Did you just get yet another angry email from someone complaining that your prices are too high?

Or you just got back from a craft show where you overheard passersby commenting about your high prices.

You’re hurt, disappointed, confused and upset.

But you’re not alone.

Here’s a screenshot of an email I got from someone really pissed off:

This brought up all sorts of emotions.

Fear.

Shock.

Anger.

The sender didn’t leave a legitimate email for me to write back so all I could really do was shrug it off.

Hate-mail like this proves that your target market and pricing really go hand in hand.

More hate-mail…

I received a lengthy email asking me why one of my bracelets was $135.

She seemed pretty upset and accused me of making her spend $135 on a handmade polymer clay bracelet when she could have bought gold or silver jewelry for the same price.

She wasn’t a paying customer, and I wasn’t even sure what point she was trying to make with her email.

Do I feel pressured to lower my pricing, after getting feedback like this?

Definitely!

But what the layman doesn’t understand is that a lot goes into pricing handmade items.

As business owners, we do have mortgages, bills and basic human needs to pay for.

Not to mention business expenses like website hosting, advertising, supplies, craft show fees and more.

How to respond

People who can’t afford or refuse to pay your items are just frustrated that they can’t have what they want.

I start by addressing that frustration and explain that I understand and know how it feels.

Next, I explain how I make my jewelry and how long each piece takes to make.

When you break it down for them, it starts to make more sense.

Instead of apologizing, I empathize. 

Because people just want to be heard and understood, I finish by thanking them for their email.

Premium pricing has a lot more to do with your business than you think:

You weed out all your prospects that don’t and won’t appreciate you and your contribution to the world.

It helps sustain what you do and allow you to give so much more.

When you price correctly, you set the foundation of growth for your company.

When you get complaints about your pricing and you know you’ve done your homework, trust your gut and stick to your guns.

What you can do to stop the complaints

1. Consider rebranding
   • People complain about your prices because they’re not your ideal customer
   • You’re attracting the wrong people to your brand
   • Simple changes in your colors, font and logo can appeal to a different crowd of people
   • Photograph your products on models (if possible) and style the photoshoot to match your new branding
   • I personally rebranded the look of my shop and the complaints have gone away!
2. Be explicit about your process
   • Explain why your products are priced the way they are
   • Show a video of you making your product so people can see how much time it takes to make and how detailed you get
   • Talk about your materials (in layman terms) and why they’re awesome
3. Improve your website
   • Talk about the benefits that your product offers (What problems do your product solve? How will it make your customer feel?)
   • Have lots of beautiful product photography that will wow your customers
   • Create a smooth, seamless and positive shopping experience on your website for your customers
4. Build credibility and trust
   • Get featured in magazines and popular publications so you raise your clout
   • Include a phone number on your website so customers can talk to a human being before placing their order (this makes them more comfortable buying from you)
   • Showcase testimonials from past happy customers

How do you react?

Have you gotten a similar email before?

Have your customers complained about your pricing?

How do you deal with it?

Let me know in the comments below!