Competitive pricing information

[Kat Nagel/MasterWork <katnagel -at- EZNET -dot- NET>]

Jonathan Leer <jleer -at- MV -dot- MV -dot- COM> complained about the low response to his
request for pricing information:

>Subject: Unskilled Tech Writing Managers

>Ok, now that I have your attention, I have to tell you that I am in shock.
>A few weeks ago I put out a request for information to this mailing list
>and cannot believe that I got 2 responses, none of which answered my
>survey request:
> (snip)
>Either there are no managers out there, or those who are on this list have
>no business knowledge.  >


There are two other options, Jon.

(1)  Some folks may be hesitant to respond to a stranger who makes abrupt
public demands for sensitive competitive information.

(2)  Others may have learned, as I have, that this kind of information ---
raw $ values without local market information --- is worse than useless.
It leads unwary newcomers into unrealistic expectiations about prospective
income, pitches experienced writers into either smugness or depression, and
makes HR departments do strange things in contract negotiations.

Dollars-for-services isn't a rigidly predictable quantity.  It depends on
local market conditions and on the number of folks offering similar
services and their qualifications.  The only way I've found to gather
useful information on this topic is to concentrate on colleagues in my
target market.  And I have to do this frequently --- conditions change
drastically whenever a local company downsizes, starts or finishes a major
product introduction, or buys out a competitor.

I share pricing information privately, not publicly, and only under these
conditions:

(1)  someone I know (either personally or through frequent email
conversations) gives me a  -very good-  reason for needing the information.

(2)  someone who is relocating to my area needs to adjust their price
structure to fit local market conditions.

(3)  a professional organization like STC is updating their periodic survey.


@Kat_____ Kat Nagel
          MasterWork Consulting Services     Rochester, NY
          LIFE1 (techwriting/docdesign) katnagel -at- eznet -dot- net
          LIFE2 (vocal chamber music)    PlaynSong -at- aol -dot- com