I’ve always been fascinated with counterintuitive truths.
Things that shouldn’t work, yet consistently do.
For example, I was taught that high prices are barriers to sales, a frustration that clients either tolerate or don’t. The higher the price, the fewer people will be willing to “jump” that high.
And yet, some prices are reassuringly expensive.
It’s the phenomenon of clients skipping affordable experts to hire ones they can barely afford.
And no, there’s no question whether it’s the “real thing.” I’ve both benefited from it and been mauled by it.
When we think of price as just a sales hurdle, we miss its covert message to the client: safety.
Here’s why this matters:
- Between two similar commodities, making the “worse” choice won’t feel dangerous. Safety has no role; “reassuringly expensive” doesn’t apply.
- But when stakes are high and “good quality” is unclear to clients, things change. They can’t spot what they need, so they trust what they understand: the price tag.
- Clients unconsciously use price as a proxy for competence. Higher prices feel protective against regret and scammers.
Exclusivity feels like insurance.
When your work is hard to evaluate, price can do work that portfolios can’t: signal trust at first glance.
Reread your rate through the lens of someone afraid of choosing wrong but unsure how to proceed:
Does it say “you’ll be fine” or “I hope this works”?