Review

One of the better books on pricing. The key insight is that customers can value the same product differently, and you can uncover hidden profits by understanding what your customers value and introducing different price points and offerings to capture their demand. I love that this approach takes the pressure off defining a single "magic price" that maximizes profit. However, the author didn't discuss how to mitigate showing or communicating the inevitably more complicated product-price offerings—to me, that's a significant oversight.

You Might Also Like:

Positioning

A great introduction to brand positioning. The author offers an opinionated and principled approach to positioning products and brands in a crowded world. Supplement with other GTM and positioning books for more practical frameworks.

andrewclark.co.uk

Obviously Awesome

I’ve seen April speak at a conference and she was truly captivating. April is a great communicator, and is shows in this book.

andrewclark.co.uk

Don’t Just Roll the Dice

A crucial aspect of product management is balancing value exchange between users and the business. While responsibility for pricing may be ambiguous, all Product Managers should be adept at discussing pricing strategies and evolving business models. This tiny book covers some of the basic fundamental of software pricing.

andrewclark.co.uk

Key Takeaways

The 20% that gave me 80% of the value.

The conventional belief in a single "perfect" price for each product is fundamentally flawed. Different customers value the same products differently, creating opportunities for hidden profits through multi-tiered pricing strategies. The core insight is simple but powerful: pricing isn't just about setting numbers—it's about creating strategies to serve as many customers as possible while maximising profits.

Value, not cost, should drive pricing decisions. While costs set an important floor (pricing below incremental costs is unsustainable), they shouldn't dictate your pricing ceiling. Customers pay based on the value they perceive, not your production expenses. This explains why umbrella prices can double during rainstorms—the immediate solution to getting soaked becomes more valuable in that moment.

Even small pricing adjustments can significantly impact profitability. Rather than developing new products, companies can often achieve greater growth by intelligently adjusting how they price and sell existing offerings. These adjustments can typically be implemented quickly, creating immediate profit improvements.

A profit-focused culture ensures everyone understands how their decisions affect the bottom line. This shared mindset helps organisations identify opportunities and implement changes that generate significant new gains. When properly established, this culture becomes self-sustaining, continuously uncovering hidden profit opportunities. Practical steps to build this culture include: sharing margin information with frontline staff so they know which products, customers, and transactions are most profitable; establishing clear discount guidelines to prevent pricing below incremental costs and ensure discounts remain targeted; building product confidence so everyone understands why offerings are worth their price; plugging leaks by eliminating unclear promotions and unprofitable discounts; and measuring the right metrics tied to profitability rather than just sales volume. Some organisations create cross-departmental pricing councils to coordinate decisions, ensure consistent policies, and identify new profit opportunities—embedding accountability throughout the company structure.

The Value Decoder helps determine how much customers are willing to pay by analysing factors that shape perceived value. This framework has five key components:

1. Price & Availability of Substitutes: how competing products affect what customers will pay
2. Characteristics Relative to Competitors: how your offering stands out in terms of brand perception, convenience, quality, attributes/features, service, and style
3. Income: how customer wealth affects willingness to pay
4. Price/Strength of Demand for Related Products: how interdependent items impact perceived value
5. Market Environment: how external forces like trends, news, and timing affect perception

This framework helps identify exactly why different customers arrive at different valuations and where hidden profits may be found.

Rather than seeking one "perfect price," the book advocates for a multi-price mindset using three core strategies. The first strategy is Differential Pricing, which involves selling the same product at different prices to different customer segments to capture more overall profit. Seven key differential pricing techniques include:

1. Customer characteristics: using traits like age or organisation type to determine who receives discounts
2. Hurdles: requiring price-sensitive buyers to perform actions like using coupons or submitting rebates to get discounts
3. Time: leveraging customer willingness to pay more for immediate access
4. Quantity discounts: offering lower unit prices for larger purchases
5. Distribution: setting different prices based on sales channel or location
6. Mixed bundling: selling items individually or in discounted packages
7. Negotiation: customising prices based on individual customer signals

The second core strategy is Versioning, which involves creating variations of the same product at different price points to accommodate diverse customer needs and budgets. Seven approaches to versioning include:

