Why TURST & VALUE are the main driver Pricing Success
Hector Garcia CPA
REFRAME Conference Host. QuickBooks Consultant specializing in Manufacturers with messy Inventory.
REFRAME is a community and movement dedicated to helping accounting professionals level up their business and redefine the profession. In our recent REFRAME webinar series on Pricing with Confidence, Carlos Garcia and I (Hector Garcia, CPA) explored a fundamental principle that underpins successful professional services: the inseparable link between trust and value.
As I shared during our session, "Pricing with confidence boils down to two words—trust and value." This isn't just about transactions; it's about the very foundation upon which strong client relationships and sustainable businesses are built... here is a summary of the webinar:
The Simple Formula
The formula is straightforward but powerful: To price with confidence = Build Trust + Create Value.
This principle extends far beyond pricing; it serves as a compass for all business decisions. Asking yourself, "Is this building trust or creating value?" can guide your firm towards purposeful actions that improve both your client relationships and your bottom line.
Why Do Accounting Professionals Struggle with Pricing?
Many talented accounting professionals grapple with:
Shifting to an ROI Mindset
The webinar highlighted an important paradigm shift in how we think about price and value:
Traditional view: The margin is a percentage of the price ROI view: Revenue is a multiple of your investment (expenses)
Most professionals view business through the lens of margin—expenses as a percentage of revenue. What if we flipped this perspective? Instead of thinking "I need to make a 30% margin," think "I deliver 5x, 10x, or even 20x the value of what my clients pay me."
Your customer creates a fraction of the value for you (your margin) compared to what you create for them (their ROI). By not charging appropriately for your value, you're actually doing your clients a disservice—they're getting a steal!
The Price of Trust: Unpacking the Three C's
In knowledge work, trust isn't a nebulous concept; it can be measured through the three C's:
1. Credentials: What institutions say about your capabilities
2. Credibility: What you say you know and how you show it
3. Creditworthiness: What your past actions say about you
These three elements form an interconnected triangle. Neglecting any one of them can diminish your pricing power and overall confidence. Many accounting professionals overemphasize credentials while underinvesting in credibility and creditworthiness.
Beyond Traditional Credentials: Creating Your Own
One particularly powerful strategy is to create your own credential. By:
You can establish yourself as a recognized expert in a specific area. Tools like ChatGPT can even assist in developing your framework and marketing materials.
Here is my ChatGPT bot I demoed during the webinar: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-67e6c8d177248191bb48ebebe50ddf88-accounting-credential-or-certification-builder
Real-world example: Shannon, one of our REFRAME Society members, created and trademarked "Payroll Restoration(TM) Specialist" for her practice. When potential clients compare her services to competitors who claim to offer payroll cleanup at a lower price, she simply asks, "Are they Payroll Restoration(TM) certified?" This instantly differentiates her service and justifies premium pricing because she owns the entire universe of that knowledge.
This approach offers a powerful differentiator and boosts pricing confidence. Your self-created credential makes it impossible for prospects to make apples-to-apples comparisons between you and competitors.
The Multiplier Effect: Value Beyond the price paid
Value extends far beyond the functional benefits we typically focus on. There are actually four levels of value:
As accountants, we often fixate on functional value, but the deeper, more impactful value lies in these other areas. By consciously addressing these deeper needs, professionals can further solidify trust and justify premium pricing.
While many accountants feel uncomfortable venturing beyond functional value (seeing it as "fluffy stuff" or "someone else's job"), these deeper value levels are precisely where AI cannot easily compete. By positioning yourself as someone who helps clients achieve their purpose and fulfill their legacy (through the functional work you do), you create a compelling value proposition.
A Mindset Shift
Ultimately, pricing with confidence requires a fundamental shift in thinking. It's about recognizing that your expertise delivers significant value, often far exceeding the cost. By actively building trust through credentials, credibility, and creditworthiness, and by focusing on the multifaceted value you create for your clients, you can move away from internal anxieties about pricing and towards a confident, value-driven approach.
Let's embrace the power of trust and value as the cornerstones of our professional journeys.
Want to dive deeper into these concepts? Join us in November 2025 (Miami) for our flagship event REFRAME 2025 PRICING WITH CONFIDENCE
Can't Make it to Miami? Check our our Virtual Event: INFLUENTIALS CONVERSATIONS inspired by REFRAM 2024
Accounting & Bookkeeping for Real Estate & Property Management | 25+ Years of Expertise | Speaker • Author | QuickBooks Course Creator | I turn “What the heck is this?” into “Oh, that’s where the money went.”
5moLooking forward to reframe my mindset!