Your boss has just given you an important, high priority assignment. The company’s core business
product has shown steadily shrinking profitability and you have been asked to address the problem by
coming up with at least two new pricing techniques. Your boss will meet with you at the end of the month
to hear your proposal. Prior to the meeting, your boss would like to see a brief Memo that outlines your
proposal and explains the impact it will have on units sold and profits.
Instructions
Develop a Memo of two to three pages for your boss. As a Memo is a succinct business communication,
it is helpful to work through your ideas before writing the document. To prepare in this way, make notes,
using the prompts in the Sample Outline provided at the end of these Instructions. When you are ready
to proceed with writing your Memo, use the same Sample Outline to structure the sections of your
Memo document.
Price Discrimination Memo
Full Answer Section
IV. Implementation Considerations * Briefly discuss any challenges or considerations for implementing the proposed techniques. * (Optional) Briefly outline a potential implementation plan (timeline, resources).
V. Conclusion * Briefly summarize the proposed new pricing techniques and their potential benefits. * Reiterate your willingness to discuss the proposal further and answer any questions.
Additional Notes:
- Consider including relevant data or market research to support your analysis.
- Tailor the pricing techniques to your specific product and industry.
- Be clear and concise in your writing.
Remember: This is just a starting point. Feel free to adapt the outline to fit your specific situation.
Sample Answer
Preparation Notes for Pricing Techniques Memo
Problem: Core business product's profitability is declining.
Goal: Develop new pricing techniques to increase profitability.
Sample Outline:
To: Your Boss's Name From: Your Name Date: Today's Date Subject: Proposal for New Pricing Techniques to Increase Profitability of [Product Name]
I. Introduction * Briefly explain the declining profitability of the core business product. * State the purpose of the memo: to propose new pricing techniques.
II. Analysis of Current Pricing Strategy * Briefly describe the current pricing strategy (e.g., cost-plus pricing, competitive pricing). * Analyze the limitations of the current strategy in the context of the declining profitability.
III. Proposed New Pricing Techniques * Technique 1: * Briefly explain the technique (e.g., value-based pricing, tiered pricing). * Explain how it addresses the limitations of the current strategy. * Analyze the potential impact on units sold and profits. * Technique 2: * Briefly explain the technique (e.g., subscription model, freemium model). * Explain how it addresses the limitations of the current strategy. * Analyze the potential impact on units sold and profits.