dogs vs. a rescue. Value menus vs. premium burgers.
There are levels of price and quality that suit everyone. How can you be clear that what you are charging is equated to what you are delivering?
-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
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