Feb 2022 · 3 min read · Create
Prices Went Up. Now What Do You Say?
Costs are rising for almost every local business, and many have to raise prices. How to tell customers plainly, keep their trust and say the same thing everywhere you show up.
If you run a business in Michiana, you’ve probably spent the last several months watching costs climb. Materials, food, fuel, freight, wages. It’s in the news every week, and it’s on every invoice that crosses your desk.
At some point, a lot of businesses have to raise prices. Many already have. The question I hear most isn’t whether to do it. It’s how to tell customers without losing them.
Most customers already know
Here’s the good news. Your customers are paying more at the grocery store and the gas pump too. Nobody is shocked that prices are going up right now. What they react to is how they find out.
A price increase that shows up without a word feels like a trick. The same increase, explained plainly and with some notice, usually gets a shrug. People are more understanding than we give them credit for, as long as they feel respected.
Say it before they notice it
The worst way for a regular customer to learn about a price change is at the register or on the invoice. Tell them first.
A few ways to handle it:
- Give notice to your regulars. A short email, a letter or a note on the invoice a few weeks ahead. Tell them what’s changing, when and why.
- Be plain about the reason. You don’t need to open your books. “Our costs for materials and labor have gone up, and we held our prices as long as we could” is honest and enough.
- Don’t hide it in the fine print. No new fees tucked into the bottom of a bill, no quiet shrinking of what’s included. Customers find those, and they remember.
- Prepare whoever answers the phone. Your staff will get asked. Give them a simple, honest answer so they aren’t making one up on the spot.
- Update everywhere at once. Website, menus, price sheets, your Google Business Profile, social posts. Nothing wears down trust like three different prices in three places.
Remind them what they’re paying for
A price increase is also a good moment to talk about value, because people are paying closer attention.
What do customers get from you that they wouldn’t get somewhere cheaper? Maybe it’s that you show up when you say you will. Maybe it’s the warranty, the local service, the person who remembers their name, the quality that holds up. If you’ve never said those things out loud in your marketing, now is the time.
This isn’t about spin. It’s about making sure the customer weighing the new price has the whole picture in front of them.
Keep the message consistent
The businesses that handle this well say the same thing everywhere. The email to regulars, the conversation at the counter, the website, the ads. When the explanation is consistent, it sounds true. When it changes depending on who you ask, it sounds like an excuse.
So write the core message down in two or three sentences. Share it with your team before the new prices take effect. Then use it everywhere, word for word if you have to.
Don’t go quiet
Some owners respond to rising costs by cutting marketing at the same moment they raise prices. I understand the pressure, and every line in the budget deserves a hard look right now. But be careful here. When prices go up, customers are more likely to shop around and compare. That’s exactly when you want them to remember why they chose you in the first place.
If you want to look at how your message holds together across channels, the Marketing Checkup takes a few minutes and is a good place to start.