The Value Stacking Sequence That Increases Deal Size by 35%

Sahib

Jun 11, 2025

What you'll learn in this issue:

✓ Why listing benefits actually decreases perceived value

✓ The strategic sequence that compounds value perception

✓ How one consultant tripled their project scope without changing rates

✓ A proven formula for presenting multiple value components

"That's way more than we budgeted"

The CFO's response was immediate and definitive. My client had just presented a $180,000 consulting proposal comprehensive, well-researched, and fairly priced for the scope of work involved.

But instead of defending the price or offering a discount, she did something unexpected. She pulled out a single sheet of paper and said:

"You're absolutely right. Let me show you exactly why this investment makes sense or doesn't for your organization."

What happened next transformed how she approached every proposal afterward. The technique she used resulted in the CFO not only approving the original $180,000 but expanding the project to $310,000

That was my introduction to the Value Stacking Sequence a framework that has since helped dozens of professionals dramatically increase their deal sizes without changing their core offerings

The Problem with Traditional Value Presentation

Most sales professionals present value by:

Listing all benefits and features
Assigning dollar amounts to each benefit
Adding them up to justify the price
Comparing the total to their fee

This approach seems logical, but it violates a key principle of behavioral economics: when people see a long list of benefits, they instinctively discount each individual item rather than compound them

Research from Princeton shows that buyers actually perceive less total value when presented with many benefits simultaneously, because cognitive overload triggers skepticism rather than appreciation.

Case Study: How a company Transformed Their Proposal Success Rate

Jennifer leads sales for a company, a business intelligence consultancy. Despite having strong client relationships and competitive pricing, their proposal acceptance rate was stuck at 30%. Prospects often responded with "this seems like a lot" or "we need to think about it"

This company was overwhelming prospects with comprehensive benefit lists that triggered analysis paralysis rather than decision confidence

The Solution: We implemented the Value Stacking Sequence with three strategic layers:

1. The Foundation Value (Primary Problem Solution) Instead of presenting multiple benefits, Jennifer's team led with one core value that addressed the prospect's most urgent pain point:

"The primary value here is eliminating the 40 hours per month your team currently spends on manual reporting. At your loaded labor rate, that's $90,000 annually in recovered productivity"

2. The Amplifier Values (Multiplying Effects) Only after establishing the foundation did they introduce values that multiplied or enhanced the primary benefit:

"This productivity gain creates three amplifying effects: your team can take on two additional client projects per quarter, your reporting accuracy improves to eliminate costly errors, and your leadership gets real-time insights instead of week-old data"

3. The Catalyst Values (Future Possibilities) Finally, they presented values that only became possible once the foundation was established:

"With reliable automation in place, you can then implement predictive analytics and automated alerts capabilities that typically add another $150,000 in value but require the foundation we're building first"

The Results:

Proposal acceptance rate increased from 70%
Average project value grew by 40%
Discount requests decreased by 40%
Client satisfaction scores improved by 20%

The key insight? By sequencing value presentation strategically, prospects could mentally process and accept each layer before moving to the next, creating compound appreciation rather than cognitive overload.

Three Ways to Implement the Value Stacking Sequence Today

1. Identify Your Value Hierarchy

Organize your benefits into three categories:

Foundation: Core problem resolution (typically 60-70% of total value)
Amplifiers: Benefits that multiply or enhance the foundation (20-30%)
Catalysts: Future opportunities enabled by success (10-20%)

Example for a sales training program:

Foundation: "Increase close rates from 23% to 31%"
Amplifier: "Shorter sales cycles mean 40% more opportunities per quarter"
Catalyst: "Higher-performing team attracts better talent and reduces turnover"

2. Create Your Sequential Value Scripts

Develop specific language for each layer that builds naturally:

Foundation script: "The core value is [specific, measurable outcome]. In your situation, that represents [dollar amount or impact]"

Amplifier transition: "This improvement creates additional benefits that multiply the initial value"

Catalyst transition: "Once you've achieved this foundation, new possibilities become available"

3. Use the Value Validation Technique

After presenting each layer, confirm understanding before moving forward:

Foundation: "Does this core benefit align with your priority?"
Amplifier: "Can you see how these additional effects would impact your operation?"
Catalyst: "What would these future capabilities mean for your organization?"

This technique prevents cognitive overload while ensuring each value component is fully appreciated

The $310,000 Expansion

Back to that CFO who said the budget was too high. My client's value stacking sequence unfolded like this:

Foundation: "The core value is eliminating the $240,000 annual cost of your current inefficient inventory management process"

The CFO nodded this matched his internal calculations

Amplifier: "This efficiency improvement enables your team to take on the West Coast expansion six months earlier than planned, which our analysis shows would generate an additional $180,000 in first-year revenue."

The CFO's expression shifted from skeptical to interested

Catalyst: "Once we've established this foundation, you'll be positioned to implement the predictive analytics system you mentioned wanting, which would typically require another consulting engagement but could be integrated into this project for maximum efficiency."

Result? Not only did he approve the original $180,000, but he expanded the scope to include the predictive analytics work bringing the total to $310,000.

His explanation: "I can see how each piece builds on the others. It makes sense to do it all together"

What's Next?

This week, analyze how you currently present value to prospects. Are you overwhelming them with simultaneous benefits, or building appreciation sequentially?

Your challenge: Take your next proposal and reorganize the value presentation into the three-layer sequence. Notice how prospects respond differently.

Next week: I'll share the "Consensus Building Framework" that has helped teams navigate complex B2B sales with multiple stakeholders, increasing close rates by up to 45%.

Until then,