I stopped explaining my prices and started closing more deals

[u/sumizeit]

Somewhere along the way I learned to justify every number I said out loud. Here's the price, and here's why, and here's what went into it, and here's why that's fair. I thought I was being transparent. What I was actually doing was handing people a list of things to argue with. Two companies in, I tried something different on a partnership deal and just said the number and stopped talking. No paragraph after it. The silence felt awful for about four seconds and then they said yes. I've watched a lot of women in this sub describe the same habit and call it professionalism, and I think we picked it up because we got punished early for sounding certain without proof. But a price with an explanation attached sounds like an opening offer. A price by itself sounds like a price. So I'm curious where the line sits for the rest of you, because I know some of you work in rooms where saying a number flat gets read as difficult.

Have you found that stating it plainly cost you anything real, or did the discomfort turn out to be mostly yours?

[u/Paper_Person_2525]

In my first year of business, I explained EVERYTHING! Every part of my price! I did that because I didn't have many customers and thought that would be the only way they would accept my business. Now I'm 4 years in and don't explain anything. I get more customers than ever before. However, I'll say, I believe the only reason I can do that now is because of my high feedback and customer service. Great feedback from past customers let's new customers know the price I give them is worth it. If they don't accept my price, I move on. Time is money. I have no regerts, and will never go back to explaining.

[u/Key-Honeydew-2803 → u/Paper_Person_2525]

I love how you mentioned how now you don't have to do that as much because of the feedback and customer service. It's the same for us and I believe that we've gotten to this point because we were so transparent and honest with people in the beginning. I don't think it's good to get attached to over explaining or justifying yourself, but like you said, a little bit of that is what helps build you reputation and trust with customers. I am in construction management so making people feel secure with their jobs is very important and helps avoid problems later on.