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Wake up.
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It's you against the world. And if you want to win, we need to get a few things straight. Your business is a mental war. Your success is a mental war. And making money is a game. And the game of money starts in your mind. This podcast exists to help you weaponize your brain through advanced marketing mindset and money concepts. To have what others don't, you need to know what others won't.
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Welcome to the War Plan podcast.
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Hey, my friend. Welcome to the War Plan podcast. Josh here. So yesterday I went on a date with my wife. We do almost every single Saturday, sometimes during the week, too. And we ate at this nice restaurant. And then across the street was this little shoe store called Golden Goose. And a lot of ladies love Golden Goose, Basically super expensive shoes. But what's fascinating about Golden Goose shoes is that they're beat up. You know, remember back in the day when they started selling blue jeans that had holes in them? And then all the old people would be like, that's ridiculous. Why would you pay even more money for jeans with a hole in them? Right? But people just kept doing it. That's what these shoes are like. And it's so interesting because there's like scuffs all over them and tears and rips. It almost looks like dirt, dirt smeared on them. And they cost, you know, hundreds of dollars for the cheap ones and thousands of dollars for the expensive ones. And Ashley has, I don't know, a few pairs of Golden Gooses. We didn't buy any on our date. However, I told her, I said, I have to talk about this in our podcast because I had also recently watched a short clip from Rory Sutherland, who's one of my most favorite people to study from, and he was talking about how pricing is a feeling. Pricing is not a number. Pricing is a feeling. He told the story of a coffee maker, this manufacturer that made this machine that made coffee, and they had a new model. They had some breakthroughs in technology, they had a reduction in cost, and their new model had more features than their old model. So they released it into stores and no one bought it because they were able to price it at the same price as the original model. And logically speaking, if you're sitting in a room with a bunch of Harvard MBAs or 25 year olds in suits that think that they're smart, no one's going to argue with you if you say, let's give even more features, lower the price. It's a slam dunk. It's A home run, right? If you could find a way to wash someone's house for $100 instead of $1,000 and it was still profitable for you, somehow, that could be good. But what you got to remember is that pricing is part of your brand. Pricing is part of the feeling that's with something. I think the reason it's so hard for local business owners to understand this is because in most cases, you are not your customer. I'm publishing this week as well a podcast with Tommy Mello. And Tommy has a garage door company. You should listen to it. It's powerful. He gets emotional a couple times, talks about family. And Tommy built this company from nothing, and he's cashed out hundreds of millions already because he sold a majority stake of his company to private equity. Like, he's got a lot of money, and this is a big deal. And part of what I asked him in the podcast was, how did it change you? Are you different now? What was it like getting a wire transfer for nine figures? And he started telling me how the first thing he did was bless all these people that helped him on his way. Then he started talking about how he's building this McMansion mega dream house thing. But the reason he's doing it is he said, josh, I'm buying experiences. I'm buying experiences. And that's the key takeaway is your price when it's appropriately accounted for. But it's also associated with an above average experience. And there's lots of little things that are different. All of those things together create a feeling. So here's my challenge for you in this short podcast episode is what feeling is created in your customers when they buy from you. And if you are operating your business right now solely as a transaction and nothing more, it's going to be very difficult for you to get premium prices, to get unstuck, really, to even grow your business, because you're just. You're a commodity. You know, when they trade pork bellies, no one really cares what the story is of the farm that the pork belly came from. It's just how many pork bellies are there available and how much demand is there. That's the price. That's it. But when you think about a service company or a local business, it's way more elastic. You do not have to be like a. Be a commodity. Homeowners don't know what things are supposed to cost. They only know what they feel like as they interact with your business. They also only know what they feel like based on, you know, doing business with you so they have an idea of what they feel like before they make the decision to hire you. And then they hire you and you're creating feelings while you're working with them. And then afterwards they have more feelings. Right? So pricing is a feeling. Pricing is not based on logic. It's not based on reason. It's not based on how long the job took you. It's based on what your customer thinks that it's worth. It's based on the feeling that they experience. And if that's hard for you, start testing it because you are not your customer. And people value really weird things. I think it's kind of crazy to spend a thousand dollars on beat up golden goose shoes, right? But the people that buy them, and there's lots of them, you have two choices. Number one, tell yourself a false story that they're all idiots and that's unreasonable. Or number two, understand what's going on with the behavioral psychology of humans because you do the exact same thing in other areas of your life. Shoes might not be your thing, but there's some irrational purchases that everyone makes. I hear people complain. Bill gates had a $50 million house. That's outrageous. And yet the same person that's complaining has a $30,000 car, but they only make 30,000 doll. Who did the unreasonable thing? You see pricing and purchases and commerce. It's psychological, it's emotional, it's all of these things. So you probably need to raise your price yesterday. Go ahead and get that done. That'd be great, right? And if you're struggling with it, just remember it's not a permanent choice. Raise your prices on the next 10 customers and see what happens. But don't just raise the prices. Enhance the experience or the feelings that your business creates along with the price increase. And just have fun with it and experiment because it's the number one thing that you can do to put more money in your pocket. That's it. I hope that was encouraging. Take care. God bless.
