MT2 Growing Leadership Blog #23 – On the Cheap…

I read a blog post from Seth Godin where he talked about Cheap Shower Curtains. The dilemma of cheapness is pretty straightforward. We buy the cheaper item thinking we are saving money, but a cheap shower curtain falls apart, leaks, and creates a water damage problem over time. In the end, the cheap item cost us more money.

While thinking about this, I came up with the question, who sold the cheap shower curtain, and did they know their product's results? Your business may have a tiered program where you provide different levels of service based on cost. That is normal. But, do you vary the quality of work, effort, and results based on the level the customer purchases. Do you cheapen yourself based on the level of engagement of your customer? Do your less expensive services and products end up hurting your customers in the long run?

A less expensive, quality product or service is different from having a less expensive cheap product or service. Like the shower curtain, it's a hard lesson buying cheap. For your business and self-worth, it is a brutal lesson selling cheap.