I keep telling people, pricing can be creative and fun, and they keep falling asleep on me before the sentence is done. But I’ll try again:
Years ago, a wonderful, geeky sci-fi and fantasy convention priced their beer, brandy, and sandwiches by having people throwing six-sided dice. They could re-roll any single die once, but had to stick with the result, even if it was worse than the one they re-rolled. The result determined the price in a linear fashion, and you could literally buy three beers and pay the third one more than the first two. Throw in the fact it was young people buying alcohol, and it was chaos, mayhem, and glorious, glorious fun.
How did the place turn a profit? Easy math – 90% chance to turn a profit. You know the deal, the house always wins. The patrons didn’t really mind at all. Every purchase was a thrill, with the losers being bankrolled by winner friends.
“Ok”, I hear you grumble, “but that would never work in my industry”. And I’m sure you are right. By the look on the face of the accountant the place used, they barely made it work themselves. My point is, pricing is an integral part of the buying experience. How you pay for something and how that price is expressed can be sliced in strange ways, expressed creatively, designed to fit you. It’s the right time of year to contemplate new beginnings, so maybe have some egg nog and think about it.
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