Successful people design not the "price," but "how they are compared."

Hello, this is Iguchi.

As a sole proprietor, I spend my days forming and testing hypotheses while exploring methods for web attraction and sales promotion that can be practiced even with a small budget.

In this note, I focus on marketing terms that you may have heard of but are often used in a vague way. Based on my own research and real-life experience, I have summarized them in the simplest language possible.

I hope that even those who are not comfortable with technical jargon will be able to think, "I see, that's what that means."

By the way, when doing business, don't you ever have that strange feeling where "it's the same thing, but today it feels expensive..." or "sometimes a proposal suddenly looks better"?

At first, I thought it was just my imagination, but when I looked into it, there was a real reason.

That is a psychological habit called "contrast effect." It might sound difficult, but it actually happens very close to us, and just knowing a little bit about it can make it much easier to convey and present your services.

That said, it's a high hurdle to suddenly memorize technical terms, right?

In this article, I will explain it as simply as possible, using analogies.
By the time you finish reading this article,

a "unique persuasiveness" should be added to your service proposals and document creation.

What exactly is the "contrast effect"?

Simply put, the "contrast effect" is "a phenomenon where the difference between things is emphasized when you see one thing after another."

For example, it includes the psychology of "feeling cheaper when you see something cheap after seeing something expensive," or "feeling unsatisfied when you see something ordinary after seeing something very good."

It's an interesting function of the human brain where having a comparison target can significantly change your evaluation.

Let's think about it with a familiar example!

This might still be a bit abstract.
Let's think about it with a more familiar example.

For example, suppose you are splurging and having tea at a luxury hotel lounge.

When you first open the menu, the words "Top-tier Champagne, 8,000 yen per glass" jump out at you.

"Wow, that's expensive! As expected of a luxury hotel..." you feel a bit overwhelmed, right?
It's not a price you can order casually.

Then, when you look at another page of the menu, it says, "Specialty Original Blend Coffee, 1,200 yen."

How would you feel at this moment?

You would likely feel, "Since the champagne was 8,000 yen, 1,200 yen for coffee feels kind of cheap. I guess I can order this."

This is exactly the "contrast effect"!

Because there was the initial comparison target of "top-tier champagne at 8,000 yen," the subsequent "coffee at 1,200 yen" looked relatively "affordable" and "good value."

If you had only seen the price of the coffee first, you might have thought, "1,200 yen for coffee? That's a bit expensive..."

How can sole proprietors and freelancers utilize the "contrast effect"?

So, how can we, as sole proprietors and freelancers, utilize this "contrast effect" in our work?

I've thought of a few specific scenarios.

1. Utilize it in service pricing!

For example, suppose you are contracted for website production.
When proposing three plans to a client,

• Pine Plan (High functionality, high price)

• Bamboo Plan (Standard functionality, standard price)

• Plum Plan (Simple functionality, low price)

What happens if you introduce them in this order?

First, you present a slightly higher standard with the "Pine Plan," saying, "With this level of functionality, it costs this much."

Then, the "Bamboo Plan" and "Plum Plan" introduced next will be easier for them to feel are relatively "a good deal" or "easier to reach."

Conversely, if you start by introducing the "Plum Plan," there is a possibility that they won't look at the higher-tier plans, thinking, "Aren't there plans with more functionality?"

The point is to strategically consider the order of presentation according to the client's budget.

2. Also for the structure of proposal documents!

For example, suppose you are a writer.

When creating a project proposal or a pitch, for instance, when proposing an article structure, instead of just presenting one option saying, "Let's go with this structure!", it might be good to intentionally show a little bit of "another plan for comparison," saying, "Initially, we considered this structure, but considering the target audience, we ultimately decided on this structure."another plan for comparisonBy doing so, you can expect the effect of making the final plan you want them to adopt look more considered and superior.

3. How to present in a presentation

You can also use the contrast effect in presentations to clients.

For example, you can specifically show how the client's situation will change "before" and "after" introducing your service.

"With the previous method, you might have spent X hours every month on OO tasks. However, by introducing my service, this can be reduced to △ hours!"

By presenting the specific number "X hours," "△ hours" will look even more attractive.

The client should be able to imagine the "bright future after introduction" more strongly.

Summary: Use it wisely to get good results for both your clients and yourself!

After learning about the 'contrast effect,' I felt that 'human psychology is truly fascinating.'

Of course, it is not good to abuse this effect.

However, for us sole proprietors and freelancers, wisely utilizing this psychological effect to correctly convey the value of our services to customers or help them make better choices should be a powerful weapon.

I also intend to keep the 'contrast effect' in mind when proposing my services, setting prices, and creating materials.

If you ever find yourself wondering, 'What is this all about?', why not try thinking about it from the perspective of the 'contrast effect'?

I am sure you will find some new discoveries!

Thank you very much for reading until the end.

I would be happy if this article led to a small realization of 'I see, so that's what it was!' or provided a hint for your own ideas.

Following me would be a great encouragement.
I will follow you back as well ^^