1. A la carte: offering a base model with optional premium add-ons
2. More is better: adding quantity, quality, or premium content for higher-paying customers
3. Less can be profitable: stripping features to attract cost-sensitive customers
4. Add variety: creating horizontal variations to draw in new segments
5. Expedited service: charging premiums for faster turnaround
6. Avoid the wait: monetising convenience with skip-the-line options
7. Uncertainty: selling options that manage risk for either buyer or seller

The third core strategy is Segment-Based Pricing, which introduces new payment methods or usage models without changing the product itself. Ten segment-based pricing techniques include:

1. Interval ownership: splitting items into smaller units like timeshares
2. Bundling: combining products into convenient packages
3. Leasing: making larger purchases affordable through regular payments
4. Prepaid: requiring upfront deposits for usage over time
5. Rental: offering short-term use without ownership
6. Two-part pricing: combining entry fees with per-use charges
7. Hurdles: creating conditions that segment audiences without overt discrimination
8. Payment plans: spreading costs over time to match customer cash flow
9. Customised: tailoring prices to specific usage patterns
10. All-you-can-eat: charging fixed rates for unlimited usage

Beyond capturing value, pricing is also an art that influences perceptions. Strategic refinements can enhance customer psychology and market positioning. These include psychological pricing techniques (using 9-endings for value perception or 0-endings for premium positioning); prestige pricing (setting higher prices to convey status and quality); anchor pricing (positioning products against expensive alternatives to create perceived bargains); framing costs (breaking large sums into smaller chunks to ease purchase decisions); and creating a bargain feel (highlighting discounts to appeal to deal-seeking behaviour).

Sometimes holding prices below what a strict value calculation suggests makes strategic sense—to generate publicity, to ensure selling to the right customers (especially loyal ones), to encourage repeat purchases, or to align with customer psychological thresholds. There are also four situations where fairness particularly matters:

1. When dealing with customers unfamiliar with value-based approaches
2. In established relationships where pricing is viewed as an emotional bond
3. When price differences become transparent
4. For essential products with few substitutes

Implementation can begin with two immediate steps: build a profit culture by helping staff understand how small price changes affect margins, and align prices with perceived customer value. Organise a pricing summit to reaffirm how your product delivers value; reveal top margins to guide sales emphasis; identify underperforming promotions; brainstorm new pricing approaches; address potential fairness concerns; and consider psychological pricing adjustments.

Even a 1% net price improvement can generate double-digit profit increases—often making the difference between merely covering costs and achieving significant growth. The path to improving profits typically involves less about launching new products and more about smartly adjusting how existing offerings are priced and sold. By recognising that different customers value things differently, and implementing differential pricing, versioning, and segment-based pricing strategies, businesses can uncover substantial hidden profits while better serving diverse customer needs.

Deep Summary

Longer form notes, typically condensed, reworded and de-duplicated.

Chapter 1: Hidden Profits

Conventional thinking assumes there is a single "perfect" price for each product or service. This often leads to a profit-leaking dilemma: price too high and lose customers unwilling to pay that much, or price too low and forfeit profits from those who would pay more. In reality, people value things differently. Recognising this fact uncovers a range of hidden profits that most businesses fail to capture.

Pricing isn't just about setting numerical prices; it's about creating a set of strategies to serve as many customers as possible in a manner that maximises your company's profits.

We should take a deliberate approach that considers the varied demands of different customer segments.

Hidden profits arise when firms overlook the fact that different customers are willing to pay different amounts, or would happily buy if offered different purchasing plans. Many companies simply pick a price that feels "safe" or that follows competitors, leaving money on the table and missing out on growth opportunities. Adopting a multi-price mindset (offering different price levels or structures) can help businesses quickly tap into undiscovered profits.

Pricing is critical because it directly transforms the value created by the product into revenue and profits. Studies show even small price changes can make a disproportionate impact on profitability. Paying attention to these nuances of pricing can often be the difference between just covering costs and achieving significant growth. Once companies acknowledge this, they discover that the path to improving profits may be less about launching new products and more about smartly adjusting how they price and sell existing offerings.

