Marketing advice: Start with gold

By Robert Krenz on Oct 17, 2009 with Comments 0

Many businesses offer 3 levels of service and define them based around the words; gold, silver and bronze. The idea is to show prospective clients or customers (herein called clients) that the value/quality of each service improves as they go up the scale from bronze.

It’s used as a way to justify charging 3 different prices, for 3 different levels of service. However, is it possible that we can improve upon this gold, silver and bronze model?

Ask any athlete, who’s out training at 6am on a cold morning, if he or she is motivated by the prospect of becoming a bronze medal winner. I think you already know what their answer will be – a resounding “NO!” That’s because bronze does not have the same motivational pulling power of gold.

In business, we often refer to the best product or service in a category as the gold standard.’ We talk about those cherished memories from the past as golden memories. Highly valued information is often referred to as gold dust. We use the word gold in many ways, but it always conjures up images in our mind of high quality.

Make gold your starting point

So, here’s a question to consider: Why not make gold your starting point? If you offer 3 levels of service, why not make a statement and start with gold, then go to platinum and then on up to diamond?

In an age where every business is claiming to go the extra mile, this is an opportunity for you to tell the marketplace what your attitude to service excellence is. It’s a bold marketing statement, which requires the very best from you if you are to back it up. But what a message to give your prospective clients and those who work with you, internally and externally.

What do you think?