Not sure what to charge? That was me too.
If you want to know the HARDEST part of running my business for the last 12+ years…
it's not figuring out how to explain Somatic Coaching for the fifty millionth time (though that comes in second)
-- it's pricing.
It’s taken me my entire career as a copywriter to find an answer I’m comfortable with to the “million dollar question”:
How do I price my services?
For years, I did what we all do: I looked around to see what other copywriters' prices were. SKY HIGH. Even newbies who didn't know their PAS from their posteriors were charging $5000 for a 3-page website. They were clearly stalking Marie Forleo type coaches, the type of "high end" clients we're all told to go after.
I couldn't justify charging those prices. Even after 12+ years of copywriting professionally, I can’t justify those prices.
I didn't want those "high end" clients who were in constant LAUNCH MODE anyway (exhausting!).
But without seeing any role models who priced differently, I was completely lost. And every time I adjusted my prices, I would sway wildly to one extreme or another. Stupidly cheap to "Let's see what I can get away with" high, and my stomach was in knots every single time.
It's only been in the last few years that I've started to meet other people who are questioning the "Charge MORE!" philosophy (shout-out to biz coaches like George Kao, Tad Hargrave, Caroline Leon).
We're not asking how much we can get, we're asking:
What if we make accessibility a priority?
What if we charge with "enough" as a goal?
What if we price according to what we need to live comfortably, not exorbitantly?
What if we grow not through raising rates as fast and far as we can, but by finding ways to expand who we can help?
Without burning out. Let that be said.
Thanks to my business coach, Caroline Leon, who also doesn't charge as much as she could, I found a set of prices that doesn't make me queasy. In fact, I feel really good telling people my prices. Even when I get occasional blowback "That's a lot!" (hah, have you SEEN what other copywriters charge? Go look. I'll wait.), or, "You're not charging enough!" (which rarely comes from a client, but often comes from people who are super invested in the Charge More philosophy and take my pricing as a personal affront).
What I've learned is:
Not everyone will be 100% happy with your prices. But you should be. Price in a way that makes you feel good, even if you doubt yourself, even if you suspect your inner child is holding the calculator, even if impostor syndrome is nipping at your heels, even if "everyone" tells you something different. If you're happy and able to pay your bills, you're doing it right.
What you charge doesn't actually affect your credibility as much as your confidence and actual expertise. There's an argument (that I hate) that if you don't charge HIGH enough, nobody will believe you know what you're doing. I call bullshit. If you embody the energy of "I am so damn good at this" - no client is going to question you. And when we are working in our zones of genius, we DO embody that energy!
Low prices don't necessarily attract cheapskate pain-in-the-butt clients (but they can). Before I really dug into my niche (what they need, what they value, what frustrates them, what they fear, and what they deeply want) I used to 'price out' assholes. It works. There is a type of client who loves getting a deal, and will even haggle you down further, AND THEN take up 150% more of your time than they have a right to. The easiest way to get rid of that type is to stop being a deal (and hold firm boundaries around your time). But. When you do understand your niche, and you build your website to be an almost perfect filter to attract truly ideal clients, you don't need to use price as your primary filter. I don't attract cheapskate clients anymore, even though I am "a deal". That is the power of copy, branding, and design (they all work together to create an almost-perfect filter for delightful clients, which is why we teach them together in The Website Launch Bootcamp).
So if you are feeling uneasy (or downright queasy) about your prices, good! Question them! Question everyone's! And find a rate that feeds your body and soul.
I'm not saying I'm opposed to ever raising my prices. I definitely will, because inflation + living in California + life tends to be increasingly expensive. But I am saying that my prices are a direct extension of my values and purpose, and that's not gonna change.
Which leads me to...
Starting March 1st, I'm increasing my MindMeld rates from $465/page to $520
If you've been thinking of working together, MindMelds are a great way to go (pick 1 page, you get 1 info-gathering call, and 1 strong draft written by me -- no revisions included). If you'd like to lock in the current rate, choose your page and BOOK YOUR MINDMELD. As long as you pay before March 1st, you're in!
Why I'm raising my MindMeld rates: I had to be honest with myself about how much time and effort I've been putting into these drafts, and it's a lot. It's every bit as much effort and time as I put into my full-service offers (just minus a couple of revision calls). So, I'm changing the rate to reflect that.
Book your MindMeld sessions for $465 until March 1st 2022!