Last week, I spoke to a group of high school student entrepreneurs and teachers about pricing at the state pitch competition. In their workshop, I focused on the four main topics (expenses, perceived value, market/competition, and profit goals).

One thing we didn’t get to focus on was the emotional side of pricing your product or service. Math is easy, but the emotional mindset is the most difficult for adults. Unless you are a know-it-all man, in which case I find they typically overprice and underdeliver their product.

Let’s get real:
When you first priced your offer, it was probably a guess.
Maybe you called it “market research.”
But really, you were hoping someone would say “yes” and you wouldn’t feel like a fraud. Yes, impostor syndrome is talked about very soon.

Here’s the problem:
That same mindset follows you as your business grows.
You’re still undercharging.
Still discounting.
Still hesitating before you say the number out loud.

And that hesitation?
It’s costing you profit and positioning.

Why Pricing is Emotional (and Strategic)

Pricing isn’t just what you charge. It’s what you believe you’re worth.

And when you haven’t fully stepped into the role of owner, you price like an employee trying not to get fired.
You negotiate with yourself. You anticipate objections. You shrink.

But pricing should be an ownership decision.
It’s not about justifying value.
It’s about designing an experience, so your price feels like a no-brainer.

Here are the three components of pricing every owner needs to master:

🏆 1. Belief: You Must Believe You’re Worth It

Let’s say it clearly:
If you don’t believe your offer is worth the price, no prospect will either.

When I coach business owners, pricing hesitancy is almost always rooted in one of these:

• Imposter syndrome (“Who am I to charge this?”)

• Comparison (“XYZ company is cheaper…”)

• Fear of rejection (“What if they say no?”)

Strategy #1: Build a Value Stack
Write down everything your offer includes. It’s ok to separate the tangible and intangible items to design your marketing and sales process later.
Then stack it against the real cost of not solving the problem for your client.

You’ll see that you’re not expensive and underpriced for the outcome you deliver. At least that is what we are shooting for at this time. People want to feel like they are receiving two to three times the value for the cost.

 💌 2. Positioning: Your Price Sends a Message

Every price is a positioning signal.
Low prices say, “I’m generic.”
Premium pricing says, “I solve big problems and get real results.”

This isn’t about ego. It’s about clarity.
If your marketing is fuzzy, your price will feel risky.
But people don't blink at the number if your brand, message, and process scream confidence. They purchase with emotion. Unless it is brakes for their car.

Strategy #2: Raise the Perceived Value Before the Ask
Your sales process shouldn’t be about convincing.
It should be about reframing the cost of doing nothing.

Use testimonials, before/after data, and bold statements that frame your work as an investment, not an expense.

💰 3. Process: Pricing Must Be Integrated into Your Sales System

Here’s the mistake I see too often:
People treat price like a surprise at the end of the pitch.
By then, the buyers would either be confused, skeptical, or in sticker shock.

Owners who sell with confidence integrate pricing into the experience, which is early and often, either directly or indirectly.

Strategy #3: Anchor the Value Early
When you structure your offer, use framing tools like:

• “This program has helped owners add $250K in annual revenue, and right now our pricing is at less than 10% of that.”

• “If you’re solving a $10K/month bottleneck, would $3K to fix it be reasonable?”

• “We don’t price based on hours but on lasting transformation.”

Start owning the narrative. You are the expert who is leading the conversation.

Final Word: Price Like an Owner

If you’re still negotiating with yourself about what you charge, you’re not leading but guessing.
And guess what? Your customers can feel it. Confidently establish the current gap they are experiencing. Be the expert they are looking for to solve their problem.

Confidence sells. Clarity scales. Ownership wins.

Raise the bar.
Raise your price.
And stop apologizing for building something valuable.

⌚ Your 5-Minute Challenge

The "Confidence Check & Value Stack Sprint"

Goal: Help business owners immediately reconnect with the real value they offer and identify where mindset is capping their pricing.

Instructions:

1. Grab a blank sheet or notes app. Set a 5-minute timer.

2. Column A: List out everything your offer includes.

   • Tangible (calls, reports, deliverables, assets)

   • Intangible (access, speed, peace of mind, clarity, confidence)

3. Column B: List the real cost to your client of not solving the problem.

   • Financial (lost revenue, inefficiency)

   • Emotional (stress, uncertainty, burnout)

4. Now ask:

   • “If this solves a $25,000+ problem, why am I pricing it like a $5K favor?”

   • Rewrite your price—not based on fear, but based on outcome.

5. Final step: Read your new price out loud. If your voice cracks, good. That’s the stretch point you need to work through.

🤔 REFLECT: Your Turn

❓ What emotion do I feel right before I say my price out loud?

❓ Am I selling the time I spend, or the transformation I deliver?

Share your story at [email protected].

Stay awesome, stay confident, and keep soaring higher!

— Cheering you on, Nick