they buy trust
I recently got a haircut for four times what I normally pay, and I thought I’d share why this turned out to be a perfect parable for how value works.
The backstory: I’ve always gone to a decent barber. But for months, my wife has been telling me I need a better haircut—arguing that since I host a podcast and speak on stage, I need to look the part. The final straw came when my mom, who rarely says anything negative, asked, “What’s up with the messy look?”
So, I turned to AI to find a top-notch stylist—someone with a track record of working with public figures. AI gave me three options in Austin. I picked the one with the better Instagram portfolio and the higher price tag. I actually wanted to pay 4 times the normal price because I was paying not for his time, but an outcome that was valuable to me.
The moral of the story: I had a high-value problem that could only be solved by someone of a certain caliber. I pre-judged and pre-trusted them based on strong content and a premium price point.
It was worth every penny, and I’m never going back to my old barber.
I’m hosting a Masterclass: Five Mistakes That Keep Founders and Experts From Building a Brand in Their Own Name
We’ll cover the mental traps that keep perfectly capable leaders from being sought out the same way I searched for my new stylist.
If you could use a little deprogramming - Claim your spot here.
If you haven’t seen my latest pod - check out my talk with David Simons. He is the founder of Kingdom Social Media, where he helps experts sell their knowledge through webinars and challenges.
In this episode, he walks through the exact method: how to position authority before you teach, why storytelling converts where lectures confuse, the Parable Presentation Method, and how to fill a webinar starting with nothing but your phone contacts and Gmail list.