Screwing with Screwdrivers

I spoke to the ACCA - PHCC conference last week.  That is the Air Conditioning Contractors of America and the Plumbing and Heating Cooling Contractors.  They had a trade show that I wandered around.

One vendor had nifty key chain flashlights and screwdrivers that were their “giveaways”.  I suggested that they might want the screwdrivers that had a flat head on one end and a phillips on the other.  They indicated that the flashlights we 40 cents each and the screwdrivers were $2.50 and that was for a reason.

“The little screwdrivers have a very narrow tip on them for our customers to use when they work on thermostats.”  Up walked one of their customers who joined the conversation.  I then listened for five minutes as THEY discussed the pros and cons of tiny screwdrivers.

What for me was a throw away trinket, was for this vendor/customer relationship a profound connection point.  No wonder the vendor opted for a $3 item that was customer specific, that you could get in a standardized format for ONE TENTH the price.

The point, the more specialized your value, the higher the price others will pay.  If you are struggling with price issues, dig deeper.