What is price and how do pricing objectives affect a firm?

"An important part of the marketing planning process is setting the right price. Price is the perceived value that is exchanged for something else. Value in our society is most commonly expressed in dollars and cents. Thus, price is typically the amount of money exchanged for a product. Note that perceived value refers to the perception of the product’s value at the time of the transaction. After a consumer has used a product, the consumer may decide that its actual value was less than its perceived value at the time it was purchased. The price paid for a product is based on the expected satisfaction that the customer will receive and not necessarily the actual satisfaction of the customer. Although price is usually a dollar amount, it can be anything with perceived value. When products are exchanged for each other, the trade is called barter. If a student exchanges this book for a math book at the end of the term, that student has engaged in barter.\n\nPrice is important in determining how much a firm earns. The prices charged customers times the number of units sold equals the gross revenue for the firm. Revenue is what pays for every activity of the company (production, finance, sales, distribution, and so forth). The money that is left over (if any) is profit. Managers strive to charge a price that will allow the firm to earn a fair return on its investment and will maximize return on investment to the highest extent while still maintaining a fair return. The chosen price must be neither too high nor too low, and the price must equal the perceived value to target consumers. If consumers think the price is too high, sales opportunities will be lost. Lost sales mean lost revenue. If the price is too low, consumers may view the product as a great value, but the company may not meet its profit goals. Sometimes, as in the case of services, a price that is too low will cause the product to viewed as less than credible and lose sales for the company."