Thanks for the pingback on the piece I wrote for The Wealthy Freelancer. Good piece here, but you’re overlooking one crucial thing. You’re talking about raising your rates, but why does a client even need to KNOW your rates. These days, if someone asks me my rate, I say, “Well, I could tell you my hourly rate, but it wouldn’t mean much to you without the context of a particular job. It’d be far better for both of us if I gave you a quote on a particular job.”

If I told prospects I charged $125 an hour (my current rate), many would head for the hills (though most wouldn’t because I come referred to them and they know roughly what to expect). But if they ask, How much for Project X with these parameters?” and I say $1000 because that’s a fair price for such a project and that’s about what they were thinking, we’re in business. If I said $125, they might be thinking – “Geez, times WHAT? 15-20, 25?” But if I can get that project done in 8 hours when it might take another writer 12-15, I’m doing OK.

It gets even more fun when you’re doing repeat projects of the same kind for a client, You may have charged say $1000 before b.c it took you 8 hours, but maybe now, since you’ve done so many, it only takes you 5. Your true hourly rate just jumped to $200.

And none of that is possible if you tell your prospect/client your hourly rate. You want to start crafting your professional persona as that of someone who charges for their expertise, not by the hour. One sounds infinitely more professional than the other, no? And then you effectively sidestep the “price game” that too many freelancers get into and which can only ever end badly. Why? Because there will always be someone willing to do it for less.

My two cents!

PB