(Pun absolutely intended.)
Yesterday, the water-filter maintenance technician came by to replace the filters in our home water dispenser.
We installed the system six months ago, and the indicator lights were flashing red — time for a change.
“€190 for the new set,” he replied when I asked about the cost of installation.
Before I could decide whether that was reasonable, he added something simple but clever:
“That’s about 90 cents a day for your family’s water — filtered, fresh, and safe for a whole year.”
The number suddenly felt lighter, as his comment made me instantly recall how many bottles I used to buy and carry every day before we installed the dispenser.
He hadn’t changed the price — only the perspective. It was a simple shift in framing — and it got me thinking.
💡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭
What had sounded like an expense became an investment in health and convenience — €0.90 a day for peace of mind.
And it made me wonder how often professionals quote fees without helping clients see their real value.
I also wondered whether taking a similar approach might help us communicate that value more clearly.
See what you think with the following examples:
⚖️ 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝟏 — 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐰-𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐦 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫
When I tell law-firm founders that my lower-tier advisory retainer is €500 per month, some hesitate.
They see it as just another bill — another line item to justify.
But here’s what it really covers.
It’s reliable access to ongoing strategic guidance, accountability, and an outside perspective that helps the firm stay aligned with its business, people, communication, social media activity and growth goals.
Break it down: €500 is roughly €16 a day — about the cost of a large cappuccino and a croissant for you, and one for me, while we sit together refining your strategy, HR needs, strengthening your culture, and sharpening your direction.
That’s what the retainer truly represents — a daily investment in clarity and focus.
A modest, consistent investment for a firm that wants to grow with purpose, not by accident.
💧 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 2 — 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞
Imagine a partner quoting €10 000 for urgent regulatory advice — to review all internal documents of a licensed company, carry out proper regulatory housekeeping, close any gaps, and put everything in proper order.
Instead of defending the number, he could say:
“Think of it this way — that’s €27 a day for a year, almost half the daily cost of hiring a private security guard to stand outside your building.
And in the event of a regulatory investigation — one that could even trigger court-sanctioned search warrants — that guard wouldn’t be able to protect you anyway; but having your records in order certainly will.”
That line would land with clarity.
The budget wouldn’t change — only how it feels.
What had seemed like a massive one-off expense now looked like a modest daily investment — in regulatory security, order, and peace of mind.
That’s the power of watering down the budget: turning something abstract into something tangible and relatable — and reframing a one-off cost into a modest, long-term investment in stability and confidence.
🏛️ 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 3 — 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 & 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞
Take my annual Good to Marvellous Culture & Leadership Programme, priced at €3 000.
It includes interviews, values alignment, enriching training sessions, and communication tools that strengthen culture and cohesion.
With HRDA funding, many firms recover up to €2 500, bringing the real net cost down to €500 a year — just €1.36 per day.
That’s less than a bottle of Pellegrino per day for a more cohesive, motivated, and forward-looking team.
And if you also factor in the CPD units that lawyers receive for attending the workshop — units they would otherwise pay hundreds of euros to earn through other providers — the net cost gets close to zero.
💬 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲
Large numbers trigger hesitation.
Small numbers invite understanding.
When we express fees in daily, outcome-based terms, we turn complexity into clarity.
The result isn’t cheaper work — it’s clearer value.
💭 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮
What about you, dear reader?
Have you ever tried watering down your offer — not to dilute it, but to help clients recognise its real value?
💬 Share your approach in the comments — I always read them.
— Philippos Aristotelous
Business Strategist | Trainer | Speaker | Author of The MARVEL of Happiness
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