CLICK vs TWIST...Are they equal in PRICE Valuation?

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SteveG

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I have a weekly sales gig at a Marriott Resort here on Kauai. It is just 4 hours, one day a week. This suits me just fine, as I deal with some physical limitations that cause chronic fatigue. So it is a nice "fit" for me. Because of the venue, my price structure is a bit higher overall, than what I notice here on IAP whenever price point issues are discussed. I am seeking feedback from other sellers based on actual sales experience, on one very narrow point:

Please help me with a price comparison between two essentially identical pens, one click and the other twist, but otherwise of the same style, blank material and plating. Does one merit a higher sale price then the other? I am trying to discern the perceived value as viewed by the prospective buyer. I am asking for sales experience feedback, but if you simply have an opinion on the issue, I welcome that also. Thanks in advance for sharing you thoughts and/or experiences.:smile:
 
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I refrained from offering my own view in my initial post because I wanted to avoid influencing the responses. So far there have been over 70 views with only one response (thanks wishman), so I have decided to add in my view in hopes of generating a little discussion. This could be beneficial to many who sell pens, as they determine their own mix of pens to offer, and their pricing.

I personally view the click pens as a separate class inferior to the click, from the customers perspective. So with all else being equal, my inclination is to price the twists significantly higher than the clicks, and also to offer very few clicks compared to twists (addressing the general ballpoint grouping of pens). Part of my marketing strategy is to have a small number of somewhat lower priced as well as a few very high priced offerings. This allows the customer to zero in on the mid-range group (and actually buy a pen or 2). The thinking I want to encourage is that the buyer will decide they can do better than the cheapest, and while they choose not to afford the high end model, they can still do very good by selecting something from the mid-range group. It seems to work. My sales are nearly all impulse buys, so I need to generate the "impulse" to be successful.

I remain interested in hearing from any with an opinion on the 'click vs twist' issue.Thanks again wishman.
 
I don't sell but my 2cents worth is coming out.
I have seen people look,look, and pick up twist then the click and some that have issues with twisting thw pen (health issues) would go to the click one but that is my 2cents iys cheaper that a dime,me personal eather is okay but friends ask for a easier pen to used but the treads here are right give them something to choose but my money is on the twist.
 
Since there aren't many posts here yet I will chime in. I have had trouble getting the same price for my clicks as my twist (both ball points). So in that I would agree with you, Steve. How much different for me? Maybe 10%? Not huge.
 
I can't speak as a seller. But I am surprised that the twist sells at a higher price compared to an "equivalent" click. Personally, my preference is for a click because it is easier to use (one-handed to activate and deactivate). I would have thought buyers would also favor a click. Seems from what I am reading that this is not the case.
 
I havent sold a ton of pens. but i have sold a few. and i see the same thing. for the most part. the twist pen sells 3 to 1 over the clicks.

My humble theory is this. If you think about it... 95% of your cheap plastic pens are click. If you go to the bank. The pen in the suction thing is a click. Its a "freebee". I have always been a laborer. And as long as i can remember. Me and my coworkers would have cheap plastic clicks. But when i would go into someones office. They would whip out a twist from their desk or inside pocket. So i remember twists as being a higher quality. If you will. My two cents.
 
bloodhound said:
I havent sold a ton of pens. but i have sold a few. and i see the same thing. for the most part. the twist pen sells 3 to 1 over the clicks.

My humble theory is this. If you think about it... 95% of your cheap plastic pens are click. If you go to the bank. The pen in the suction thing is a click. Its a "freebee". I have always been a laborer. And as long as i can remember. Me and my coworkers would have cheap plastic clicks. But when i would go into someones office. They would whip out a twist from their desk or inside pocket. So i remember twists as being a higher quality. If you will. My two cents.
Click to expand...
I also don't sell many pens, and I've only sold 1 click. I think the reason is that people want a special pen to be somewhat different when they buy an expensive pen. And a twist pen is much less common than a click pen. Everyone has had a ton of click pens. But many have never owned a twist pen. This is only my guess, since I have so little 1st hand data to pull from.

Me, I love click pens.
 
bloodhound said:
I havent sold a ton of pens. but i have sold a few. and i see the same thing. for the most part. the twist pen sells 3 to 1 over the clicks.

My humble theory is this. If you think about it... 95% of your cheap plastic pens are click. If you go to the bank. The pen in the suction thing is a click. Its a "freebee". I have always been a laborer. And as long as i can remember. Me and my coworkers would have cheap plastic clicks. But when i would go into someones office. They would whip out a twist from their desk or inside pocket. So i remember twists as being a higher quality. If you will. My two cents.
Click to expand...