Crucially, these changes can often be implemented quickly. Adopting a multi-price mindset can mean offering premium versions or discounted tiers, bundling products differently, or experimenting with new payment options to serve customers with varying preferences. This approach capitalises on the simple fact that customers are different. Instead of searching for one perfect price, dynamic or tiered strategies let firms capture more value from those willing to pay extra while still attracting additional customers who might otherwise opt out at higher prices.

Chapter 2: The Culture of Profit

A culture of profit is a shared mindset that ensures everyone in a company understands how their decisions affect profits—and takes responsibility for improving them. This goes beyond a single department: marketing, sales, finance, distribution, and senior executives all play a role in pricing. When a culture of profit is in place, two main benefits emerge:

• Straightforward, incremental changes can generate sizeable new gains ("Basic Information + Small Changes = Large Benefits")
• The mindset endures and becomes self-sustaining, guiding the organisation to continually find hidden profit opportunities.

Empowering employees and giving them the freedom to drive profitability by:

• Sharing information: Get the right information about margins to frontline staff. They should know which products, customers, and transactions are most profitable so they can prioritise their time and attention.
• Having clear guidelines on when to cut prices: Avoid dropping below incremental costs, ensure discounts remain targeted and discreet and don't let discounted sales crowd out those willing to pay full price.
• Creating confidence in your product: Everyone should understand why the product or service is worth its price. With this clarity, they can hold firm and demonstrate genuine enthusiasm for the value customers receive.

Plugging leaks in pricing policies calls for a thorough look at how discounts and promotions are granted.

• Eliminate unclear or overlapping promotional offers that encourage over-discounting
• Weed out any ongoing or one-off promotions that lose money or attract the wrong customers.
• Selectively reward loyal, profitable customers, avoid giving premium perks to everyone.
• Shift from fixating on sales volume or market share to tracking the right metrics—those tied directly to profitability.

Revisiting metrics is especially important. If a sales team is measured purely on how many units it sells, deep discounts become routine. Instead, measure performance based on profit per sale, net price after promotions, or overall margin improvements. Conducting a "naked price audit"—subtracting all discounts from the invoice price—often reveals that different customers are paying wildly different net amounts. This might be perfectly valid in some cases, but it should always be intentional and aimed at maximising overall profitability rather than randomly distributing discounts.

Pricing touches so many parts of the business that it makes sense to configure your organisation around it. Some companies form cross-departmental pricing councils to coordinate decisions, ensure consistent policies, and identify new profit opportunities. By embedding this accountability into the company's structure, everyone remains vigilant about pricing and can react quickly when changes in the market or customer behaviour create opportunities—or risks.

Chapter 3: It’s All About Value

The price of an umbrella changes with weather conditions. Customers pay for value, not cost. A vendor can double the price when it rains because an immediate solution to getting soaked is more valuable at that moment. This insight frames all pricing decisions: if demand or context raises the product's perceived value, price can follow.

Value, rather than cost, is the true foundation of pricing. Costs are important but only as a guide to setting a floor—pricing below incremental costs is unsustainable. But simply adding a markup to costs is a pricing fallacy; customers don't decide what to pay based on production expenses. Instead ask: How much value does this product provide, and what will customers pay for that value?

Value-based pricing has caveats. Competition limits how much you can charge before rivals lure customers away. Certain events, like natural disasters can trigger ethical issues. Finally, some strategies (like Sony's pricing on the PlayStation) reflect a bigger picture: a modest base price may be essential for selling complementary products over time and maximising the profit of a bigger ecosystem.

Outside of core pricing companies can leverage what they know about customers to create new offers:

• Enhanced Service: Additional or personalised services that customers will happily pay extra for, such as fast scheduling, priority access, or boutique-style attention.
• Insurance: Extended warranties and other assurances give customers peace of mind and generate high-margin revenue.
• Financing: Offering payment plans or private-label credit cards can attract more buyers and boost profits beyond the core product's sale.

Profiting from value often means to "stop giving it away." A small tweak like charging more for appointments at a barbershop can yield pure profit if customers genuinely value saving time. Different prices can also shift customer behaviour, as seen in discounted weekend rates that fill vacant hotels. Uniform pricing across markets often ignores local differences in value and competition, leaving hidden profits untouched.

