48 | Pricing Land Mines
I took our two older kids to the movies for the first time. We ate more popcorn and drank more Sprite than we ever would at home. We experienced the magic of watching a movie in a theater. We took a picture beside the cut outs in the lobby. We had a shared experience that all three of us added to our memory buckets.
It doesn't really matter if the popcorn was $5 or $15 or $30 of the $45 that we spent for the experience.
The funny thing is that it's easier to say that than it can be to actually feel that way.
It's all too easy to focus on the specific price because it's easy to measure, while appreciating the general value is harder because it's impossible to measure.
Movies aren't the only place it's easy to get stuck on the price. There are little "pricing land mines" everywhere that can ruin an experience if we don't maneuver around them or disarm them ASAP.
A professional sporting event costs $20 to get in and sells a beer for $15. How different would it feel if you paid $35 at the door and received a free beer ticket?
An online retail item costs $70 and then on the next screen you realize that shipping costs another $10. How different would it feel if the list price was $80 and there was free shipping?
A hotel costs $300 for a night and then charges $30 for self-parking on-site. How different would it feel if the room cost $330 and the parking was complimentary?
It's hard to recognize when you might step on a "pricing land mine" until it has already exploded.
A few ways to navigate them are...
Observing how often you or someone you're around talks about the specific price of things - notice whether it emphasizes the price or the value received.
Zooming out and describing the experience as a whole instead of the individual components. Name the value of the things that you're getting - they're not always obvious and they are different for everyone.
Acknowledging that the "whats" are much easier to discuss than the "whys", but the "whys" are what actually drive contentment. Name the "whys" behind the decision to spend in the first place.
Remembering that someone else's price doesn't have to change your experience.