I have noticed the same thing.
 
The perceived value will be based on the individual customer. If the customer wants or needs a click pen then the click is more valuable. The twist pen could be worthless to them.

I would, and have, priced them the same.

As far as your marketing strategy goes, I think most pen makers have a variety of styles and a price range. I don't think you are doing anything different then most people. For me, I just wouldn't use the click vs twist as the price differentiator.
 
SteveG said:
I have a weekly sales gig at a Marriott Resort here on Kauai. It is just 4 hours, one day a week. This suits me just fine, as I deal with some physical limitations that cause chronic fatigue. So it is a nice "fit" for me. Because of the venue, my price structure is a bit higher overall, than what I notice here on IAP whenever price point issues are discussed. I am seeking feedback from other sellers based on actual sales experience, on one very narrow point:

Please help me with a price comparison between two essentially identical pens, one click and the other twist, but otherwise of the same style, blank material and plating. Does one merit a higher sale price then the other? I am trying to discern the perceived value as viewed by the prospective buyer. I am asking for sales experience feedback, but if you simply have an opinion on the issue, I welcome that also. Thanks in advance for sharing you thoughts and/or experiences.:smile:
Click to expand...
The short answer is NO,,,unless you think one or the other will be more popular with your customers. The components, blank and turning/assembly/finish time should be the same costs so you can let your market decide.
 
My experience in selling pens and talking with customers is that it is a personal preference. Some like the "cleaner" look of the twist pen while others like the convenience of one hand operation of the click pen. I price both the same as I believe it is not a quality issue but rather a personal preference. I do not have actual facts to back it up but i believe they sell equally.

Just my $.02.
 
sbrant said:
My experience in selling pens and talking with customers is that it is a personal preference. Some like the "cleaner" look of the twist pen while others like the convenience of one hand operation of the click pen. I price both the same as I believe it is not a quality issue but rather a personal preference. I do not have actual facts to back it up but i believe they sell equally.

Just my $.02.
Click to expand...
Whatever works in your market is right....for you. I have had a lot of people tell me that the medical profession (particularily nurses) will only use clicks because of the one hand operation. I personally like both but will use a click more at my desk for the same reason. Carry for use away from home is almost always twist or even a fountain or rollerball.
 
I've sold thousands of twist pens, and maybe 100 click pens. Clicks are slow selling when they are comparably priced. We do often get asked for click pens, and we have plenty to show them when they ask, but they seldom buy.
 
So far the responses (posts and "likes" considered, ignoring my own) generally favor the "twist" as being perceived by a potential customer as holding a higher value. There are a few neutral responses also. I wanted to see these results and intend to use them for my sales table (product mix and pricing). When I include my opinion (as a single 'vote'), the results are almost 2:1 favoring the twist as higher in value. I did not do a poll, as I wanted to encourage comment over a simple vote. This is obviously an extremely small sample, but one I consider to be valuable due to the comments associated with the opinions. Hopefully the results are useful to others as you plan and/or adjust your sales strategy.

Thanks to all who posted or "liked". Anyone with fresh comments are welcome. It all has value!
 
In the early 80s a chrome metal Cross twist pen was the standard graduation gift. Click pens were plastic and what you always found at the bottom of the junk drawer with some auto repair place stamped on the side.

Now i just did a click pen for my niece assuming she would use it at work one handed.
 
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There is the recurring request for "clicks" for those in occupations such as nursing, where one handed use is desired. These folks are usually not wanting to pay the extra price that comes with a custom pen. When it comes down to actually buying a custom pen, it would not be for "on the job" in most cases. That need is better met with a low cost pen from Walmart. This is another point that tends to put the "click" in a lower price category.
 
Medical Professionals are about the only people I have sold clicks to. Nurses prefer clicks over twist because their hands are always full with clip boards and what not. Twists by far out sale my clicks, surprising to me. I prefer a click, but I end up clicking it like mad and driving people crazy, so I tend to stay with twists or capped pens.
 
Back when I was working, my full time carry pen was a twist pen, but my reasoning for the pen was based on the material it was made from... not the convenience or inconvenience of the twist.... matter of fact, since a twist requires two hands, I found it to be less convenient than the click. My personal preference would be a good quality click pen. One problem with many of the kit pens we're putting together is that the clicks often are as stable or don't work as well.

This doesn't answer your question, and I'm not sure I have an answer that would be applicable for you or your situation.
 
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Until very recently, the few clicks that I have made were lower cost kits. I just recently made a gatsby click and am currently carrying it. I like the feel, the lines and the convenience of the click. In short, it has altered my perspective and is causing me to rethink my bias for twist pens.
 
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