I was in Moab, Utah on an RV trip with my kids. It was one of those adventure that feels part family bonding, part circus act. After a long day of hiking red rock trails, we wandered through a little downtown shop.

My kids immediately zeroed in on a shelf of souvenirs: T-shirts, mugs, and those snow globes that somehow end up leaking glitter all over the car by the time you get home.

What caught my eye, though, was a handcrafted wooden map of Arches National Park. The detail was stunning. It had tiny carvings showing the trails we had just walked together. I thought, This would be the perfect keepsake of this trip.

Then I glanced at the price tag: $85.

And instantly, my brain did the math. Eighty-five dollars? For a piece of wood? We could get a poster for $20.

The meaning of it got drowned out by the number.

Now imagine if the shopkeeper had stepped in and said:
“That map is made by a local craftsman who hikes these trails himself before carving them. Every piece is hand-sanded and signed, and families often tell us it becomes a centerpiece in their home because it reminds them of their trip here.”

Then told me, “It’s $85.”

Same map. Same price. But now it feels like an heirloom, not a splurge.

Anchor → Context → Price

That’s exactly how pricing in service businesses works. If you drop your number before anchoring in value, clients compare it to the wrong things (Fiverr, Upwork, or the friend who “does it cheaper”).

But if you build context and meaning first, the price has something to stand on.

Here’s the framework for sales conversations:

1. Anchor in outcomes. Talk about the transformation or result first, not the deliverables.
   
   • “This brand redesign will help your business look like the market leader you already are.”
2. Layer in context. Give clients a sense of why it matters.
   
   • “Our clients usually see not just design improvements, but faster closes because buyers trust them more.”
3. Then disclose the price. Now, the number doesn’t float in a vacuum. Now it’s tethered to meaning.
   

This isn’t manipulation. It’s clarity. Clients need to understand why something matters before they can understand what it costs.

A Small Step You Can Apply

Next time you’re on a sales call, resist the urge to lead with, “My rates are X.”

Instead, try this sequence:

• First: restate the client’s goal in your own words.
• Then: connect your work directly to that outcome.
• Finally: give your price.

Example:

• Client says they want a website.
• You say: “So what you’re really after is a site that doesn’t just look good, but actually converts visitors into leads. So that’s the outcome we’ll design for.”
• Then: “For that project, my fee is $6,500.”

Notice how different that feels from, “A website? Sure, that’ll be $6,500.”

Anchoring in value isn’t about inflating your worth. It’s about making sure the client actually sees it. Otherwise, you’re just another painting at the market, waiting to be compared to IKEA.