If you have ever worked for a company for more than one year, then you have no doubt experienced price increases. This is one of the fastest ways for companies to earn a few extra dollars and quite frankly one of the easiest.

Price increases can negatively impact the sales and marketing efforts for today’s busy marketing professional. A price increase on products or services that haven’t changed creates a difficult scenario for current customers familiar with a lower cost. This is especially true when we hear objections from our customers expressing their dissatisfaction. With few or literally no changes to a given product overcoming objections is difficult.

One of the biggest concerns that marketers have about price increases is that of customer attrition. This is especially true in markets where your competitor is priced are lower or about the same as your offering. There is always someone else that your customer can buy from. A recent study I read indicated that even though price can be an obstacle to buying, current customers are less likely to leave you after a price increase.

There are a number of reasons why customers do not jump ship so quickly. The bottom line is that switch has costs associated with it. These costs are both and emotional as well as financial.

Your customers, and all consumers for that matter, have been conditioned to find the lowest price possible for any given product or service. When rolling out a price increase, customers do not want to pay full price. This is why they continue to ask for discounts even after a price increase has been put into affect.

Here are some ways to overcome objections related to price increases:

Articulate value that is greater than or equal to that of your actual price increase. No one wants to pay more money for the same old thing. It is very difficult to justify given the current state of the economy and the growth of a competitive landscape.

Know the cost to switch vendors. Research your competitors and understand their pricing. Does the offer they use clearly explain the pricing of their product? Your customer may perceive a competitor as costing less but in actuality their services cost much more or provide less features. Do your homework before introducing any type of price increase.

Segment your price increase. Not all customer are equal so treat them differently to make the transition smooth and get the biggest bang for your buck.The truth of the matter is that your customers are different. Some have been doing business with you for a long time. Others are working with you for the first time. Your price increase should be reflective of the individuality of your customers.

The final bit of advice I can give around price increases is that you should really understand your competition and what types of alternatives are available to your customer.

If your company offers a better package at an equal or more favorable price, the notion of losing droves of customers over a single price increase really is not an issue. If your offering is less valuable however then investments may need to be made to enhance the product or simply revisit pricing.

Michael Fleischner is an Internet Marketing Expert with more than 14 years of marketing experience. He is an author and founder of The Marketing Blog. Read his search engine optimization guide, SEO Made Simple, to enhance your online business.