Sales Leadership: Markup v Margin-is it critical your staff know the difference?

Markup vs Margin Differences

Is there a difference between margin vs mark-up? Absolutely. More and more in today’s environment, these two terms are being used interchangeably to mean gross margin, but that misunderstanding may be the menace of the bottom line. Markup and profit are not the same! Also, the accounting for margin vs mark-up are different! A clear understanding and application of the two within a pricing model can have a drastic impact on the bottom line.

Terminology speaking, mark-up percentage is the percentage difference between the actual cost and the selling price, while gross margin percentage is the percentage difference between the selling price and the profit.

So, who rules when seeking effective ways to optimize profitability?. Many mistakenly believe that if a product or service is marked up, say 25%, the result will be a 25% gross margin on the income statement. However, a 25% markup rate produces a gross margin percentage of only 20%.

Markup vs Gross Margin; Which is Preferable?

Though markup is often used by operations or sales departments to set prices it often overstates the profitability of the transaction. Mathematically markup is always a larger number when compared to the gross margin. Consequently, non-financial individuals think they are obtaining a larger profit than is often the case. By calculating sales prices in gross margin terms they can compare the profitability of that transaction to the economics of the financial statements.

Steps to minimize Markup vs Margin mistakes

Terminology and calculations aside, it is very important to remember that there are more factors that affect the selling price than merely cost. What the market will bear, or what the customer is willing to pay, will ultimately impact the selling price. The key is to find the price that optimizes profits while maintaining a competitive advantage. Below are steps you can take to avoid confusion when working with markup rates vs margin rates:

– use a pricing model or pricing tool to quote sales. Have the tool calculate both the markup percentage and the gross margin percentage

– relate gross margin percentage per sales invoice to income statement

– organize your chart of accounts to compare gross margin rate to sales quotes

- educate your sales force on the differences. By targeting the gross margin percentage vs the markup percentage you can throw an additional 2 – 3 percent profit to the bottom line!

Margin vs Markup Chart

15% Markup = 13.0% Gross Profit

20% Markup = 16.7% Gross Profit

25% Markup = 20.0% Gross Profit

30% Markup = 23.0% Gross Profit

33.3% Markup = 25.0% Gross Profit

40% Markup = 28.6% Gross Profit

43% Markup = 30.0% Gross Profit

50% Markup = 33.0% Gross Profit

75% Markup = 42.9% Gross Profit

100% Markup = 50.0% Gross Profit

 So what do you think of our ways of  speaking the common language of finance? What do you do to effectively ensure your staff are educated in finance? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below as we learn just as much from you as you do from us.    www.learn4s.com