While on vacation, I was eating breakfast at my hotel, which offers a complimentary buffet to guests. On each table was a sign that said, “Did you know that for a small additional charge you can enjoy one of our breakfast specials?”
Those items, such as the eggs benedict, were not included in the buffet, but they could be purchased. The wording of the sign made me think, could the hotel sell more breakfast items if they reversed the order of the sentence? As in, “Did you know that you can enjoy one of our breakfast specials for a small additional charge?”
In business and in advertising, you typically can get positive results more frequently if you convey the value or solution you provide before you talk price. For example, in proposals, you should always list your deliverables/scope of work first, then your fees.
The reasons for this sequence include avoiding commoditizing your produce or service and establishing the prospect’s need or desire for your product or service first. Think about it: retailers sell luxury items (e.g., a gold watch) by marketing their desirability, status symbol, etc., before mentioning the price.
One last point to make: a study found that when the product was listed first, respondents thought “Do I like it?” Meanwhile, when the price was listed first, the question became, “Is it worth it?” You definitely want to steer clear of the worthiness debate!