For luxury goods or services, pricing is a key signal of quality. A price point that is incongruent with luxury branding can make potential buyers skeptical and actually reduce close rates. Raising prices can increase desire and conversions by aligning perception with promise.

Unlike brands that flood the market and rely on markdowns, Norwegian Wool carefully controls its distribution channels and production quantities. This ensures a high percentage of items sell at full price, creating real margins and a "fear of missing out" that drives early-season sales.

For high-end brands hesitant to offer discounts, Apple's model is ideal. They sell products at full price but include a substantial gift card for future purchases. This drives sales and encourages repeat business without ever putting the core product "on sale," thus preserving brand prestige.

For the first time, Coach led its Black Friday and holiday season with brand messaging, not promotions. This reflects a conviction that building genuine brand desire reduces the need to compromise on price, even during peak sales periods, thus protecting brand value.

For premium retail brands, avoiding the temptation to discount is crucial. Lululemon's strategy to rarely offer sales, even when certain styles fall flat, demonstrates a focus on long-term brand preservation over short-term earnings boosts, a key positive indicator for investors.

Even if rarely purchased, a premium one-on-one offer serves as a powerful value anchor. Its high price tag transfers a degree of perceived value to your more accessible, scalable products. To work, you must confront the high price directly with prospects before offering a downsell.

In a true luxury market, pricing that is too low is incongruent with the brand promise and can actively harm your close rate. A wealthy buyer expects a high price as a signal of quality. If your 'luxury' wedding entertainment costs $30k when flowers cost $500k, the price signals that it's not a premium service, creating distrust.

When pressured to hit quarterly targets with promotions, use a simple filter: 'Does this action increase the long-term desirability of my full-price product?' This framework helps balance immediate revenue needs with the crucial goal of protecting and building brand equity, preventing a downward spiral of discounting.

While intended to drive sales, frequent discounting damages brand perception by training consumers to see the brand as low-value. This creates a "deselection barrier" where they won't consider it at full price, eroding long-term brand equity for short-term gains.