Expanding pricing capabilities involves recognising that different customers assign different values to the same product. Two-tier or multi-tier structures (like higher subscription rates for out-of-town buyers or city-specific hotel discounts) let firms capture these disparities. Viewing price as more than a single number but rather as a flexible set of strategies unlocks new margins, loyal customers, and lasting growth.

Chapter 4: Lessons from An Auction

Value is in the eye of the beholder. Auctions show people drop out of bidding at different points because they each have a unique sense of how much an item is worth. Value is subjective, one person might pay a fortune for a rare collectible while another sees no value in it at all.

Price has a superpower-like influence on demand. A small cut can shift people from “not interested” to “I’ll buy it,” while a higher figure can prompt them to walk away. This direct link to market behaviour makes price a swift lever for adjusting sales, whether to boost volume or to maximise margins.

Recognising that different people place different values on the same product opens up opportunities for a multi-price mindset. Remember how people differ:

• People will value the same product differently.
• People will value specific features or options differently
• People will have different preferences to payment plans

When well-handled, multiple pricing options can draw in more customers and capture higher profits. There are 3 primary strategies to the multi-price approach:

1. Differential pricing: Offering the same product at varied prices to suit different customers (e.g., discounts for seniors or students).
2. Versioning: Creating different quality or feature levels, so those willing to pay more can do so while cost-sensitive buyers still participate at a lower price point.
3. Segment-based pricing: Designing entirely new ways to package or sell a product, attracting untapped segments, such as leasing schemes or bundled options.

Even commodities can gain from a multi-price approach, despite appearing to have “no pricing power.” While true commodity products require a broader strategic shift to avoid constant price- matching with competitors, some smaller moves like coupons, bundling, or flexible payment plans can still uncover hidden profits in the short term.

Differential pricing raises questions about fairness. Many discounts feel natural, such as those for pensioners or members of the armed forces. However, charging certain neighbourhoods more or adopting other selective methods can appear exploitative if not handled transparently. In the end, fair or not, buyers always have the choice to walk away, so the art of multi-price success lies in balancing profit potential with long-term goodwill.

Chapter 5: The Value Decoder

The Value Decoder is a framework for determining how much customers are willing to pay by dissecting the factors that shape perceived value. It helps identify why different customers arrive at different valuations and shows precisely where hidden profits may be found.

Step 1: Price & Availability of Substitutes: focuses on rival products or services customers can use instead. If competitors reduce their prices, buyers immediately place less value on your offering. This step requires monitoring competing prices and anticipating how changes affect what people will pay for yours.

Step 2: Characteristics Relative to Competitors: asks how your product stands out. Six traits typically matter:

• Brand: The trust, image, or prestige a name conveys.
• Convenience: How readily available or quick to access it is.
• Quality: Reliability, materials, or durability.
• Attributes: Specific features that solve problems or delight users.
• Service: Added help such as guarantees, support, or rapid response.
• Style: Visual appeal or aesthetic qualities.

Each point can justify a premium or demand a discount, depending on how buyers weigh it relative to competing offerings.

Step 3: Income: recognises that wealthier customers often pay more for similar goods, while price-sensitive markets will walk away if costs become too high. Fluctuations in earnings, taxes, or grants alter what people can afford and thus affect willingness to pay.

Step 4: Price/Strength of Demand for Related Products: addresses the interdependence between items bought together. Rising fuel costs, for example, reduce the value of a less fuel-efficient car. When complementary or supplementary products change in price, they shift the perceived value of your main offering.

Step 5: Market Environment: covers wider forces such as fads, newly released information, unforeseen events, or simple timing. Trends and news can raise or lower the perceived worth of what you sell, so staying alert to these external factors is vital.

Putting it all together involves synthesising insights from each step into a final pricing decision. Documenting each component in a clear, data-backed manner shows exactly why the chosen price fits the product’s value. This open logic also helps everyone within the organisation understand the reasoning and communicate it effectively to potential customers.

