> generally increases their yield 2-4x

> spend 5k to make 50k

I'm sure it has nothing to do with people making numbers up.

I understand that I don't have the same insight into your customers as you do, but to give a counterpoint, I charge significantly higher than $5k for my services and my customers don't receive any tangible improvement to their revenue as a result. I have not found that they are incredulous about my rates, let alone due to pride. Maybe there's something other than pride at play here, such as market dynamics or your product?

Your customers' pride could be one reason why they refuse to spend that, but have you considered that this is an uncharitable perspective? Don't you think it could also be because they have honest reservations about your product or better alternatives for their business than that they are obstinately refusing to just hand over their money to make $50k?

I think it's much more likely that the situation is actually quite nuanced with competing incentives, priorities and perspectives on either side. An information asymmetry is not the same thing as irrationality.

As someone who has operated in the world of digital advertising, this may have more to do with the fact that so much bullshit has been slung at both advertisers and publishers that there is an incredible amount of skepticism about advertising products.

1. They don't believe the benefit will be realised in their circumstance.

2. There is both opportunity cost and hidden cost for trying your solution.

And to add, these are reasonable things for a consumer to believe that are not evidence of irrationality.

Have you had success overcoming that? I suspect a rational counter won't win over an irrational objection. But will an irrational plea (eg play to their ego) work?