A $300 dollar sale makes you MUCH MORE confident to make a $3,000 pen sale.
Once you've hit the "glass ceiling" and realize what customers want and WILL PAY, the job gets easier. It took me longer than most to realize that NOBODY in my venue wanted a $50 wood pen, my job became MUCH easier.
In the pen sales scheme, much like real estate brokerage, (I've done both sucessfully for a LONG time), i learned it's LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. Make the pen YOUR market wants and is willing to pay for. I also learned to "out wait " the formula pricing guys... They WONT be around very long.
Much like real estate, YOU MUST know your audience and their habits. In yacht and big boat sales (I has a good bit of experience there, too). If you go to an upscale market and offer $25 pens with your $200 pens, you are a "novelty" seller.
IMHO, in my market, at least, YOU CANT DO BOTH.
If someone asks you "what makes this pen with $5,000, you better be prepared to come with REAL answers. If you are selling $20 gold plated wood pens on the SAME exhibit, ANY answer you give is suspect.
Respectfully submitted.