Example: Value Decoder Analysis

Chapter 6: Differential Pricing

Differential pricing allows you to sell the same product or service at different prices, targeting varied segments of your market and capturing greater overall profits. By understanding why buyers value your offering differently, you can tailor prices in ways that increase both revenue and customer reach. There are seven main techniques to achieve this.

1. Customer characteristics involve using traits like age, organisation type, or geographic proximity to an attraction to determine who receives discounts or pays higher prices. Senior and student concessions follow this principle, as do promotions that only local residents can access, recognising that different groups have different willingness or ability to pay.
2. Hurdles require price-sensitive buyers to perform an action in exchange for a discount. Coupons, rebates, and odd-hour shopping events reward those willing to invest time or effort, while those who value convenience simply pay the standard price. This approach quietly segments customers based on how far they’ll go for a cheaper deal.
3. Time leverages the fact that some customers pay more to have something immediately, while others happily wait for a discount. New products or fashionable items usually begin with premium prices, then drop later to entice thrifty buyers. The reverse occurs when a last-minute walk-up or a change in circumstances boosts demand, justifying higher on-the-day pricing.
4. Quantity discounts make use of the economic truth that additional units of a product have diminishing value. This encourages people to buy more by offering a lower unit price for larger purchases. Volume discounts and membership schemes that reward frequent shoppers are classic examples, helping businesses capture a broader share of buyers’ wallets.
5. Distribution points out that location or sales channel can reflect different valuations. Those who shop at upmarket outlets are typically less price sensitive, while bargain hunters gravitate towards outlet stores or consolidators. Setting varied prices in different places discreetly caters to each group’s willingness to pay without alienating the full-price customer base.
6. Mixed bundling sells items individually or in a discounted package. Offering, for instance, two related books at a cheaper combined price may induce buyers to purchase both rather than just one. This subtly distinguishes those who only want a single product from those prepared to add extra items if they sense a deal.
7. Negotiation can be used when you have the bandwidth to interact with customers one by one. It’s especially common with high-ticket or specialised products, where conversations reveal a buyer’s willingness to pay. Skilled negotiators often track signals like client income, brand loyalty, or the timing of the deal to extract higher margins from those with deeper pockets.

These differential pricing methods encourage businesses to look past a single one-size-fits-all figure and instead adopt a nuanced strategy that captures additional revenue and better serves diverse customer segments. By combining insight into why people pay more or less with discreet ways to charge them differently, you can raise both profits and customer satisfaction.

Chapter 7: Versioning

Versioning means offering variations of the same product or service at different price levels to capture the diverse ways customers value your offering. By tailoring each version for a particular set of needs or budgets, you allow those who want more features or benefits to pay accordingly, while still serving price-conscious buyers who need only the basics. Below are seven approaches to versioning:

A la carte

Allow customers to select from a menu of options that build on the core product. In many industries, the base model is just the start. Extra services like premium support, rush delivery, or deluxe accessories help you earn additional margins from those who want something above the bare essentials.

More is better

Adding quantity, quality, or premium content targets those willing to pay for enhanced experiences. It is a straightforward way to upsell keen buyers on upgraded packages, faster performance, expanded warranties, or exclusive features that come with higher profit margins.

Less can be profitable

Stripping out some features attracts cost-sensitive or less demanding customers. Offering value-based or lower-tier versions of the product (even selling items under a different label) can widen your audience. Some buyers simply prefer a functional, pared-down option at a reduced price.

Add a variety of features

Horizontal variations incorporate extra attributes that draw in new segments rather than just “improving” an existing model. Different flavours, styles, or companion products can catch people’s attention when the original form didn’t quite match their tastes.

Expedited service

Some customers place a premium on speed. Providing a faster turnaround, prioritised queue, or next-day completion can carry significant markups. The operational costs of rushing the job are often minimal compared to the extra revenue you can earn from those who need it done right away.

Avoid the wait

In environments where queueing is part of the experience, offering a skip-the-line pass (or the ability to make guaranteed reservations) lets you monetise convenience. People with little time or patience may willingly pay more to jump ahead, thereby reducing queues for everyone else.

