The 3 C’s: Confidence, Clarity, and Care in Pricing
The 3 C’s: Confidence, Clarity, and Care in Pricing
I remember dreading the follow-up calls, chasing quotes that never went anywhere. I resisted delivering prices on-site, preferring the safety of my office to craft detail-heavy quotes and tenders. I convinced myself that I needed time, to check with wholesalers, to think through the scope, to polish my presentation.
But the truth? Those were all defence mechanisms. They were designed to protect my ego from rejection. I wasn’t some glutton for punishment. I just didn’t want to feel the sting of being told "no."
That need for protection created subconscious habits that actually held me back in my trade business. I started telling myself, "That’s my price. Take it or leave it. I don’t care." It felt like a shield. But in reality, it was costing me opportunity and growth.
Through reflection and coaching, I developed a better way, a mindset training tool I now share in my tradie business coaching: the "3 C’s" of pricing.
Confidence
If you don’t believe in your price, neither will the client. I coach trade business owners to treat pricing as a neutral, objective fact. Imagine everyone in your industry charges the same, and you're simply communicating the number.
Clarity
Choose a number and stick with it. The more ifs, buts, and maybes you include, the more you dilute your customer’s confidence. Clear, decisive pricing helps clients trust your expertise.
Care
Care about how the customer feels when they hear your price. Care about their experience. A genuine approach helps you build stronger relationships and ultimately win more work.
Many trade business owners build emotional defence systems that protect their egos but block their business growth. Through contractor business coaching, we uncover these habits and replace them with systems that drive results.
So ask yourself: Have you built defence mechanisms that protect your ego but hamper your potential success?
A business coach for tradies can help you develop the mindset and sales confidence needed to thrive.
Kirk Neal - Trade Business Growth Coach
