Don’t say “expensive “!
Are you letting your own wallet dictate what you think your clients can spend? Do you know the difference between something being “expensive” and something delivering real value? In this episode, I challenge the way we talk about pricing and explain why “expensive” isn’t about the dollar amount but about whether the value matches the investment. Could changing your mindset around this unlock new possibilities for your business and sales?
Listen to this new 7-minute episode for a fresh perspective on pricing, priorities and how to confidently ask what you’re worth.
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View the full transcript on Alan’s site: https://alanberg.com/blog/
Summary
In this episode, I dive into the real meaning of the word “expensive” and challenge the way we use it in the wedding business. The conversation focused on how “expensive” is not about the amount of money someone spends but about the value and return on investment they feel they receive. I explore situations where clients spend more than they expected but are thrilled with the results, explaining that in those moments, the experience wasn’t actually expensive, even if it represented a higher outlay than they anticipated. A key theme that emerged was the importance of understanding priorities. People put their money where their priorities are, and what seems like a high price to one person may not feel the same to another based on what matters most to them.
The discussion explored common struggles faced by wedding professionals, especially when it comes to raising their prices. Several points were raised, including that viewing your own service as “expensive” can actually hold you back and make you hesitant to increase your rates. Selling based on your own wallet rather than focusing on your client’s priorities and perceived value limits your growth. I share stories from my own experience in the industry, highlighting how overcoming my own limiting beliefs about pricing and value allowed me to confidently charge more and deliver even better results. Ultimately, the message is clear: erase the word “expensive” from your vocabulary, focus on the value created, and trust that clients who see that value will be happy with their investment.
Don’t say expensive. Listen to this episode. See where I’m going with this. Hey, it’s Alan Berg. Welcome back to another episode of the Wedding Business Solutions Podcast. I was at an event speaking at an event just the other day, and I heard somebody talking about one of the sponsors and saying that their particular things they were selling were expensive. And I said, you can’t say that. You can’t say that unless you’re the buyer.
And even when you’re the buyer, you can’t say that unless you got good value for the money that you spent. See, there’s a difference between spending a higher amount and something being expensive. Because if you’re getting your money’s worth, if you’re getting value from it, then it’s not expensive. And I hear people all the time will tell me, you know, somebody spent more than they wanted with me and they gave us a 5-star raving review and they say, well, it was expensive, but you know, we got—everybody loved it, it was fantastic, was all that. Well, then it wasn’t expensive. Yeah, was it a lot of money? Maybe. Yeah. Was it more money than they’ve ever spent on something like that? Probably.
Was it more than they wanted to spend on it originally? Possibly. Maybe. Likely, right? But what makes something expensive is not the amount of money you spend, it’s the value that you get back, your ROI, your return on investment, right? If you spend $50 on an ad in your local school bulletin and you get nothing from it, that was expensive because you don’t have that $50 to spend anywhere else, right? Now, there’s also the intangible. You spend $50 to support the school, there you go. So you could have just given, donated the money to the PTA or whatever. You placed the ad, you weren’t expecting anything back. That’s fine, right? Then it wasn’t expensive. But, you know, somebody that buys a $5 million house, you know, who can afford that and loves the house and the family grows up in it, wonderful.
Well, that’s not expensive. Now, to somebody else who can’t afford $5 million house, then it seems expensive, right? It is a lot of money. But again, there’s a difference between something being a high amount of money and something being expensive. Because it really comes down to, besides the ROI, it comes down to priorities. Because we put our money where our priorities are. Now, if you don’t have a lot of money, your priorities are food on the table, roof over your head, clothes living to where, that’s absolutely. We get past that point and now you spend your money on priorities. And some people taking a vacation is a priority and they will put that money towards that.
They might even spend out of proportion to their income for their activities because that’s important to them. It doesn’t make it expensive. Again, it’s, it maybe it’s more than someone like them would typically spend, but if they loved it, if they had a great time, it’s not expensive. And you have to change your mentality because if you think things are expensive and you, then you’ll have a hard time raising your price. And this is what I found over the years. I’m not going to say this is 100%, but I found it a lot of the time. Most of the time when people start using the word expensive, they have trouble raising their rates much higher than they are currently because that’s in their head. Oh, we’re going to be too expensive.
