Pillar 03 / Cluster 3B

Raising your consulting rates with existing and new clients

TL;DR: When and how to raise your rates without apology, and without losing the clients worth keeping.

How do you raise your consulting rates with the clients you already have?

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4 Questions About Raising your consulting rates with existing and new clients

How do I raise my rates without losing clients?

Raise your rate on new work first, then move existing clients at a natural boundary. Most of them stay, because starting over costs them more.

Am I undercharging for my consulting work?

Probably, and there's a fast test: if nobody ever hesitates at your number, you're priced under the value. Here are the seven signals worth checking.

When should I tell a long-time client my rates are going up?

Tell them at a natural boundary with at least one billing cycle of notice, in one plain sentence, with no apology and no case built around it.

What if they say no to my new rates?

Their no is about their budget, never a verdict on your value. Decide your outcomes in advance so you never improvise a discount on the spot.

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Related Clusters

Pillar 03 / Cluster 3A

How to price consulting services

How consulting work gets priced on value instead of hours. The head query "how do I price my consulting services?" stays with this hub, so no node competes with it.

Pillar 03 / Cluster 3C

Negotiating consulting fees and protecting your price

How to hold your price through pushback, procurement, and pressure.

Pillar 03 / Cluster 3D

Building pricing confidence as a consultant

Why smart, accomplished women undercharge, and how the internal story changes. The in-the-moment version of the price question lives in cluster 2A; this cluster owns the story underneath it.

Mary G, nonprofit consultant
I just secured a contract for 500% more than I was originally going to quote. I was ready to undervalue my bid and ask for $7,000 but I reached out to Leah and the team for a pep talk and I'm glad I did, because we are now going under contract for $37,500!! I'm stoked!
Denise F, marketing consultant
I was my reviewing my revenue dashboard and it showed that I earned $100K more in 2024 compared to the year before. I joined the Academy in May 2024 and it has transformed my sales approach entirely.
Sarah J, fundraising consultant
We used to book clients just in time to keep income flowing, and we now have a 6-month cushion!
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