Mar 20 • Deep Dive Community Calls
Ep 23 Premium Brand: How To Charge More
This week it was just Rem and I and i made a mistake... the recording didnt work! 🥲 So i shall do a solo recording breaking it all down for you at a later stage.
But here is what we covered which. I still think is a valuable 3 min read.
1. Language
The words you use are doing work before you've said anything else. We ran a quick word association game to prove it — affordable vs investment, customer vs client, busy vs in demand, price vs investment. Same idea, completely different signal.
Two things that stood out:
- Don't try to sound premium by going up a level. Go clearer, not fancier. Rem dropped this gem from his favourite copywriter: "big words are the harbour of small ideas." Politicians use complexity to confuse you. Don't be a politician.
- Use the a "cheap" word once, strategically. I use "headshot" once on my site so people can find me — then it's personal brand portrait the whole way through.
2. Price Anchoring & Perceived Value
People's brains are wired to think more expensive = more valuable.
So the move is finding stuff already inside your process and making it visible.
I was colour grading all of my clients images anyway. So i just put it in my offer. Doubled my prices.
The trolley and gear setup i take to shoots wasn't an ego thing — I just stopped rocking up looking like I'd raided a Kmart and suddenly people were commenting on how dialled in I was. Neither cost much.
Both shifted perception.
3. Solving Bigger Problems
Small problems = small pay.
Big hairy hard problems = bigger pay, less competition, higher stakes.
For me it was moving from "nice photo" to brand visuals, voice, and strategy.
Completely different category of service.
For Rem it's not just writing copy — it's walking into the room as the creative director they don't have, connecting with the whole team, and tying the work back to their biggest vision.
4. Visual & Borrowed Association
Who you're seen with — and how you're seen with them — does more work than most people realise.
Rem nailed it: it's not just the client list, it's whether it looks like partnership. Are they relaxed? Are they themselves?
That tells people you're easy to work with before they've picked up the phone.
Used Nick as an example. Tradies having a genuine laugh with him, then beautiful work behind it. Says everything without saying a word. No one's freezing up around some arty wanker — they're just having a good time and making great stuff.
Your homework: Run your brand through these four pillars. Where are you leaking premium? What's one thing you can tighten this week?
Luke
p.s will try have a recording for you next week xo
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Ep 23 Premium Brand: How To Charge More
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