Next Level Pros – Episode Summary

Episode Title: How to Stand Out and Sell Without Competing on Price
Host: Chris Lee
Date: December 11, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode of Next Level Pros, host Chris Lee delves into a topic that plagues many business owners: why so many struggle to grow, and why competing on price is a losing strategy. Chris unpacks how crafting a compelling offer—one that communicates clear value and transformation—leads to higher close rates, effective marketing, and customers who focus on solutions instead of prices. Drawing from years of experience with home service businesses, Chris shares practical frameworks to help entrepreneurs reposition their offers and stand out from the crowd.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Most Business Owners Struggle to Grow

• Main Issue: Most can't clearly and succinctly explain their offer—what problem they solve, for whom, and why they’re the best option.
• Quote:

  “If you can't tell me fast what problem you solve, who you solve it for, and why you’re the best option, you don't have an offer, you just have a service. And services don’t scale. Offers do.” — Chris Lee [00:08]

• Selling what you do (the technical features) isn't enough; you must sell why it matters to the customer.

2. The Offer as Your Position

• The Offer Framework:
  Chris breaks every powerful offer into three primary components:
  • Hook: The pain or problem you’re solving.
  • Story: The proof that you’ve solved this before.
  • Promise: Your clear and unique solution.
• Quote:

  “Your offer is not your product, it’s your position.” — Chris Lee [00:31]

3. Break Down: How to Build a Magnetic Offer

a. The Hook

• Speak to pains your customer actually feels, using their language—not technical jargon.
• Examples:
  • “Are you tired of your power bill climbing every month?”
  • “Did that last hailstorm wreck your roof?”
  • “Does your house still feel hot upstairs even when the AC never shuts off?”
• Assignment:

  “Write down five pains your customer actually feels in. In their words, not technical ones.” — Chris Lee [01:07]

• Hooks should start with relatable phrases like:
  • “I'm tired of...”
  • “I'm worried that...”
  • “It drives me crazy when...”

b. The Story

• Use narrative to make the pain real and establish empathy ("I've been there") and authority ("I've solved this before")—not just reciting features.
• Example Story:
  • “Bill and Mary were in the exact same spot. They were frustrated with high energy bills and a roof that kept leaking. We stepped in, handled everything with the insurance, and in just two days they were dry, protected, and stress free.” — Chris Lee [01:41]
• Quote:

  “People connect through narrative, not features... Stories keep people listening long enough to care about your offer.” — Chris Lee [01:57]

c. The Promise

• Clearly state how you solve the problem—boldly, confidently, and without relying on discounts or gimmicks.
• Example:

  “Our promise: We handle everything from inspection, paperwork, install, start to finish. No headaches, no runaround, no waiting weeks for results. We are definitely not the cheapest in town because we refuse to cut corners on your greatest investment. But what we are is the fastest and cleanest in the market, and we guarantee the work for life.” — Chris Lee [02:31]

• Avoid: Discounts, coupons, limited-time offers.
• Focus on: Outcome, peace of mind, why you’re the obvious (not cheapest) choice.
• Quote:

  “A real offer isn’t a markdown. It’s a clear, confident promise that removes pain faster and better than anyone else.” — Chris Lee [03:00]

4. The Common Mistake: Selling Features, Not Outcomes

• Early in his journey, Chris made the mistake of focusing pitches on features (“We use premium materials. We install in one day,” etc.).
• Transformative Reframe:
  • From “We install in one day” to “The problem is gone in 24 hours.”
  • From “We use premium materials” to “You’ll never have to replace this ever again.”
• Quote:

  “Same product, same different message. Completely different results.” — Chris Lee [03:32]

5. Defining a Real Offer vs. a Coupon

• Misconception: Most owners think an offer is just a discount (“$500 off, zero down, free quote”).
• Truth:

  “A real offer is a promise of transformation. It says, here’s the pain that you’re living with, here’s how we’re going to make it disappear. That’s what customers are paying for—not the product, not the process, the peace of mind that comes after that.” — Chris Lee [03:54]

6. Practical Assignment for Listeners

• Steps:
  1. Write five pains in your customers' own words.
  2. Write a story illustrating how you solved that pain for a real customer.
  3. Write an offer—make it a simple, confident promise that highlights your difference.
  4. Practice your pitch aloud until it feels natural and conversational (not corporate).
• Final Test:

  “If it sounds like how you'd talk at a backyard barbecue, you’ve nailed it.” — Chris Lee [04:27]

7. Closing Wisdom and Call to Action

• If you can’t sell your offer in 60 seconds, neither can your team; if your team can’t, you don’t have a business, just a job.
• “In business, the company that solves pain the clearest wins.” — Chris Lee [05:04]
• Listeners are encouraged to redesign their offers using the hook–story–promise formula and practice until they (and their team) can pitch confidently and clearly.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you can’t tell me fast what problem you solve, who you solve it for, and why you’re the best option, you don’t have an offer; you just have a service.” — Chris Lee [00:08]
• “Your offer is not your product, it’s your position.” — Chris Lee [00:31]
• “People connect through narrative, not features... Stories keep people listening long enough to care about your offer.” — Chris Lee [01:57]
• “A real offer isn’t a markdown. It’s a clear, confident promise that removes pain faster and better than anyone else.” — Chris Lee [03:00]
• “A real offer is a promise of transformation...that’s what customers are paying for—not the product, not the process, the peace of mind that comes after that.” — Chris Lee [03:54]
• “If it sounds like how you’d talk at a backyard barbecue, you’ve nailed it.” — Chris Lee [04:27]
• “In business, the company that solves pain the clearest wins.” — Chris Lee [05:04]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:08 – Why business owners can’t scale: lack of a clear offer
• 00:31 – What makes up a real offer (hook, story, promise)
• 01:07 – Writing effective hooks in the customer’s language
• 01:41 – Using stories to build empathy and authority
• 02:31 – Crafting a strong, clear promise instead of using discounts
• 03:32 – Reframing features as benefits/outcomes
• 03:54 – Defining a real offer versus a coupon
• 04:27 – Practice and test: Does your pitch sound conversational?
• 05:04 – Final advice and actionable takeaway

Summary

Chris Lee provides a concise, actionable roadmap for business owners looking to rise above price-based competition by restructuring their offers around genuine value and transformation. By internalizing and practicing the hook–story–promise framework, entrepreneurs can immediately make their businesses more compelling and resilient—ultimately winning by being the clearest at solving customer pain.