Pricing, marketing and selling - how does it all fit together?

Pricing, marketing and selling - how does it all fit together?

Author: The Happy Startup School October 7, 2021 Duration: 50:17

Focussing on pricing in isolation isn't going to help you get customers.

If you don't align how you price with how you market you can waste a lot of time selling to the wrong people.

On this episode we talk about how pricing, marketing and selling can fit together and why that's important.

Here's a summary of the points that we cover:

  • pricing well is only one component of getting people to buy from you
  • how do you think about the journey of your customer to you?
  • how clearly do you understand who you’re selling to?
  • don’t waste time selling to skeptics
  • sell to the converted and reserve your energy for the people who are aligned
  • talk about the good feelings and solutions people are looking for not only when you sell but also when you market
  • connect the what of what you do to the good feelings and solutions
  • don’t try to persuade people to do things they don’t want to do
  • understand your customer through dialogue (through useful conversations on social media)
  • selling isn’t a battle of wills with a single winner
  • selling isn’t about needing to be liked
  • recognise that it doesn’t matter how good at selling you are if the person isn’t ready to buy
  • selling to the right people is key to running an effortless business
  • how does our relationship and need for money influence our interaction with customers?
  • the extent we feel the need for money can undermine how we talk about the value of what we do
  • how can the exchange of money be a sign of a commitment to the outcome?
  • always price from the outside in as the most important person in the conversation is the customer and their perspective
  • pricing well is about having a choice about whether you want to work with a customer or not
  • how do some businesses sell the same thing for so much more?
  • timing and context can have an influence on the value of the same product or service
  • value is subjective and when someone buys something from you there are many motivations that influence whether they buy
  • price is an important signal that links to an emotional driver in the buyer
  • how does the love for your work influence its perceived value
  • how do you make sure that you’re not over-pricing or short changing yourself?
  • don’t let your customers benchmark your prices
  • invest your time in understanding your customers motivations to help you define value
  • the lower limit is define by what you need to live the life you want to live
  • most people are worth more than they think and their customers will agree


For freelancers and founders who believe their work has genuine purpose, the conversation around money can feel like the most awkward part of the job. The Happy Pricing Podcast, from The Happy Startup School, steps directly into that discomfort. It operates from a simple, radical premise: pricing shouldn't be a silent calculation of fear or greed, but a clear, confident dialogue about shared value. This isn't about racing to the bottom to please clients or inflating rates to exploit them. Instead, each episode focuses on building the practical capability to have those necessary, often avoided, financial conversations. You'll hear real strategies for articulating your worth in a way that feels authentic, ensuring the exchange is equitable and that you are properly compensated for the impact you create. The discussions move beyond theory into the nuanced reality of running a purpose-driven business, exploring how to structure fees, negotiate with clarity, and ultimately create arrangements where both you and your clients feel good about the investment. Tuning into this podcast means re-framing pricing from a transactional headache into a core component of your professional integrity and happiness. It's for those ready to move past anxiety and into a practice where everyone truly shares in the value being delivered.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 75

The Happy Pricing Podcast
Podcast Episodes
How to price a retreat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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In November Matthew Matheson is hosting a retreat to help people re-connect with their authentic selves.It's an idea that he developed during his time on the Vision 20/20 program.Carlos and Ben talk with Matthew about th…
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Ben and Carlos try to interpret an email from Seth Godin to see how it relates to pricing and selling.How do we help our customers make a decision (to buy from us)? And how do we do that with integrity and not feel slimy…
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Beccie D'Cuhna is the founder of CourageLab and empowers leaders and teams to have courageous conversations, through mediation, training and coaching.She took part in our first Happy Pricing course and says her business…
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Jim Ralley helps with the design and strategy of learning experiences for NGOs, governments and corporate clients. Last year he tried to find the right balance between work, parenting and time for himself… and failed.Thi…
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Duration: 52:56
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"I'm nearly doubling my prices" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:33
If you want to increase your prices, it has to start with an understanding of your value. Not just the mechanical tasks you perform, but the trust, familiarity, and unique value you bring to your clients. This can lead t…
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Duration: 24:05
Being polarising in your pricing and your offering is way more impactful than trying to appeal to the masses. But it means being clear about who you want to work with and focusing tightly on them.This not only helps attr…
Selling what you do differently [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:02
Changing the way you present your product can greatly affect how people see its value and price. When you’re faced with a sticky patch, lowering prices or costs might not be the right thing to do. So instead, what might…
How do you sell a book for €560? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:03
Pricing expertise is not determined by traditional models. It’s about understanding the value and aligning incentives with the customer. By challenging conventional pricing logic and considering factors like value and sk…