Every entrepreneur faces the same question: “How much is it?”
It’s the easiest question to answer. But it’s also the most dangerous.

If you lead with price, you’ve already lost control of the conversation. You’ve reduced your product to numbers. And numbers can always be compared. Someone will always be cheaper. Someone will always undercut. Someone will always offer “almost the same thing” at a lower cost.

That’s why leading with price is a trap. It positions you at the mercy of the customer’s calculator instead of at the center of their imagination.

The Vision Before the Price

Strong businesses don’t sell price first. They sell vision first.

What does this mean? It means you let the customer picture themselves in the story your product creates:

• The homebuyer imagines walking into a gated community.
• The entrepreneur imagines scaling a business with your solution.
• The client imagines status, convenience, peace of mind, or wealth.

By the time they ask about the price, they’re no longer deciding if they want it. They’re deciding how fast they can get it.

The Price Game: A Race to the Bottom

When you make price the center of conversation, you set up a losing game.
It goes like this:

• You mention a price.
• The customer says, “But X company sells cheaper.”
• You slash your price to match.
• They ask someone else, and again, you’re undercut.

This cycle doesn’t stop until your profit margin disappears. That’s the danger of the price game. It’s not about value. It’s about survival. And survival doesn’t scale.

Meanwhile, the companies that lead with vision are not fighting for pennies. They’re shaping perception, building desire, and commanding loyalty.

Vision Creates Value

Luxury brands understand this perfectly. Rolls-Royce doesn’t argue about price. Apple doesn’t argue about price. People line up not because it’s cheap but because it means something to own it.

Vision elevates a product beyond numbers. It speaks to lifestyle, identity, and transformation. And people don’t argue with what they’ve already imagined as part of themselves.

How to Sell Vision First

So how do you shift from selling price to selling vision? Here are three strategies:

1. Paint Pictures, Not Numbers
   Describe experiences. Show possibilities. Let the customer visualize the future. The stronger the picture, the weaker the resistance.
2. Sell the Why, Not Just the What
   Facts describe. Vision inspires. Instead of saying “This property is ₦30 million,” say, “This property is positioned to be worth ₦80 million in two years. You’re not buying land. You’re buying into wealth.”
3. Create Demand Before Price Appears
   Keep price as the last step in the conversation. By then, the customer should already be emotionally committed. The price only confirms what they’ve already decided.

The Trap of Cheapness

There’s another danger in leading with price. You attract the wrong type of customer — bargain hunters. And bargain hunters are never loyal. They’ll buy from you today, and leave you tomorrow for someone ₦10 cheaper.

When you sell vision, you attract committed customers. These are people who resonate with your brand story, who believe in your solution, and who will stay loyal even when competitors whisper lower prices.

Demand Beyond Price

The best salespeople don’t push numbers. They push pictures. They show ownership, transformation, status, and convenience. They sell possibilities.

This is why a client who’s been sold the vision often asks, “When can I get it?” instead of “Why is it this expensive?”

The shift is subtle but powerful. It moves the conversation from negotiation to desire. From “How much?” to “How soon?”

Conclusion: Stop Playing the Price Game

At the end of the day, customers don’t fall in love with numbers. They fall in love with meaning.

If you want to scale, stop starting with price. Start with vision. Sell the future. Paint the picture. When people see the vision, price is no longer a battle.

Because nobody remembers the cheapest. Everyone remembers the brand that mattered.

Dr. Smith Ezenagu is the Chairman of Esso Group, a diversified conglomerate shaping real estate, finance, education, and media. Dr. Smith Ezenagu is recognized as a real estate & investment mogul, life coach, and private equity expert. He leads Esso Group and its subsidiaries: Esso Properties (awarded Nigeria’s Most Innovative Real Estate Company in 2024 and recognized as the best real estate company in Nigeria), Esso School of Enterprise (the leading institution equipping entrepreneurs), and Esso Capital (delivering smart, trusted financial solutions across Nigeria).