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The WarPlan Podcast: Episode Summary
Title: Your Price is NOT a Number
Host: Joshua Latimer
Release Date: October 14, 2024
In the latest episode of The WarPlan Podcast, host Joshua Latimer delves deep into the psychology of pricing, challenging traditional notions that price is merely a numerical value. Drawing inspiration from behavioral economics and personal anecdotes, Latimer emphasizes that pricing is fundamentally a feeling—a perception shaped by the customer's experience and emotions.
Key Insights:
Rory Sutherland’s Influence: Latimer references Rory Sutherland, a renowned behavioral economist, who posits that "Pricing is a feeling. Pricing is not a number" (00:29).
“Pricing is a feeling. Pricing is not a number.” – Rory Sutherland (00:29)
Golden Goose Example: Using the example of Golden Goose shoes, Latimer illustrates how high prices are justified not by functionality but by the brand’s cultivated image and the unique feel of the product. Despite their scuffed and torn appearance, these shoes command premium prices because they embody a specific lifestyle and emotional appeal (00:41).
The Coffee Maker Anecdote: Latimer recounts a story about a coffee maker manufacturer that failed to sell its new model despite offering more features at the same price as the original. The lack of perceived value led to poor sales, underscoring that pricing must align with customer perception and brand positioning (01:15).
Key Insights:
Brand Perception: Pricing isn't just about covering costs or reflecting product features; it's intrinsically linked to how a brand is perceived. Latimer asserts, "Pricing is part of your brand. Pricing is part of the feeling that's with something" (02:00).
Customer Relationship: Local business owners often struggle with pricing because they treat transactions purely logically, forgetting that customers buy based on emotions and perceptions (03:30).
Key Insights:
Building Through Emotions: Latimer discusses an upcoming podcast with Tommy Mello, a successful garage door company owner who emphasizes "buying experiences" over material possessions (04:45).
“I’m buying experiences.” – Tommy Mello (05:10)
Impact of Pricing on Experience: Mello’s approach demonstrates that when pricing accounts for not just the service but the overall customer experience, it reinforces the perceived value, allowing for premium pricing.
Key Insights:
Behavioral Patterns: Latimer highlights that pricing and purchasing are deeply psychological. He draws parallels between high-priced items like Golden Goose shoes and seemingly irrational purchases, pointing out that individuals often make decisions based on emotions rather than logic (06:15).
Customer Emotions: Customers form an impression and emotional connection before and during their interaction with a business. These feelings heavily influence their willingness to pay premium prices (06:45).
Practical Challenge: Latimer challenges listeners to evaluate the emotions their business evokes in customers. If a business operates solely on transactions without fostering positive feelings, it risks becoming a commodity, making it difficult to justify higher prices (06:55).
Key Insights:
Raise Prices with Enhanced Value: Latimer encourages business owners to experiment with price increases, but not in isolation. He advises enhancing the customer experience to match the new pricing, ensuring that customers perceive added value (07:30).
“Raise your prices on the next 10 customers and see what happens. But don’t just raise the prices. Enhance the experience or the feelings that your business creates along with the price increase.” – Joshua Latimer (07:15)
Testing and Experimentation: Emphasizing flexibility, Latimer suggests that pricing adjustments are not permanent and should be tested to gauge customer reactions and refine the approach accordingly (07:45).
Joshua Latimer's episode underscores the critical importance of viewing pricing through the lens of customer psychology rather than mere numbers. By aligning prices with the emotions and experiences they evoke, businesses can differentiate themselves, justify premium pricing, and cultivate stronger customer relationships. The episode serves as a compelling reminder that in the "mental war" of business success, understanding the psychological underpinnings of pricing can be a decisive advantage.
This episode is a must-listen for entrepreneurs and business owners seeking to elevate their pricing strategies beyond conventional methods. By embracing the emotional aspect of pricing, as advocated by Latimer, businesses can unlock new avenues for growth and profitability.
For more insights and actionable strategies, tune into The WarPlan Podcast and join Joshua Latimer in weaponizing your brain for business success.