In the world of high-ticket product and service sales pitches, when do you reveal your price?
Right up front? Or save it until the end?
I’ve noticed there are devout followers for each method.
I’ve also noticed that both methods can be quite effective.
Let’s compare and contrast.
Those who belive you should name the price right up front extol its virtues as being straightforward, honest, and scare-away-the-tire-kickers. They say it works well because you name the price without flinching and THEN tell the customer about all the great things they’re getting and all the free add-ons.
The more you talk after naming the price the lower that price becomes perceptually.
We could describe this as cost then value building.
Those who believe you should first talk about all the great features and all the free bonus items and THEN at the end name your price praise this method as friendly, helpful, and informative. They say it works well because you don’t scare away on-the-fence customers and that more facetime upfront builds a bond that’ll help seal the sale.
The more you talk before naming the price the more that price is perceived as a deal.
This would be described as value building then cost.
Again, I’ve seen and used both price reveals effectively. The holy secret is to make sure that whatever the price is, it’s perceived as a value compared to the cost.
And this is where devout work and skill come in because every customer greets you with a preset expectation of what they’re getting and how much it should cost.
To exceed those expectations is the true dogma.
– Zac Smith, VC