It’s not your wallet. When I do sales training, whether it’s one-on-one, whether it’s on Zoom, whether it’s in person, one of the things I’m almost always asked to teach is don’t sell with your wallet. You know, there are a lot of people that get into the industry a little bit younger, and if you’re trying to sell something that you’ve never bought before, right? So whether it’s an officiant or flowers or a dress or a band or a DJ or a photographer or videographer or any of the things that go with a wedding, especially venues and catering, right? They’ve never spent money like that before. So when you’re trying to sell that, especially let’s say you’re at a higher end, let’s say at a venue, and the average wedding in New York City is, what is it, it’s over $80,000. And if you’ve never spent that kind of money on an event, right, and probably if you’re really young, you might never have spent 5 figures on anything, you know, maybe a car, but other than that, no, certainly not an experience. So really, you, it’s hard for you to say, well, that’s going to be $80,000, right? Mind you, that’s the average wedding, which means a lot of them are higher and some of them are lower for sure, right? So I found this a lot where they love the product, you selling your product, you selling on the results and people love it. And when it comes time to asking, there’s a trepidation because you’re like, oh, can I tell them it’s going to be $34,000? Can I tell them it’s going to be $900? Can I tell them it’s going to be $6,000? Because to them it seems like a lot of money. And that it’s expensive is in your head, but it’s not your judgment.
And if you don’t believe me, just go, go to a parking lot, look at the cars. Cheap cars, old cars, new cars, fancy cars, not fancy cars, beat-up cars, cars where the paint is peeling, cars that are shining so you need your sunglasses, they’re so clean and shiny, right? Comes down to priorities. I’ve spoken about this before. The only reason I’m driving a 2024 vehicle is because my—the one I had before, which I loved and low mileage, but it needed too much work and I couldn’t put the work into it. I could have afforded a new car before that. I just didn’t want one. I loved my car. I used to joke that my—actually, it wasn’t a joke.
My favorite feature is it was paid off, right? That was the feature that I loved. That’s with my wife’s car. She doesn’t want a new car. She loves her car and it’s paid off, right? So why would we get another one? So it’s priorities. It’s not affordability. Right. She can afford a new car. She just doesn’t want one or need one.
So you can’t go by that. You go by priorities. And if somebody’s priority is to spend, you know, out of proportion of their budget for their wedding with you, don’t be afraid to ask. Don’t be afraid to ask. I’ve told the story, variations of it before, but, you know, long story short, in 2013, a friend of mine, we were talking about what we were charging then and could we ever get, you know, this next number and you know, I charge double that next number now. The number that I wasn’t sure I could ever get, I charge double that now. And I’m not afraid to ask that number because I know that I’m providing value. And if you don’t see that value, then you’re not going to hire me.
And if you do, you can say it’s expensive, but if you’re getting the value back and if your people are selling more and you made your money back and then some, then it wasn’t expensive. That’s it. So try to erase that number from your head, even when you’re the customer. If you want something, right? And you can afford that thing and you love it when you have it, you’re getting utility from it, whether it’s tangible or intangible, it wasn’t expensive. Yes, it might have been a lot of money. Yes, it might have been more than you’ve ever spent on something like that before, but that doesn’t make it expensive. What makes it expensive is if you’re not getting utility, if you’re not using it, if, if it, if it breaks soon or whatever, okay, now you can say it was expensive. Otherwise, save that word, put it away, try to never take it out, actually.
Well, thanks for listening.
I’m Alan Berg. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions about this or if you’d like to suggest other topics for “The Wedding Business Solutions Podcast” please let me know. My email is [email protected] or you can text, use the short form on this page, or call +1.732.422.6362, international 001 732 422 6362. I look forward to seeing you on the next episode. Thanks.
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Question
What’s the difference between “expensive” and “a lot of money”?
Tags:
#pricing #mindset #value
Answer
Expensive isn’t about the dollar amount—it’s about value for your money. If you get real value, it’s not expensive, even if it’s more than you’ve spent before. Only call something expensive if you didn’t get your money’s worth.
Takeaway: Expensive means poor value, not simply high price.
Question
How can my own mindset limit price increases?
Tags:
#mindset #pricing #selfbelief
Answer
If you think your product is expensive, you’ll hesitate to raise prices. The belief that “it’s too much” gets stuck in your head, making it hard to ask for more—even when you offer real value.
Takeaway: Your beliefs about price shape what you charge.
Question
Why should I avoid using the word “expensive” in sales?
Tags:
#sales #pricing #language
Answer
Saying “expensive” makes it sound like the service isn’t worth it. That word’s a value judgment only the buyer can make. Stick to facts and focus on what the client gets, not how much it costs.
Takeaway: Talk about value, never call your own work expensive.
Question
If a client says something was expensive but loved it, what does that mean?
Tags:
#clientexperience #value #reviews
Answer
If your client spent more than they thought and still raves about it, it wasn’t expensive—it was worth it. The positive outcome proves the value outweighed the cost.
