In recent days, the uproar surrounding HoneyBook’s decision to implement a 50% price hike has sparked heated discussions across social media platforms. Loyal customers are venting frustrations, competitors are seizing the opportunity to poach users, and business owners are asking one big question: What does this mean for the future of sales?

As entrepreneurs, moments like this are more than just industry gossip—they’re case studies packed with lessons. In this blog post, we’ll break down three key sales predictions for 2025, using HoneyBook’s pricing drama as a springboard to understand what works (and what doesn’t) in today’s evolving marketplace.

Let’s dive into the future of sales and how you can position your business to thrive in 2025.

1. Trust is Currency

Trust isn’t just nice to have; it’s the foundation of every successful sale. Without trust, it doesn’t matter how great your product or service is—your audience won’t invest.

HoneyBook’s price hike offers a perfect example of what happens when trust falters. While the company had been transparent about their platform updates throughout the year, many customers still felt blindsided by the sudden pricing announcement. The issue wasn’t just the increase itself—it was how the increase made people feel. Customers perceived the decision as abrupt and misaligned with their expectations, eroding trust.

So, how can you ensure you’re building trust instead of breaking it? Here are three key takeaways:

• Transparency Must Be Customer-Centered: Share not just what you’re doing, but why it matters to your audience. For example, instead of announcing, “We’ve added new features, so prices are increasing,” frame it as, “Here’s how these updates will save you time and help your business grow.”
• Consistency Creates Confidence: Show up consistently in your messaging, offers, and customer experience. Trust isn’t built overnight; it’s the result of predictable, reliable actions over time.
• Empathy Strengthens Trust During Transitions: Changes, like price increases, will always create tension. The difference lies in how you handle it. Create space for feedback, acknowledge concerns, and show your audience that you’re listening.

By focusing on these trust-building strategies, you can ensure that your audience stays with you, even during moments of change.

2. Energetic Alignment is Key

In 2025, consumers aren’t just buying products or services—they’re buying into energy, values, and alignment. This rise in conscious consumerism means that your audience is paying closer attention to how your brand makes them feel.

HoneyBook’s pricing decision also highlights the importance of alignment. While their updates modernized the platform to compete with other CRMs, many customers felt the changes were driven by market competition rather than customer connection. For small business owners already stretched thin, the price hike felt misaligned with their values and needs.

This is why energetic alignment is more important than ever. When your offers, messaging, and business decisions reflect your values, your audience feels that alignment—and it deepens their trust in you.

Here’s how you can stay energetically aligned in your business:

• Align Your Offers with Your Values: Design products and services that solve real problems and reflect your brand’s core mission. Misalignment is easy to spot, and it can erode trust.
• Show Up Authentically: Authenticity doesn’t mean being perfect—it means being real. Let your audience see your passion and purpose.
• Use Transitions as Opportunities to Reconnect: Whether you’re raising prices or launching something new, approach these moments as opportunities to reinforce alignment and deepen connections with your audience.

In 2025, energetic alignment will set the brands that thrive apart from the ones that struggle.

3. Community-Driven Sales Are Unstoppable

Your community isn’t just an audience—they’re your greatest sales engine. People trust recommendations from peers more than any marketing campaign, which is why community-driven sales will dominate in 2025.

Right now, HoneyBook’s community is in a fragile state. Frustrated users are taking to online groups, Instagram threads, and other platforms to share their dissatisfaction and explore alternatives. Competitors like Dubsado are capitalizing on this energy. Just this week, Dubsado reintroduced their Black Friday sale to attract HoneyBook users, positioning themselves as the better option.

On the flip side, let’s look at Kajabi as an example of how to do this well. Kajabi leverages their community strategically by involving customers in beta testing new features and amplifying their success stories. This creates a feedback loop where the community feels valued, heard, and excited to share their wins, naturally driving sales.

Here’s how you can activate community-driven sales in your business:

• Involve Your Audience in the Process: Whether through beta testing, feedback surveys, or sneak peeks, make your community feel like co-creators of your brand.
• Celebrate Community Wins: Highlight the success stories of your customers. When people see others thriving because of your work, it inspires belief and action.
• Create Spaces for Connection: Build spaces where your audience can connect with you and each other, whether it’s a private group, live event, or interactive forum. Stronger connections lead to stronger advocacy.

When you nurture your community, you’re not just building customers—you’re creating a movement.

Bringing It All Together

HoneyBook’s pricing drama offers valuable lessons about the future of sales. As we move into 2025, remember these three key predictions:

1. Trust is Currency: Build trust through transparency, consistency, and empathy. It’s the foundation of every sale.
2. Energetic Alignment is Key: Align your offers and messaging with your values to attract conscious consumers.
3. Community-Driven Sales Are Unstoppable: Empower your audience to become advocates for your brand by involving, celebrating, and connecting with them.

If you want to explore these lessons deeper, check out the full podcast episode, How Sales Will Look in 2025: Lessons from HoneyBook's Pricing Drama. In the episode, we go even further into how you can apply these strategies to your business today.

Ready to future-proof your sales strategy? Let’s make 2025 your most aligned and profitable year yet. Learn more about SELFmade Success System® https://www.smssacademy.com/selfmade-success-system-2025