Value-Add, Don't Discount
Protect your price by increasing perceived value instead of matching competitors
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 96%
When a prospect points to a cheaper competitor, resist immediately matching the lower price. First determine whether the comparison is truly equivalent, then identify benefits that distinguish your delivery, reliability, access, or customer experience. If more reassurance is needed, add something valuable that costs relatively little to provide, such as extra coverage, a preparation resource, or a short follow-up session. The mechanism preserves the price anchor while changing the buyer's comparison from cost alone to total value received. The enhancement must still be equitable: it should make the customer feel better served without creating excessive labor, hidden losses, or an unsustainable precedent for future clients.
Origin
Extracted from The Jasmine Star Show through Jasmine Star's photography and speaking negotiations, where she added coverage, preparation, or access rather than matching cheaper competitors.
Core principles
- 01Compete on value rather than price
- 02Preserve the economics that make the offer sustainable
- 03Add benefits that matter to the buyer but remain economical to deliver
- 04Make both parties feel recognized in the agreement
How to run it
- 1
Inspect the comparison
Ask what the competing price includes and determine whether the offers are genuinely comparable. Separate a simple price objection from a meaningful gap in value.
Pro tip Compare scope, reliability, experience, access, and outcomes—not just headline deliverables.
Watch out Do not assume a cheaper offer is identical without examining its terms.
- 2
Surface existing differentiation
Explain the valuable elements already built into your offer, especially those that reduce risk or improve the customer experience.
Pro tip Translate credentials and processes into concrete benefits the buyer will experience.
Watch out Avoid relying on credentials that do not matter to the buyer's decision.
- 3
Select an economical value add
Choose an enhancement that feels meaningful to the customer but does not materially damage your margin or capacity.
Pro tip Favor scalable resources, limited extra access, or small extensions of existing work.
Watch out Do not add so much labor that the unchanged price becomes a disguised discount.
- 4
Reframe the proposal
Keep the core price intact and present the enhanced package as a stronger total-value decision. Explain how the addition addresses the prospect's concern.
Pro tip Connect the enhancement directly to the buyer's desired outcome.
Watch out Do not sound defensive or criticize the competitor.
- 5
Check equity
Confirm that the customer receives a compelling improvement and that the business still earns an acceptable return.
Pro tip Estimate the actual delivery cost before making the revised offer.
Watch out Avoid creating custom additions that cannot be fulfilled consistently.
In the wild
A prospective bride compared Jasmine's eight-hour photography collection with another photographer charging $5,000 less. Rather than matching the price, Jasmine offered an additional hour or two of coverage and emphasized the reliability of working with the same experienced second shooter, her husband.
→ The proposal shifted the decision from an apples-to-apples price comparison to differences in coverage, consistency, and trust.
When an event compared Jasmine's speaking fee with a cheaper speaker, she preserved her fee and offered an additional prerecorded training, Q&A session, or panel appearance.
→ The organizer could receive greater attendee value without Jasmine positioning herself as a bargain speaker.
Common mistakes
Matching the competitor immediately
Dropping the price before examining the offers trains buyers to negotiate and may erase the profit required to deliver well.
Adding expensive custom work
An enhancement that consumes substantial time or resources can become a discount under another name.
Describing features without buyer value
Credentials and extras are ineffective unless the prospect understands how they improve the outcome or reduce risk.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for service providers and premium sellers facing direct price comparisons or discount requests.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal when the offer is already unprofitable or the buyer cares exclusively about obtaining the lowest price.
From the transcript
“I didn't lower my price, I didn't compete on price. I simply came back with a different value offering.”
“I didn't compete on price and I didn't lower it, but I said I might be able to do a little extra to ensure that…”
From the episode
How to Price Your Offer to Increase Sales