#014: When Revenue Isn't the Only Goal
What changing my brand colours taught me about priorities.
Happy Saturday, fellow PriceCrafter!
If you’ve been following this newsletter from the start, you may have noticed a change in my brand colours.
Initially, I landed on blue and orange after brainstorming with ChatGPT.
I asked:
“As a colour consultant, you specialise in picking brand colours for online creators to help them stand out. I’m a pricing professional with almost two decades of international experience. I want a brand colour that says professional, energetic, and fun. What would you recommend?”
ChatGPT gave me a few options, and I tested them in Canva.
After some fine-tuning, I chose blue and orange. I built my website around those colours, feeling good about the choice.
Then, one day, I jumped on Amazon to buy Moroccan oil for my hair. Boom!
The Moroccan oil bottle had the same colours.
Suddenly, every time I looked at my website, it felt… cheap.
But at that moment, I was too lazy to change it.
Then I met Anna
A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon Anna, a colour photographer whose work caught my attention.
Her photos were vibrant, fun, and full of life.
I contacted her, asking for colours that reflect the Explorer, the Sage, and the Creator.
(I’ve been learning about the 12 brand archetypes—maybe personal branding can be my part-time job!)
Together, we picked the colours you see now:
Purple: It symbolises wisdom, sophistication, and transformation. It’s often associated with the Sage archetype—insight, intelligence, and a methodical approach. Given that the pricing industry is male-dominated, we thought a tone with a feminine touch would help me stand out.
Lilac: A stylist once suggested that pastel colours best match my skin tone. Hence, this colour not only matches my wardrobe but also complements and softens the darker purple.
Orange: We added orange to inject energy and brighten the purple. It represents creativity, enthusiasm, and adventure, aligning with The Explorer and The Creator.
Ok, You can see I’m a bit obsessed with colours.
(Maybe one day, I’ll share with you the full story of how I met my colour consultant and stylist.)
But for now, let’s get to today’s topic: "Pricing not to optimise revenue.”
Working with Anna
I’ve loved working with Anna and will have her shoot new profile photos for me next month. But I'm not a big fan of her Pricing.
Anna’s Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is online creators. Her most popular package includes 2 hours of shooting and 15 edited photos.
Need more? Each additional photo costs €35.
I discovered her work through the photo she took for her client.
Sebastian, a friend who used her service, told me, “I’d use all 600 photos she took for me if I could, but she wouldn’t let me.”
Sebastian has a decent LinkedIn following. Imagine him using more of Anna’s photos—free marketing for her!
It also means she could prioritise her time doing revenue-generating activities, such as taking photos instead of creating content for marketing.
"Why limit how your clients can use your work?" I said to her.
“Provide a package with a friendlier price for bulk purchase. Outsource your editing to India," Anna wouldn't let me finish.
“No, no, no, Claire. I cannot agree," I love working with Germans—they’re so direct.
“This would devalue my work and ruin the industry. My photos need to remain exclusive, and you won't see the high-quality finish if I outsource the editing."
I completely understood her point.
She saw what I saw as a way to streamline her business as a threat to her craft.
It made me think:
Is there always a ‘best approach’ to pricing?
The $560 Pricing Book
I didn’t have an answer until last week when Claus gifted me a pricing book he had written. It’s brilliant—funny, insightful, and practical.
(If you missed the story of how I met Claus, you can read it here )
But there’s a catch. He priced the book at $560.
Why?
Despite 56 being my lucky number, it seems absurd.
Books are meant to spread knowledge, and such a high price limits accessibility.
But Claus had his reasons.
With over 50 years of combined experience from the authors, the book is worth the tag.
And, as he pointed out, “It made the gift special.”
He’s right. No one has ever gifted me something so valuable at our first meeting.
What I Realised
This experience made me reflect on my own pricing advice.
Often, I focus on: how to make more money for the business.
While this works for corporations, it doesn’t always apply to small businesses and solopreneurs, whose objectives sometimes go beyond revenue.
It’s ironic, given I've just told you the importance of Design Thinking and understanding the customer’s perspective last week.
Yet, it’s challenging to fully understand customers’ motives until you truly talk to them.
The lesson?
Don’t jump to optimise revenue right away.
First, figure out what’s most important to your clients. Respect that, even if it doesn’t align with your own beliefs.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Cheers,
Claire
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