The KISS of pricing death

Behold these words of wisdom from Gene Simmons’ book SEX MONEY KISS: “[Gene’s book Kisstory] was not sold in bookstores (who would normally take fifty percent of the sale price) or through a distributor. There was no publishing house, which normally took the lion’s share of profits to split with. . .With more than 90,000 books sold to date Kisstory has made almost twelve million dollars. I went against the wisdom of the publishing world that said the marketplace wouldn’t bear a $158.95 book. I didn’t agree with my bandmates that it was too expensive and should cost somewhere around $50 or $75. I stubbornly stuck to the notion that it was never the price but only whether or not you got bang for your buck.” One of the single “most asked” questions I get from Email Players subscribers is: “Ben how do I price my offers!” To which my answer is always the same: Price for consumption. What price is going to best get your offer consumed? Go too cheap and people are far less likely to consume it. Go too high and enough people to make it worth your while may not buy it all, much less consume it, plus you won't have as many back end customers to sell to as you would otherwise. This is all a very subjective thing, of course. And it is a function of knowing your list, communicating with your list, and constantly selling to your list so you can feel and interpret what they want, how much they are willing to pay, and what the ideal price is. But that is the reason why Gene Simmons commanded $158.95 ($327.24 in 2023’s money) for a book about his band with zero “benefits!” It’s why the late Jim Straw raked in $995.00 for a 160 page eBook (PDF!). And it’s also why I routinely charge up to $1,000 (and even more in a couple cases) for my books… with people still wanting to buy more of my offers afterwards. It’s also why copying someone else’s price is the kiss of death. It’s extremely stupid & lazy, too. It’s not a “market” thing, it’s a YOU thing. Something else: As important as pricing for consumption is, it is actually the second thing I do when it comes to determining how much I charge for a particular title. The first thing I always do is run a reliable mathematical formula — you can do with the calculator on your phone, with 3rd grade math skills — that I have found in my business works perfectly for selling books and newsletters or anything printed/physical, that must be calculated first. This “formula” makes sure you should always have enough profit margin. It also gives you a hard minimum price to start with first, too. What is this not-really-a-magical formula, you ask? You can find that little zinger on page 183 inside my “elBenbo Press” book. Plus, I also go a lot deeper than this email does into my “price for consumption” teaching (there are many “moving parts” to it), as well as give guidance — not hard answers, since every business is different — for adjusting the economics of your offers so a lot of problems publishers struggle with when it comes to pricing, printing, mailing, and fulfillment all but evaporate. But a warning: Do NOT just buy this book on blind impulse. What it teaches is not easy and fast. If it was everyone would be doing it. And if it didn't require a lot of hard work and hard thinking everyone would be doing it. Plus, it is very much a “Ben Settle 400-level” training. For better or worse, that means it is not at-all newbie-friendly. And while I’m not saying you have to have all my other books or be an Email Players subscriber to use it… I will say the longer you’ve been reading my emails, the more of my books you’ve read, and the more of “me” you are familiar with, the more suited you are for this information. It’s also one of my most expensive books yet, too. But, during the sale this weekend I am offering it at a thick $200.00 discount off the price listed on the sales page until tonight, Sunday 9/17 at midnight EDT. Here is the link: [https∶//www.EmailPlayers.com/press]( Use code SIZZLE at the checkout. And make sure you see the price change before entering any info. Ben Settle P.S. If you are interested in buying this book, read the sales letter very carefully before pulling the trigger. This book is not only expensive, but the information inside requires substantial amounts of effort, ambition, patience, time, and discipline to learn, master, and profit from. Don’t say you weren’t warned. This email was sent by Ben Settle as owner of Settle, LLC. Copyright © 2023 Settle, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this email may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from Settle, LLC. Click here to [unsubscribe]( Settle, LLC PO Box 1056 Gold Beach Oregon 97444 USA