A note from this week: It's a values-play, not a pricing-play.
Hey Reader,
Let's cheers to 2026 🥂 Tiny email celebrations count.
Today is a short read to help you think differently, then get on with your Sunday.
Values vs Price: A Key Mindset Shift
The cost of a product or service is not its price. The cost is partly the money you exchange for it, but it's also the time you spend, the attention you give, the effort you put forth, the skills you learn, the sacrifices you make...
Recently my partner was shopping around for a homeowners warranty. Attempting to minimize time spent on this endeavor, she went with the first company she called who pulled a bait and switch: discussing one policy and then charging her card for a platinum plan double the price.
Realizing this, she called the customer service department to note the difference and two hours later was given a refund and finally the option to cancel her policy.
What a waste of an afternoon.
Then she called a second company.
The second company didn't try to sell her. She asked about various pricing tiers––there were none. She had two straightforward plans to choose from and there was no hard selling. What is this? She cupped the phone, "They're not even trying to sell me," she said.
"They won't sell it to you. They don't need to. They've got a great product. They're trustworthy, it's a values-play, not a pricing-play," I said feeling the weight of her contrasting experience.
You're either a values-driven company or a price-driven company.
How do you know the difference?
Price-driven: You compete on price. You try to make it as competitive as possible. You strive for volume and do the least you can for the highest dollar amount. You care only when it affects you.
Values-driven: You compete on results. You've got a dependable service, good-faith effort, trust, connections, a decent reputation, and care built into your culture.
There's room in the market for both, but one is a lot more memorable.
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