Takeaway: Happy clients prove the price was right.
Question
How do priorities impact what people spend on weddings?
Tags:
#priorities #spending #weddings
Answer
People always spend on what matters most to them. Some stretch their budget for things they love—like weddings or vacations—because those are priorities, not luxuries.
Takeaway: People find money for what matters most.
Question
What’s the real reason people say something is expensive?
Tags:
#mindset #sales #value
Answer
It’s not about the amount spent—it’s about value received. Something only feels expensive if you didn’t get what you hoped for. Deliver real results, and clients won’t see your price as expensive.
Takeaway: Value erases the sting of price.
Question
Why is it risky to sell with your own wallet in mind?
Tags:
#sales #psychology #mindset
Answer
Don’t project your own spending habits onto clients. If you’d never spend that much, you might hold back from quoting confidently. Your clients have different priorities and budgets than you.
Takeaway: Your wallet isn’t your client’s wallet.
Question
How do you overcome fear of quoting high prices?
Tags:
#pricing #confidence #sales
Answer
Confidence comes from believing in your value. If you’re scared to say your price, remember you’re selling outcomes, not just numbers. People pay when they see it’s worth it.
Takeaway: Stand tall behind your value.
Question
Can spending more ever be justified if the budget is tight?
Tags:
#budgeting #value #sales
Answer
Absolutely. If something aligns with someone’s priorities, they may spend beyond what makes sense on paper. Value and desire, not just budget, drive decisions.
Takeaway: Budgets bend for real priorities.
Question
How do you turn a high price into a selling point?
Tags:
#sales #value #pricing
Answer
Focus on what the client gets, not what they pay. When you show how your service accomplishes what they want, the conversation becomes about value, not dollars.
Takeaway: Make your price about results, not resistance.
Question
When is something you buy truly “expensive”?
Tags:
#value #purchasing #ROI
Answer
Something’s expensive only if you don’t use it, don’t love it, or it doesn’t deliver value. A higher price that delivers what you want is never expensive.
Takeaway: Usefulness, not price, defines expensive.
Question
How can I ask for more money with confidence?
Tags:
#pricing #confidence #sales
Answer
Know your results and believe in your offer. If what you deliver creates impact for the client, don’t apologize for your rate. The right people will see the value and happily pay.
Takeaway: Price up, pride up.
Question
What’s a warning sign you’re about to undercharge?
Tags:
#pricing #mindset #salesmistakes
Answer
If you ever hesitate or feel guilty about quoting your price, check your beliefs. That hesitation usually means you doubt your value or worry about seeming expensive.
Takeaway: Second thoughts signal it’s time to raise your rates.
Question
Why shouldn’t you assume clients can’t afford your service?
Tags:
#sales #assumptions #mindset
Answer
You can’t judge a client’s priorities or spending power by your own standards. Never decide for them—let them say yes or no based on what matters to them.
Takeaway: Never spend clients’ money for them in your head.
Question
How does supporting a cause affect perceived value?
Tags:
#value #ROI #decisionmaking
Answer
If you buy an ad purely to support the local school and expect nothing in return, that expense isn’t really about ROI. The value comes from supporting a cause, not from results.
Takeaway: Intent shapes value, not just outcomes.
Question
How can I shift from price to priorities in my sales pitch?
Tags:
#sales #priorities #messaging
Answer
Talk about what matters most to your clients. If your service is part of their top priorities, they’ll find the budget. Connect your offer to what they care about, not just what it costs.
Takeaway: Sell to priorities, not just budgets.
Question
Why do some people spend beyond what seems reasonable?
Tags:
#consumerbehavior #spending #psychology
Answer
People pour money into what they truly care about, even if it’s “too much” by someone else’s standards. Passion and priorities override logic sometimes.
Takeaway: Emotional value trumps logic in big purchases.
Question
What if the client doesn’t see the value in my offer?
Tags:
#sales #value #pricingobjections
Answer
If someone can’t see your value, let them walk away. You want clients who get excited about your results, not those who just see a price tag.
Takeaway: Not every client is your client.
Question
How does language influence my confidence in quoting prices?
Tags:
#sales #language #confidence
Answer
Words matter. If you call your service expensive—even in your head—you’ll struggle to pitch with confidence. Say “it’s valuable” instead.
Takeaway: Change your words, change your sales game.
Question
How do you measure if something was worth the price?
Tags:
#value #evaluation #ROI
Answer
Judge price by the return you get, not the number itself. If you’re happy with the outcome, it was worth it. Regret shows up only when value is missing.
Takeaway: Satisfaction proves real value.
