How to price your products: a pricing guide for social sellers
Price too high and buyers walk; too low and you work for nothing. Here's a simple framework for pricing products as a Nigerian or Ghanaian social seller — including delivery, waste, and haggling.
Start with cost-plus
The foundation of any price is cost-plus: total cost of the product plus your margin. But most sellers underprice because they only count the purchase price — they forget everything else.
True cost includes: the purchase price, delivery from your supplier, packaging, your time (packing, replying, shipping), and a share of business overheads like data and failed deliveries.
Write it down per product: if it costs you ₦10,000 all-in and you want a 30% margin, the floor is ₦13,000. That number is your starting point, not your final price.
Build in room to negotiate
Social commerce buyers haggle — it is part of the culture. If you price at your floor with no headroom, every "can you do ₦500 less?" either eats your margin or loses the sale.
Set your list price 5–10% above your target, so a small discount still lands you at the price you actually wanted. The buyer feels they got a deal; you still make your margin.
Never go below your floor. Sellers who discount to nothing teach buyers to keep pushing — and end up working for free.
Account for delivery and returns
Delivery is where social sellers lose their margin without noticing. If you include delivery in the price, build the average courier fee into every product — and remember failed deliveries cost you the fee plus the item.
Decide your policy up front: inclusive pricing (simpler for buyers, one price quoted) or plus-delivery (shows the product as cheaper, but invites "and delivery is how much?" friction).
Whatever you choose, quote it before the buyer pays. A surprise delivery fee at payment is the fastest way to kill a sale.
Use psychology, honestly
Small pricing choices change perception. ₦14,500 reads cheaper than ₦15,000 even though the difference is tiny. Bundle deals make the unit price feel better. A "usual price" struck through makes a discount feel real.
More important than any trick: consistency. If the price is right and every buyer gets the same quote from the same catalog, buyers trust you — and trust is what actually justifies a higher price.
Price with confidence, quote consistently, and let escrow-backed payment links do the rest: when the buyer is ready, one tap pays and the order moves to delivery.
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