I figured out why "...you're leaving money on the table," doesn't land

“...you’re leaving money on the table.”

I’ve said that line plenty of times.

So have others.

And while it’s so very true, it doesn’t actually land the way I thought it would (particularly with ideal clients).

Because “leaving money on the table,” doesn’t hurt.

It’s not specific. It’s not personal. It doesn’t hit the way a real loss does.

Loss aversion is real — we feel losing $1,000 more deeply than gaining it. But only if that $1,000 feels tangible.

Here’s what I’ve learned: if I want my value proposition to spark curiosity, I have to know when to use causes and when to use outcomes.

Causes show up in pain. Outcomes show up in solutions.

Take the problem of underpricing as an example….

On paper it’s less money for effort or value provided (i.e., money on the table). But in practice, what I see in audit after audit is the pain isn’t the lost money. It’s the shaky confidence. Every time a consultant quotes a price they don’t know is right, it chips away at them.

The pain (cause) is lack of confidence. The solution is the right price. The outcome is more money.

Let’s do another example…

This time let’s take slower than expected growth (despite working “harder”)...

Sure some wires are getting crossed, but that’s obvious. The cause in many cases is closeness. The founder or consultant is simply too close to see what’s hiding in plain sight.

The pain (cause) is trying to ‘read the label from inside the jar.’ The solution is an outside perspective showing you exactly what to do. The outcome is more profit.

That’s been the recurring realization: it’s not enough to point to outcomes in value framing.

Outcomes are important, but only when its time to talk outcomes.

Causes are tangible.

And people act when the cause is felt.

So now, instead of saying “you’re leaving money on the table,” I’m framing the pain in terms of causes — and the promise in terms of outcomes.

Because facts don’t move people. Felt problems do.

And when the problem is finally felt, the solution is more interesting.

Framing matters.

Thank you for reading.

See you next week.

— Peter

P.S. When you’re ready to work together, there are two ways:

1. Schedule your 1-day profit audit to reveal the money in your business you’re overlooking (simply because you’re too close to see it).

2. Reserve your pricing audit and walk away feeling confident knowing exactly what to charge, when to reveal it, how to frame it, and how to defend it.

I’m booking for late-October.