The Drunk Parrot and the Boujee Peacock: A Pricing Identity Crisis
- Amber Reynolds
- Jun 11
- 5 min read
Why Straddling Value and Quality Pricing Is Costing You Clients and Confidence
You know the "Inside Each Of Us Is Two Wolves" story?
One wolf is chill, while the other wolf is ready to throw hands (paws?) at a moment's notice. Which wolf wins depends on which one you feed.
For one-person service businesses, they don't have wolves.
They have a Drunk Parrot and a Boujee Peacock.
🦜🍺 Drunk Parrot squawks every price objection they've ever heard (or worry they'll hear):
TOO EXPENSIVE! squawk!
SO-AND-SO IS CHEAPER. squaaawk!
GIVE DISCOUNT?! SQUAAAAAWK!
🦚👑 Boujee Peacock? It's fluffing up its feathers and doing its own little dance in the bird yard. Mid-groove, Boujee Peacock reminds them:
It takes a lot of work to put on a show like this - you don't do it for just any bird. Do it for birds that are worth the the effort.
They want to listen to Boujee Peacock, but Drunk Parrot is loud AF.
So they end up feeding both birds.
And like some kind of unholy pricing mating ritual, they give life to a Tipsy Paracock: it's beautiful plumage Bedazzled, half-dancing / half-staggering, screeching, "LIMITED TIME OFFER!"
The living embodiment of a pricing identity crisis. No one knows what they'll get for their money (not even Tipsy Paracock.)
Unhinged Franken-bird parable aside: your pricing tells a story.
If your service is making Boujee Peacock promises but your confidence and pricing scream Drunk Parrot, people will be confused.
And confused people? They don't buy.
It's time to put the bird seed down and back away slowly.
Finding Your Pricing Identity
The question to ask yourself: Am I a value-focused or a quality-focused service?
Most try to play Price Double Dutch. They jump in and out of both price identities - landing themselves into a tangled mess.
It's hard to know if your services are priced right if you don't first determine what price identity you want to project.
If you've been waffling between giving the best quality but your pricing doesn't reflect that - What you're doing isn't sustainable. You'll end up burnt out and resenting your clients.
Pick a pricing identity to set the foundation to build your pricing and services on.
Value-Focused Price Positioning
Think of Value-Focused pricing as the "More For Less" pricing model. These are your Great Clips and Massage Envy's of the world.
They're focused on keeping the price low while making it feel like you got a bargain.
Why it's an attractive pricing position: It appeals to more people. It feels less scary to ask for a lower price. It feels like you're making more sales, quantity wise, which eases anxiety. And if your service doesn't quite hit the mark? You feel a little less bad about it.
Why it's a problematic pricing position: the type of people whose focus is getting the most value while paying as little as possible are more difficult to work with*. You also make less money for your time which translates into working a lot more just to make a comfortable income.
⛏️ *DIG DEEPER: Why These Clients Are More Difficult
There are some clients who genuinely need lower-priced services because that’s all they can afford. These clients are usually kind, respectful, and grateful.
Then the others are trying to squeeze water out of a rock. They want 3-star Michelin result on a Mickey D's budget. They don't value services and it shows.
After they've...
Questioned every line of your invoice
Asked for discounts for BS reasons
Treated you like an employee, not a partner
Compared you to competitors at every opportunity
Disrespected your time, process, or limits
Gaslit you into thinking you're the problem
...they'll still leave you a 3-star review.
Quality-Focused Price Positioning
Where Value-Focused pricing is about delivering more for less, Quality-Focused pricing says, "You can find it cheaper, but I do it better." 💅
That barber that charges $300 for a haircut and a shave? You may initially flinch at the price but you can't argue with the results and experience. Every other cut and shave you get pales in comparison.
Why it's an attractive pricing position: It calls to the people who value services, so chances are the clients are more fun to work with. You make more money while working less hours. It provides more space to over deliver for clients. Your focus is split between fewer clients, so less of a management nightmare.
Why it's a problematic pricing position: Fewer people can afford it so you have less clients (even though, logically, you know they're paying more). Asking for more money is scary and if you're not confident in it, it'll cost you sales. Plus, you have to live up to your promise.
Which Price Position Is Right For Me?
Like anything else, there isn't a right or wrong position, but what makes the most sense for you.
Here are a few things to think about:
What is the most common pricing position for your industry? If it's known for being focused on quality, then Value-Focused price positioning could help you stand out (in a good way.) If everyone is racing to be the cheapest price, then leaning into quality would differentiate you.
Do your ideal clients already buys services? People who already buy services tend to value them more. In that case, Quality-Focused pricing might be the stronger play. If not, then Value-Focused pricing may be better.
How important is the outcome to your ideal client? A haircut for maintenance versus a haircut for your wedding day is priced - and valued - very differently.
What level of service do you naturally strive for? If you're someone who thrives on being the best and thinking through every detail, then Quality-Focused is where you belong. If you just like getting in and out with minimal expectations, then Value-Focused pricing is where you'll be happiest.
How good are you, really? If you're newer, your skillset is still developing, or your confidence isn't where you'd like it to be, Value-Focused pricing may be where you start (but doesn't have to be where you end up.)
Here's a secret: Running a business is part knowing your shit and part winging it (ba-dum-tiss). Trust yourself to know that you'll figure out what you don't know as you go.
Your pricing and services aren't written in stone. You can try something, gather data, and pivot.
Both pricing positions are valid options - but choose.
Stop being a Tipsy Paracock.
Because when your pricing doesn't match your service, it confuses clients. Confused clients don't buy.
And if nobody is buying...
You may find yourself sharing drinks with the Drunk Parrot. 🦜🍺
