Let me tell you about the time I broke my own pricing rule.
As I was working towards publishing my new book, Fearless Pricing, I decided to buy the domain fearlesspricing.com. The domain was dormant with no active website. I tracked down the owner and made an offer. I outlined why I wanted it and what it was worth to me, making it clear that my price was firm. (Is anyone shocked by this?)
The owner countered, but not in the way you might expect. He came back with a price 40% higher than my “firm” offer. And I said yes. Want to know why?
He said he’d transfer the domain if I made the payment as a donation to his favorite charity—a nonprofit providing prosthetics to children, civilians, and soldiers who lost limbs in the Russia-Ukraine war.
I jumped at this offer.
Was the domain suddenly worth 40% more to than I originally offered to pay? No, but the total package value had increased a lot. Let me explain.
Value Isn’t Just About Price
At Boost, donating to causes that align with our values is part of our mission, so saying yes to this was a no-brainer. We earmark a portion of our profits for charitable giving every year. But instead of taking this amount from our charity budget, I chose to fund it through our marketing budget. After all, the funds were used to secure the domain name.
It was a big win for three reasons:
- I got the domain I wanted.
- Boost contributed meaningfully to a cause we were happy to support.
- The seller turned a dormant domain into a tangible impact for his chosen charity.
The Lesson? Value Can Evolve
The key takeaway here is that value isn’t static. It’s fluid, dynamic, and deeply personal. Sometimes a firm line can be erased and redrawn. The domain itself didn’t change, and the value to me and my business of that domain didn’t change. But the seller reframed the terms in a way that dramatically altered the value equation for me. He turned a transaction into an opportunity to align business goals with a meaningful impact.
Applying This to Your Business
Here’s how this principle applies in the world of pricing:
- Look Beyond Features and Costs: Customers don’t just buy products or services—they buy outcomes, feelings, and alignment with their values. Ask yourself, what additional value can you bring to the table that transcends the transaction itself?
- Reframe Your Offerings: Can you bundle your products or services with something that taps into your customer’s deeper motivations or goals outside the realm of your solution? Whether it’s sustainability, community impact, or innovation, aligning with their values creates a value proposition they can’t ignore.
- Recognize the Power of Emotion: Buying decisions are often more emotional than logical—even in B2B settings. The seller of the domain didn’t just counter with a higher price; he offered an emotional connection and a sense of shared purpose.
A Final Thought
In pricing, creativity is a powerful tool. When your customer rigidly outlines the playing field—as I had with my offer to the domain owner—don’t dismiss the opportunity to uncover hidden value and present mutually beneficial possibilities.
Recognize that value isn’t confined to dollars and cents. It often lies in outcomes, alignment, and shared goals. The ability to adapt when the value equation changes isn’t just a pricing skill—it’s a business advantage.