Uncertainty

Managing risk for either the buyer or the seller can be monetised by selling options or contracts that lock in certain benefits. Customers may pay extra to guarantee pricing or availability, while firms might share or shift their own financial risks, improving cash flow and profit stability.

Chapter 8: Segment-Based Pricing

Segment-based pricing introduces new methods for customers to pay or use a product, broadening your reach beyond those who already buy it. Rather than changing the product itself, it alters the purchase model. Many people remain on the sidelines because the current payment structure doesn't suit them, so adjusting how you sell can activate these dormant customers. Below are ten segment-based pricing techniques that can do just that.

Interval ownership

By splitting an item or service into smaller units, you allow people with limited budgets to enjoy partial ownership without the full expense. Time-shares in holiday homes are a classic example, opening a once-exclusive asset (an entire property) to buyers who only need it for a few weeks a year.

Bundling

Combining products or services into one package can entice buyers who crave convenience or must purchase the bundle to get a desired item. This can lead people to buy goods they otherwise wouldn’t, so it both increases sales and introduces them to parts of your range they might not have tried.

Leasing

Leases make bigger-ticket purchases affordable for those who can’t manage or don’t want to commit to an outright payment. Monthly instalments, along with lower initial costs, attract new customers who value convenience, worry-free maintenance, or simply updating to the latest model more often.

Prepaid

Prepaying can suit people who want discipline over their usage or who lack sufficient credit to pay later. By requiring an upfront deposit that’s drawn down over time, you help customers avoid the anxiety of monthly bills. Prepaid mobile phone plans illustrate how this opens doors to a broader market.

Rental

Hiring an item for short stints appeals to those who need it only occasionally. Whether it’s a car for errands or a book to read while travelling, rentals reach people who would never buy the product. This approach boosts revenue from items that might otherwise sit idle.

Two-part pricing

Charging an entry fee plus per-use charges can lure more customers by lowering the initial cost while still capturing value from heavier usage. Health clubs do this with membership fees plus a usage charge, persuading marginal users to try it yet still profiting from frequent visitors.

Hurdles

Creating a condition or time-based step helps segment your audience without overt discrimination. For instance, cheaper afternoon tickets to a theme park bring in those willing to come later, while the original market continues to buy full-price admissions earlier in the day.

Payment plans

Spreading out costs can be enough to turn a tentative buyer into a paying customer. Some prefer a series of small payments that match their monthly wage cycle, and the resulting structure helps you lock in sales while attracting those who might otherwise hesitate at a lump sum.

Customised

Tailoring prices to specific users or usage patterns means you can meet the budget needs of different buyers and outflank competitors with standardised rates. By charging high-risk or higher-usage customers more, you also protect your margins while bringing in new segments at appropriate prices.

All-you-can-eat

A single fixed charge for unlimited usage has strong psychological appeal: people enjoy not having to worry about each additional use. Although a small fraction may over-consume, many find this option comforting, convenient, and worth a higher upfront cost. This approach can attract users looking for simplicity and peace of mind.

Chapter 9: Applying the Finishing Touches

The Art of Pricing

Capturing value is a central goal, but pricing is also an art that influences perceptions and conveys quality or exclusivity. Sometimes managers use a high price to declare a product’s prestige or uniqueness. In other scenarios, they might fine-tune price to spark a sense of urgency or intrigue among customers. Once you’ve done the fundamental work of discovering value-based prices, you can refine them to fit strategic aims, reputational concerns, and customers’ psychological reactions.

Strategic Reasons to Reign in Prices

Occasionally, holding prices lower than a strict value-based calculation makes sense. One reason is the publicity a lower price can generate: a “must-see” event or product can become newsworthy and spark tremendous demand. Another is to ensure you sell to the right customers, such as loyal fans, rather than risk shutting them out. Third, lower prices can encourage repeat purchases, yielding larger profit over time. Lastly, certain prices need to align with customers’ ingrained expectations—crossing key psychological thresholds (like “under £1,000”) can open entirely new market segments.

