Raising prices without losing the room
Using Testimonials During a Price Increase
A price rise announcement is the one email where every customer weighs what they pay against what they get. The right customer quote can tip that weighing. The wrong one, praising how cheap you were, makes the increase look worse. Prepare the proof weeks before the announcement, not on the morning it goes out.
- Find quotes that praise the old price
- Collect value stories before you announce
- Use proof without implying approval of the rise
The problem, solved
Where testimonials go wrong around a price rise
Situation 1 of 4
Our best quote says "so affordable"
Next to a higher price, praise for being cheap reads as a reason to leave. It also invites "it used to be good value".
How StoryProof solves it
Tag every quote that mentions price or value for money, and take those out of the widgets on pricing and plan pages before the change.
Situation 2 of 4
We have no proof of value ready
Most testimonials praise friendliness or speed. Few say what the customer got that was worth paying for.
How StoryProof solves it
A month before announcing, email long-standing customers and ask what they rely on you for. The link takes text, audio or video.
Situation 3 of 4
A quote could look like they approved it
Put a customer quote under "our prices are going up" and readers may assume that customer backs the increase.
How StoryProof solves it
Every new quote waits in your queue until you approve it, which gives you time to check where it will appear and tell the customer.
Situation 4 of 4
The announcement email is wall to wall text
A long explanation of costs is easy to skim past. One short quote about value is not.
How StoryProof solves it
From Pro, the social image designer turns an approved quote into a branded image for an email.
Price rise checklist
Prepare the proof before you announce
Start this four to six weeks before the announcement. The middle group takes the longest, because customers need time to answer.
Ticks stay in your browser. Nothing is sent or saved.
Swap price praise for value praise
Quotes to retire before the rise
- "Unbeatable for the price."
- "The cheapest option we found that actually works."
- "Half what we paid with our last provider."
- "Great value on the starter tier."
What to ask for instead
- What would you have to replace if we disappeared?
- What does your week look like now compared to before?
- What did you try before us, and why did you stop?
- Who on your team would notice first if we were gone?
In StoryProof
Run it in StoryProof
- 1
Tag quotes that mention price
A "mentions price" tag makes the audit a filter, not a reread of every testimonial.
- 2
Clear them from pricing widgets
Choose which approved testimonials each widget shows, and take the price quotes off plan and checkout pages.
- 3
Request value stories from long-time customers
Email a request to a smart list of long-standing contacts. They can answer in text, audio or video.
- 4
Approve with the placement in mind
Read each reply knowing it may sit near a price, and approve only those whose author agreed to that.
- 5
Make one image for the announcement
From Pro, turn the strongest approved quote into a branded image to place in the email.
What happens next: Watch replies to the announcement. Questions about value tell you which quotes to move higher on the pricing page.
Before you start
What proof cannot do for a price rise
It does not replace a reason
Customers want to know why prices are changing. A quote beside a vague explanation looks like a distraction.
No quotes about the increase
Asking customers to praise the rise itself puts them in an awkward spot and reads as staged. Ask about value only.
Unhappy customers stay unhappy
Proof helps people on the fence. Customers who already felt you were overpriced will not be moved by someone else’s praise.
Old prices in videos stay
A video where the customer names an old price cannot be edited. Retire it from pricing pages rather than cutting it.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Short answers to what usually comes up next.
Should testimonials go in the price increase email at all?
One short quote about value is usually enough, placed after the explanation. Several quotes in a row start to look like a sales pitch in a message that should feel candid.
Can I use a quote from a customer on a grandfathered plan?
Yes, if it praises the product rather than the price they pay. Avoid it if it names their plan or what they pay.
How long before the announcement should I start?
Four to six weeks gives time to audit, ask and approve. Collecting value stories in a rush the week before tends to bring thin answers.
Should I tell customers their quote will sit near prices?
Yes. Most will not mind, but they should know before their name appears beside a higher price.
Do I delete the old "affordable" quotes?
No. Retire them from pricing pages and keep them tagged. They may still fit elsewhere, such as a page about a free tool.
Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.
Get your value proof ready first
Tag what needs retiring, ask long-standing customers what they rely on you for, and approve the answers before announcement day.
Last updated 2026-11-06.