How do you set a price correctly?

What we repeatedly notice in our negotiation trainings at Maevo: price is often treated as a calculation question, although it is a question of impact. Right there, it is decided whether an offer seems interchangeable or can be clearly justified. If you align price cleanly to the value, you negotiate not defensively, but more stably.

Why is the correct price logic more important than market comparison?

The most common mistake is to orient oneself to other prices: “What do others charge?” That sounds reasonable, but makes offers comparable and pushes the price down. In practice, this often reduces your own room for maneuver, because the customer only places numbers side by side instead of seeing the difference in the outcome.

How do you justify a price through the benefit?

The core of value-based pricing is simple: the price follows the achieved benefit, not the invested time. A coach who increases a CEO’s productivity by 30 percent can be worth about 5,000 CHF for a two-hour session. That is why the duration of the service is not decisive, but the result that comes from it.

The best price is always the one that reflects the value of your offer, not just your effort or the time you invest.

What steps help with pricing in practice?

1. Define 2 to 3 packages first, for example Basic, Standard, and Premium.
2. Place a high-priced package at the beginning so that the middle offer appears more attractive.
3. Use price anchors so the value of the middle package is clearer.
4. Frame the price as the counterpart of a result, not as a billing of time.
5. Use odd prices when the impression of care and calculation helps.

Why do odd prices often seem more convincing?

Odd prices like 1,490 CHF, 2,740 CHF, or 4,980 CHF are often perceived as well thought-out and calculated. This is not a trick, but a signal: the price does not appear random but well derived. Contrary to the belief that only round amounts seem serious, a more precise price can even strengthen the argument.

What mistakes lead to price pressure in negotiations?

The greatest damage does not come from a single price that is too low, but from weak logic behind it. Going into price negotiations without a clear package structure only responds to objections. If you also name your own effort as the main justification, you shift the conversation away from value toward defending your time.

Therefore, the cleaner path is: first define the value, then organize the service into clear packages, and only then talk about the price. This keeps the negotiation understandable, and the customer can better distinguish between cheap, appropriate, and high-quality. This is precisely the point in many conversations where the price suddenly becomes plausible.

When is self-help enough, and when is a pro needed?

If you have a simple offer and can clearly name the benefit, the price structure can often be sharpened internally. It becomes complex when several services come together, when you regularly have to fight against objections, or when your price has so far been justified mostly by time. Then an external look at the price logic, the offer structure, and the negotiation itself is worthwhile.

Frequently asked questions

For Maevo, the decisive point is always the same: a price must be sustainable before it is negotiable. Those who quantify the benefit clearly, build packages cleanly, and foreground the result have much more footing in price negotiations. That is precisely where a price starts that you not only name but also defend.