How Business Coaches Can Help Clients Compete on Value—Not Price

Struggling with a client who’s constantly undercut by competitors?
If you’re coaching a small business owner who’s panicking because others are charging less, this article will show you how to shift their thinking—and strategy—from price-based competition to value-driven positioning.

Why Price Isn’t the Problem—And What to Focus on Instead

Most business owners think lowering prices will save their sales. But here’s the truth: customers don’t buy the lowest price—they buy the most value.

Your job as a coach is to help your client identify what their ideal customers really want and deliver it in a way no competitor can match.

What Does “Value” Actually Mean?

By definition, value is “the worth considered fair for what is received in return.” But that’s vague. In business, value must be:

• Relevant to the prospect

• Exclusive to the business

If it’s not meaningful and it’s not unique, it won’t move the needle.

A Real-World Example: Where Most Businesses Go Wrong

Take LaQuinta Inns. They once ran an ad campaign bragging about newly remodeled rooms and lobbies. But that missed the mark.

Why?

Because hotel guests already expect clean rooms and decent lobbies. That’s the bare minimum. It didn’t differentiate them—and certainly didn’t justify charging more.

To create perceived value, you have to go beyond expectations and deliver something memorable and exclusive.

What Real Value Looks Like (And How to Create It)

Let’s say your client runs a hotel in Southern California targeting vacationing families. Guests expect:

• A clean room

• Fresh towels and sheets

• A pool

• Free breakfast

That’s standard. But now imagine the hotel offers:

• A complimentary vacation planning session with a concierge

• Discounted tickets to Disneyland, SeaWorld, or Universal Studios

• Restaurant coupons near the attractions

• A free GPS device so the family never gets lost

Now the hotel isn’t just a place to sleep—it’s a vacation experience hub. That’s real, differentiated value.

And here’s the kicker: most of this can be delivered at little or no cost. Theme parks and restaurants provide discounts. The GPS device is a one-time investment that lasts years.

With this approach, your client could:

• Increase room rates by 20%

• Fill rooms faster

• Gain tons of word-of-mouth referrals

• Attract media attention for their standout customer experience

This is how you build a brand that doesn’t compete on price—because it’s simply not comparable to anyone else.

How Coaches Can Apply This to Any Client

Here’s how to walk your client through this process:

1. Identify customer expectations – What do their buyers assume they’ll get?

2. Create innovation points – What can your client do that goes above and beyond?

3. Highlight exclusivity – Can they offer something no one else does?

4. Package the experience – Bundle these innovations as part of a premium offering.

5. Market the value clearly – Don’t bury it in generic messaging. Lead with the benefit.

When your client stops asking, “How can I match their price?” and starts asking, “How can I exceed their expectations?”—they win.

The Bottom Line: Innovate, Don’t Discount

Competing on price is a race to the bottom. But competing on value? That’s a path to sustainable growth.

As a coach, your job is to help clients innovate their offer so thoroughly that pricing becomes a non-issue. Do that, and you’ll not only save their margins—you’ll make their marketing effortless.

Need a way to show your clients the financial upside of value-based selling? Tools like the Profit Acceleration Software™ help coaches like you map out the numbers and deliver a visual, customized roadmap that justifies the shift.

Want to stop competing on price and start selling real value?
Book a strategy call and we’ll walk you through how coaches are using this approach to close more deals and keep clients long term.