10X for 10% Margin Maximizers

Most CEOs try to grow their profit by cutting costs.

The problem? You can only cut so far before you hit bone. Here’s the smarter play…

Instead of obsessing over expenses, increase what each customer spends.

One of the fastest ways to grow your average customer value (and profit) is to implement what I call the “10X for 10% Margin Maximizer.” The idea is simple. Create a super-premium upsell priced at roughly 10X your existing core offer that’s designed to appeal to just the top 5 - 10% of your customers…the ones who like you the most, trust you the most, and want more from you.

The math will blow you away:

That may not sound like much, but to put it in perspective, McKinsey found that just a 1% increase in price can boost operating profit by 8 - 12%. What happens when you increase effective pricing by 20%, 50%, or 100% without increasing your customer acquisition costs (CAC)?

That’s not incremental…that’s transformative! Here’s how to make it happen…

Set aside 90 minutes with your leadership team and ask:

“What would it look like to create the ultimate version of what we do?”

This isn’t about adding a few perks, it’s about building an offer that solves bigger problems, accelerates results, and delivers an experience your best customers can’t get anywhere else.

After working with hundreds of companies, we’ve found that nearly every premium offer pulls from three core value levers:

These elements matter because they speak to the universal things people will always pay more for: time, ease, and exclusivity. When you combine these into your premium package, your best customers will happily pay a higher price.

Customers pay for speed because time is the ultimate luxury. Think VIP onboarding, “white-glove” delivery, or guaranteed turnaround times.

Question to ask: “How can we help our customers get results even faster?”

Examples:

If speed is powerful, ease is irresistible. Think done-for-you services, migration packages, and custom integrations. The less effort required, the more premium the offer feels.

Question to ask: “How can we deliver the result with less work or effort from the customer?”

Examples:

Exclusivity is the ultimate value signal. This could be a private coaching session, 24/7 support, or “back-stage, cut-the-line” access like Disney offers at its theme parks. Some customers want exclusivity and access others can’t buy.

Question to ask: “How can we give some customers VIP access that others can’t get?”

Examples:

Once you have a list, have each member of the team score each idea on a scale of 1 - 10 using the ICE Method:

Stack-rank each idea from highest to lowest score, and agree as a team which Margin Maximizer you’re going to launch first.

Your 10X offer should feel like an insider opportunity, so you don’t need a massive marketing campaign.

Start by reaching out to your best customers individually. Frame it as invitation-only or application-only. Scarcity here isn’t a trick, it’s the truth…

…you can only deliver this level of service to a handful of customers.

And when 2 - 10% of your customers say “Yes,” that’s margin magic.

⚡ Action Step: Schedule your Margin Maximizer brainstorm this week. Build your first offer, launch it, then watch how much easier scaling becomes when every customer is worth more to you tomorrow than they are today.

Margins aren’t made by cutting, they’re made by creating. Start creating your Margin Maximizers now.

(Source: McKinsey & Company, “Using Big Data to Make Better Pricing Decisions,” June 2014)

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