Fairness: The Four Situations Where It Matters

1. Customer Types: Different groups may interpret a price in distinct ways. People unfamiliar with value-based approaches can be alienated if prices stray too far from their personal sense of “fair.” Others, more used to markets, will accept higher prices without complaint.
2. Relationships: Regular buyers sometimes view pricing as an emotional bond rather than a purely commercial transaction. Sudden price hikes or perceived mismatches in loyalty and price can irreversibly damage goodwill with key patrons.
3. Transparency: When multiple prices become visible, people paying more might feel cheated. If you can’t keep discounts discreet, you risk upsetting full-paying customers who learn they could have paid less.
4. Essential Products with Few Substitutes: During emergencies or when goods are necessary for daily life, large price increases seem exploitative. In such settings, it may be prudent (or legally required) to keep to accepted “reference” prices and avoid long-term reputational harm.

Strategies to use price as a marking tool:

1. Use nines and zeros: End with a 9 to suggest “value” or a 0 to evoke “premium.”
2. Payments promote usage: Regular instalments remind people to make the most of what they’ve already paid for, boosting satisfaction.
3. Prestige pricing: High prices can lend products status and allure, prompting those who equate “expensive” with “best.”
4. Anchor pricing: Position a product against a more expensive model so buyers see the (slightly) lower-priced option as a bargain.
5. Quantity-suggestive pricing: Offers like “three for £2” often raise total sales more than a simple “67p each.”
6. Large vs. small losses: Framing cost as smaller chunks (monthly vs. a lump sum) can ease buyers’ pain and make them more willing to spend.
7. Stuff the bundle: Adding extras no matter how small convinces customers they’re getting tremendous value for the quoted price.
8. Create a bargain feel: Announcing discounts or deals appeals to shoppers’ love of saving money, sometimes more than the actual size of the discount might suggest.

Chapter 10: It All Starts on Monday Morning

You can begin on Monday by focusing on two immediate steps. First, build a culture of profit, where everyone understands how a seemingly small change in price can dramatically affect margins. Second, align your prices with the value people see in your product. Doing both uncovers hidden profits that are often overlooked.

Creating a Culture of Profit

Make sure staff appreciate the link between pricing and profit:

• Share basic margin data so each team member sees how a mere 1% price shift can boost overall operating profit.
• Explain how everyday activities (offering discounts, approving returns) change the bottom line.
• Encourage teams to track down little inconsistencies or errors that leak profit, and show them how plugging these holes directly improves results.

The Foundation of Pricing: Value

Remind people that price is best understood as the sum customers are willing to pay for what they get, not merely cost-plus. This principle involves reading the market through something like the “Value Decoder,” which identifies which attributes customers truly find valuable. If certain features or services aren’t valued, you might strip them away or price them separately. Conversely, any additional feature that solves a pressing need might command a higher price.

The Multi-Price Mindset

Recognise that people differ in how much they value your product, what form they need it in, and how they want to pay. Instead of chasing one “perfect price,” use three core strategies:

1. Differential Pricing

Adjust prices for different customers. Tactics can include coupons, off-peak discounts, hurdles that only price-conscious buyers will jump over, and mixed bundling.

2. Versioning

Offer good, better, and best tiers (or variations in features) so that each segment pays for exactly what it needs. This allows basic users to buy at a lower rate while fans of extra quality or service happily pay more.

3. Segment-Based Pricing

Create new ways to buy: prepaid, all-inclusive, leasing, subscriptions, or time-shares. Doing so activates dormant customers who might have wanted your product but found your original payment scheme unworkable.

What Hidden Profits Can You Uncover?

Organise a pricing summit with the right people (especially sales staff) and work through these points:

• Reaffirm how your product offers value.
• Reveal top margins, so the sales team knows which lines or versions to emphasise.
• Identify existing promotions or policies that fail to capture enough profit.
• Brainstorm differential pricing, versioning, and new payment methods to stimulate dormant buyers.
• Check for fairness or reputational worries that might constrain value-based prices.
• Consider small psychological tweaks: ending prices with “.99” or splitting large sums into manageable instalments.

Start next Monday by applying these ideas: give your team the necessary data, encourage them to spot leaks, and show them how to propose new multi-price approaches. Even a 1% net price improvement can generate double-digit profit increases—and that might be all you need to stand out as a manager who reliably delivers growth.