--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I ask them, “If the product were free…" description: "\"“I ask them, “If the product were free, how many would you actually deploy or use?” The goal is to take pricing away as an issue and see whether the pr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/steven-gary-blank-15847_goals_i-ask-them-if-the-product-were-free-how_2052669.jpg" --- # I ask them, “If the product were free, how many would you… ![“I ask them, “If the product were free, how many would you actually deploy or use?” The goal is to take pricing away as an issue and see whether the product itself gets customers excited. If it does, I follow up with: “OK, it’s not free. In fact, imagine I charged you $1 million. Would you buy it?”…” quote by Steven Gary Blank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/steven-gary-blank-15847_goals_i-ask-them-if-the-product-were-free-how_2052669.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/steven-gary-blank-15847_goals_i-ask-them-if-the-product-were-free-how_2052669.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/steven-gary-blank-15847_goals_i-ask-them-if-the-product-were-free-how_2052669.jpg) > ““I ask them, “If the product were free, how many would you actually deploy or use?” The goal is to take pricing away as an issue and see whether the product itself gets customers excited. If it does, I follow up with: “OK, it’s not free. In fact, imagine I charged you $1 million. Would you buy it?” While this may sound like a facetious dialog, I use it all the time. Why? Because more than half the time customers will say something like, “Steve, you’re out of your mind. This product isn’t worth more than $250,000.” I’ve just gotten customers to tell me how much they are willing to pay. Wow.”” [Steven Gary Blank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-gary-blank/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker tests true customer demand by asking if they'd use a product for free and then at a high price, revealing willingness to pay. **In simple terms:** Ask if customers would use a product for free and then at a high price to gauge real value. Key Takeaway Use bold pricing questions to uncover true willingness to pay. Themes pricing customer validation value perception sales strategy Mood curious analytical strategic Type advice business sales When to use this quote - product launch - investor pitch - market research - pricing strategy Key Concepts Willingness to pay price anchoring psychology of scarcity Questions to Reflect On - How would you verify a customer's claim of willingness to pay? - What alternative methods can confirm true demand? A Different Perspective Customers may overstate enthusiasm when price is removed, leading to inflated expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ask Product](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-product-3875796/) [Customers Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customers-say-698036/) [Customers Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customers-tell-2216764/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Pricing Away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pricing-away-3875797/) [Product Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/product-free-1875288/) ## Related quotes > [“Facebook exemplifies the axiom that if a product is free, you aren’t the customer. You are the product.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bazzell/facebook-exemplifies-the-axiom-that-if-a-product-is-free-you-aren-t/) [Michael Bazzell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bazzell/) > [“I' maintain only one kind of 'production' for 'myself'!' 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Make them happy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/your-customers-can-tell-you-the-things-that-are-broken-and-how-they/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [Customers can tell you how to evolve a product, but they can't show you how to make a leap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/customers-can-tell-you-how-to-evolve-a-product-but-they-can-t-show/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [If customers say you're just 'all right', you've not done enough, you've failed to delight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-kaufman/if-customers-say-you-re-just-all-right-you-ve-not-done-enough-you-ve/) [Ron Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-kaufman/) > [TalkTalk was not a highly trusted brand before the cyber attack but customers now say that we looked after them in difficult circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dido-harding/talktalk-was-not-a-highly-trusted-brand-before-the-cyber-attack-but/) [Dido Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dido-harding/) > [Let your customers say, 'Well, here I am,' while you say, 'There you are!'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-kaufman/let-your-customers-say-well-here-i-am-while-you-say-there-you-are/) [Ron Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-kaufman/) > [You can go a hundred miles a second Don't have to drive no lousy cab Got everything you want and more man And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-cohn/you-can-go-a-hundred-miles-a-second-don-t-have-to-drive-no-lousy-cab/) [Marc Cohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-cohn/) > [Major brands don't know what to do with happy customers. They make it hard for customers to say thanks and way too often companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-walker/major-brands-don-t-know-what-to-do-with-happy-customers-they-make-it/) [Paul Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-walker/) > [“space—75% of B2B customers say they rely on word of mouth, including social media, when making purchase decisions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/space-75-of-b2b-customers-say-they-rely-on-word-of-mouth-including/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) ## More by Steven Gary Blank > [“Therefore, alpha and beta testing are Product Development functions that belong to engineering. They are about validating the product technically, not the market.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-gary-blank/therefore-alpha-and-beta-testing-are-product-development-functions/) [Steven Gary Blank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-gary-blank/) > [“In every company a reason can be found not to do anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-gary-blank/in-every-company-a-reason-can-be-found-not-to-do-anything/) [Steven Gary Blank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-gary-blank/) > [“one approach to defining the minimum features set is to ask, “What is the smallest or least complicated problem the customer will pay us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-gary-blank/one-approach-to-defining-the-minimum-features-set-is-to-ask-what-is/) [Steven Gary Blank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-gary-blank/) > [“If they agree with you about the problems, get them to explain why they think it is important to solve them”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-gary-blank/if-they-agree-with-you-about-the-problems-get-them-to-explain-why/) [Steven Gary Blank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-gary-blank/) > [“When one company owns over 80 percent share (think Microsoft), that player is the owner of the market and a monopolist. 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I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [Leo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Eden. Every year, you look at their numbers - score goals, assists, minutes - to see they play very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro/leo-cristiano-ronaldo-neymar-eden-every-year-you-look-at-their/) [Pedro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro/) > [“So Jace is my actual family," Kit said. "But I can't go live with him, because him and his hot girlfriend are going off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/so-jace-is-my-actual-family-kit-said-but-i-can-t-go-live-with-him/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-goal-of-spiritual-practice-is-full-recovery-and-the-only-thing/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Every drop of rain hits its appointed target.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-newton/every-drop-of-rain-hits-its-appointed-target/) [John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-newton/) > [“Achieving mental harmony is one of the greatest goals and experiences in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kambiz-mostofizadeh/achieving-mental-harmony-is-one-of-the-greatest-goals-and-experiences/) [Kambiz Mostofizadeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kambiz-mostofizadeh/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Too many times we flitter our energy into too many goals and in the process don't achieve much. Focus is very important in life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaishali-kasture/too-many-times-we-flitter-our-energy-into-too-many-goals-and-in-the/) [Vaishali Kasture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaishali-kasture/) > [Plainly, the environment must be a living one, directed by a higher intelligence, arranged by an adult who is prepared for his mission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/plainly-the-environment-must-be-a-living-one-directed-by-a-higher/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [According to the best research, less than 3% of Americans have written goals, and less than 1% review and rewrite their goals on a daily basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/according-to-the-best-research-less-than-3-of-americans-have-written/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [When you have accomplished your goal simply walk away. This is the path way to Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/when-you-have-accomplished-your-goal-simply-walk-away-this-is-the/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [“What shapes us is not always our achievements but our omissions. Not lies; simply the truths we don’t tell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-tudor/what-shapes-us-is-not-always-our-achievements-but-our-omissions-not/) [C.J. Tudor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-tudor/) [Browse all 21,276 Goals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I ask them, “If the product were free, how many would you actually deploy or use?” The goal is to take pricing away as an issue and see whether the product itself gets customers excited. If it does, I follow up with: “OK, it’s not free. In fact, imagine I charged you $1 million. Would you buy it?” While this may sound like a facetious dialog, I use it all the time. Why? Because more than half the time customers will say something like, “Steve, you’re out of your mind. This product isn’t worth more than $250,000.” I’ve just gotten customers to tell me how much they are willing to pay. 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