We all know that the price of what we do can vary based on how much time we spend on a project (like someone said the other day, "do you want a cake with a monkey piped on the top, or a 3d sculpture of a monkey?"), blah, blah, blah. I realize that some people think we're trying to take advantage when we ask, "What's your budget?" You would think that the word 'custom' would be an indication that what we do is special and out of the ordinary, but it seems the education of the masses isn't quite complete . I know better than to bend over backwards, but I don't want to come off as caustic and presume the customer is wasting my time either.

I've been wondering how to rephrase the "What are you willing to spend" question. I was on Amazon yesterday and I had a little "a-ha!" moment - they ask how you want to shop, by price or by brand...and I think I've got my new question. "You already know a cake from us tastes great , so now the question is, are you shopping based on how much it costs, or by how amazing the cake will look?" I might be deluding myself, but I think I prefer how that sounds.

Can't hurt to try

I have a little birthday cake order book that is like the old Sears Catalog... it explains design on standard shape cake , vs. 2d carved cake, vs 3d carved cake ( with pictures of each)...Good...Better....Best. Along with Starts at $50, $ starts at $100, Starts at $250.

Sounds like a good idea to me!!

Great idea!

Snarky, How does the book work for you in terms of sales?

I forget where I read this, but a photographer had offered his wedding packages that way "Good - $50/Better - $75/Best - $100".

Slowly he changed the packages to increase the prices. Good-$75/Better - $100/Best-$125.

The target sale was always the middle package as it was the best of both worlds so to speak. Eventually it got to the point where the pricing and sales was where he wanted it.

I just send several pictures and quote a price for each picture based on servings and complexity...They pick a cake based on what they are willing to spend..If they want more designs they usually give you more details as to what they are after.You can all feel people out by the details..I had a customer just this weekend order over $500.00 worth of cakes for her Twins 6th Birthday...price was no object and I could tell this by her emails and no nonsense way of doing business.This is what I want...tell me how much I owe yah...and that is it..Love it!! Others are very hard to please..

It's all herding, ain't it!

Let us know how this works for you! Lord knows I could have used this approach on more than one occasion!

I really like it too. It does not sound offending at all and you will get your questions answered.

I like Indy's "A/B/C" terminology better than "good/better/best".

Someone will always get your "best" work at whatever price point they choose. If they want a simple design, it will be a great looking and great tasting cake, just not as complicated and pricey as another design (or flavor).

If you want to use words, maybe "simple / detailed / complex" or something like that would be more descriptive....

I don't actually use good.better..best. I actually use standard cakes, 2D carved and 3D carved, with same character( I use Garfield) featured in all three cakes. It helps to clarify what 2D means vs. 3D means and let's everyone pick their own price point without me going..."whoa, that's gonna be expensive! " etc.

It works well, most importantly because a basic counter worker can take a cake order pretty precisely without me or my catering mgr. having to price every cake.

Instead of saying what are you willing to spend, maybe do you have a budget sounds a little more gentle.

Great idea -

Jen