I got manipulated into buying a $20,000 watch (you should copy this strategy)

Around January of early this year I decided to buy my wife a Rolex for her birthday.

She's been with me from day one, and has always supported my dreams so this gift was a token of my appreciation.

I called up my watch dealer in a frenzy.

"Hey Zack, I need a pink Rolex delivered to me by tomorrow. Can you make it happen?"

He assured me he could make it happen.

But what happened next changed the way I thought about pricing, positioning, and persuasion forever.

After I initially hopped off my call with Zack, he swiftly gave me a call back within 10 minutes along with a few text messages and pictures of his inventory.

"Malcolm, I found the perfect piece for you," Zack says over the phone. "But before I show you what I have in mind, let me send you a picture of something truly special."

My phone buzzes with a text. It's a brand new pink Rolex - elegant, sophisticated, absolutely perfect for my wife.

"This is our flagship ladies' model," he explains. "Rose gold, diamond bezel, mother-of-pearl dial. It's a masterpiece. And today I can get you it for $40,000."

I'm staring at the photo on my phone, and honestly? It's breathtaking. But $40,000? That's way more than I was planning to spend.

"Zack, it's beautiful, but that's a bit outside my budget."

"I completely understand," he says without missing a beat. "Well let me show you something else."

Another text comes through. This time it's a watch that looks remarkably similar to the first one.

"This is from the same collection," Zack continues. "Nearly identical craftsmanship, same Swiss movement, same attention to detail. The main difference is this one has a smaller diamond setting."

He pauses for effect.

"This one is only $20,000."

Now what happened next shocked me a bit.

Suddenly, $20,000 felt like a steal.

The same amount that would have seemed a bit expensive 10 minutes earlier now felt like I was getting an incredible deal.

I wasn't comparing the $20,000 watch to my original budget anymore.

I was comparing it to the $40,000 watch that looked almost identical.

And in that context? $20,000 felt reasonable. Smart, even.

"I'll take it," I said without hesitation.

Zack had just masterfully used one of the most powerful psychological principles in sales, and I fell for it completely.

This principle is called Conceptual Contrast.

He didn't try to sell me the $20,000 watch directly. Instead, he anchored my perception with the $40,000 option first.

This completely reframed how I evaluated value.

Instead of thinking "Is this $20,000 watch worth it?" I was thinking "Am I getting 95% of the value for 50% of the price?"

The answer felt obvious.

And the crazy part? This all happened over a simple phone call with a few text messages.

Now let’s go deeper into why this works.

Most entrepreneurs make the same pricing mistake:

They lead with their main offer.

"Here's my $5,000 program. It includes X, Y, and Z."

But without contrast, your prospects have nothing to compare it to except their current situation or their budget.

That's weak positioning.

Here's what you should do instead:

Start with your premium option. Not to sell it necessarily, but to anchor perception.

Show them the $15,000 "done-with-you" program first. Walk them through every detail. Get them excited about the possibilities.

Then introduce your $5,000 "core" program that delivers 80% of the same results.

Just like Zack did over the phone - you can do this through email, on sales calls, or even in your marketing materials.

Suddenly, $5,000 doesn't feel expensive. It feels smart.

When prospects see your main offer in isolation, their brain starts running objection patterns:

"Is this worth it?" "Can I afford this?" "What if it doesn't work?"

But when they see your main offer compared to a premium option, their brain shifts to evaluation mode:

"Which option gives me better value?" "What's the real difference between these?" "How much am I saving by choosing this one?"

You've moved them from "Should I buy?" to "Which should I buy?"

That's the difference between fighting resistance and eliminating it.

The Conceptual Contrast Formula

Here's the exact framework I use:

1. Anchor High: Start with your premium option (2-3x your main offer price)

2. Build Desire: Get them excited about the possibilities

3. Introduce Constraint: "But I understand that might be outside your budget..."

4. Present Alternative: Show your main offer as the "smart choice"

5. Emphasize Similarity: "You get 90% of the same results for 50% of the price"

Every purchase decision happens in context.

If you control the context, you control the decision.

Stop hoping your prospects will see the value in isolation. Start giving them a framework to understand that value through contrast.

Your $5,000 offer isn't expensive compared to doing nothing.

It's a bargain compared to your $15,000 option.

Frame it correctly, and watch your close rates increase.

Talk tomorrow, Malcolm

P.S. - Me and DT’s limited time product is almost complete. We’ll be sharing more details throughout the rest of the week. If you want to make more money as a marketer, command premium prices, and master the one skill that separates you from your competition you’ll want to pay attention to the next few days.