{"id":1639,"date":"2024-07-05T07:00:44","date_gmt":"2024-07-05T07:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/suimy.me\/?p=1639"},"modified":"2024-07-10T17:09:28","modified_gmt":"2024-07-10T17:09:28","slug":"freelancers-tips-for-increasing-your-rates-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/suimy.me\/index.php\/2024\/07\/05\/freelancers-tips-for-increasing-your-rates-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Freelancers: Tips for Increasing Your Rates"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As a freelancer, raising your rates is crucial not just for your growth as a creative business owner but also for improving the <strong>quality of clients<\/strong> you attract. If you work for lower rates, you\u2019ll find it harder to attract high-profile clients. Why? Because top-tier clients usually associate lower prices with lower quality. They may assume you\u2019re not very good at what you do.<\/p>\n<p>Our brains tend to devalue products or services that are priced too low, even if they\u2019re actually valuable. This is why it\u2019s important <strong>not to be perceived as the cheap option<\/strong> if you\u2019re a designer.<\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019re seen as the budget choice, it can be tough to change that perception. But don\u2019t worry, we\u2019ll guide you on how to overcome this challenge so you can attract the quality clients you deserve.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ref-block ref-block--post\" id=\"ref-post-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/high-demand-designers\/\" class=\"ref-block__link\" title=\"Read More: How to Become A High-Demand Designer\" rel=\"bookmark\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">How to Become A High-Demand Designer<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"ref-block__thumbnail img-thumb img-thumb--jumbo\" data-img=\"{ &quot;src&quot; : &quot;https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/thumbs\/250x160\/high-demand-designers.jpg&quot; }\">\n<p>.no-js #ref-block-post-15021 .ref-block__thumbnail { background-image: url(&#8220;https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/thumbs\/250&#215;160\/high-demand-designers.jpg&#8221;); }<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"ref-block__summary\">\n<h4 class=\"ref-title\">How to Become A High-Demand Designer<\/h4>\n<p class=\"ref-description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tDiscover the high demand for designers in today&#8217;s job market. Learn which skills are most sought after and&#8230;\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Read more<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h4>Ask Not What Your Client Can Do For You\u2026<\/h4>\n<p>Here\u2019s how most freelance designers attempt to raise their rates. They start with a nice, slightly timid email that goes something like this:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Hi so-and-so, just wanted to let you know I\u2019ll be raising my rates. <\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Sorry to have to do this, but well, you know how it is.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Okay, maybe it\u2019s not exactly in those words, but that\u2019s a general idea.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a reason why this doesn\u2019t work well with many clients, and it\u2019s not because they\u2019re all cheapskates who don\u2019t understand the value of your work. The reason this approach rarely succeeds is that your client has mentally <strong>locked you in as being \u201cworth\u201d a certain amount<\/strong> of money.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ref-block ref-block--post\" id=\"ref-post-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/paying-for-good-design\/\" class=\"ref-block__link\" title=\"Read More: Why Are People Reluctant to Invest in Quality Design?\" rel=\"bookmark\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Why Are People Reluctant to Invest in Quality Design?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"ref-block__thumbnail img-thumb img-thumb--jumbo\" data-img=\"{ &quot;src&quot; : &quot;https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/thumbs\/250x160\/paying-for-good-design.jpg&quot; }\">\n<p>.no-js #ref-block-post-15166 .ref-block__thumbnail { background-image: url(&#8220;https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/thumbs\/250&#215;160\/paying-for-good-design.jpg&#8221;); }<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"ref-block__summary\">\n<h4 class=\"ref-title\">Why Are People Reluctant to Invest in Quality Design?<\/h4>\n<p class=\"ref-description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn the benefits of paying for good design and how it can improve your brand&#8217;s image and customer&#8230;\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Read more<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5>What\u2019s Your Value?<\/h5>\n<p>They probably haven\u2019t done this maliciously, but regardless, that\u2019s how they see you. Your value is tied to <em>X<\/em> amount of dollars. To overcome this, you need to approach your clients <strong>from a value-based perspective<\/strong> rather than a money-based one.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of just announcing that you\u2019re raising your rates, think about the kind of value you can provide your clients that would make them willing to pay you more.<\/p>\n<h5>Client Surveys<\/h5>\n<p>If you don\u2019t know the answer, ask them to fill out a client survey. If you\u2019ve done client surveys before, make this one a bit different. In this survey, you\u2019re trying to figure out <strong>what your client\u2019s major concerns are in their business<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Focus on what they need and ask what you could do to make their business more successful.<\/p>\n<h4>A Little Bit More<\/h4>\n<p>After you\u2019ve learned what, specifically, your client is looking for in terms of value, it\u2019s time to send them an email detailing your rate change.<\/p>\n<h5>Gentle Reminder<\/h5>\n<p>First, remind your client exactly what you\u2019ve already done to provide value. This is crucial to <strong>establishing yourself as a freelancer who has been an important asset<\/strong> to your client\u2019s success. (This is your time to brag, so be specific). You didn\u2019t just design a website, a logo, or a branded image. You <strong>revitalized their business<\/strong>: helped them improve their traffic flow, increased their visibility, and helped them make more money.<\/p>\n<p>Based on your survey results, which hopefully you\u2019ve done with all of your current and recent clients, you will have gotten a sense of the general things the majority of your clients are looking for. The next thing to include in your email is some sort of <strong>acknowledgment of this need<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h5>Trial Run<\/h5>\n<p>This will be your \u2018bait\u2019, so to speak \u2013 you\u2019re going to reel the client in on the strength of this next offer. If your clients are really looking for a specific way to get more Twitter followers, for example, try <strong>offering them that one service, free of charge<\/strong>. That\u2019s right, this is one time where working for free will actually be a benefit.<\/p>\n<p>The purpose of this offer is not to give away valuable services for free. You\u2019ll want to restrict it to just one service offer, for a limited number of hours. Just a taste of the value they\u2019ll be getting at your newly adjusted rate.<\/p>\n<p>If this is <strong>a good client whom you\u2019ve had a good run with<\/strong>, be sure to let them know that. You\u2019ve helped them with some very important parts of their business \u2013 their online presence, their brand, their reputation with their customers. This makes you and your client <strong>part of the same money-making team.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4>Make The Announcement<\/h4>\n<p>So now you\u2019ve detailed exactly what you\u2019ve done for your client so far. You\u2019ve offered to provide even more value going forward. You\u2019ve <strong>laid the foundation to announce your new higher rate<\/strong>. Be clear about what your rates are now, and what they\u2019re going to be in the near future. This is no time to get wishy-washy or timid, no excuses or apologies are necessary \u2013 or appropriate.<\/p>\n<p>You work very hard to provide a valuable service to your clients. If you really believe you deserve a raise, your client will believe it as well. <strong>If you don\u2019t believe you deserve a raise, they\u2019ll believe that also<\/strong>. So be firm and give a solid \u2018no\u2019 to any offers to haggle. If this means you lose a client or two, then so be it. Perhaps you can refer them to another service provider who is more in line with their price range.<\/p>\n<h4>The Icing On The Cake<\/h4>\n<p>But don\u2019t just stop there! There\u2019s one more important step to clinching the deal and making your clients thrilled to give you more money. The final part of your email ought to include some sort of <strong>plan of action you intend to take<\/strong> in the next 2 weeks, 30 days, 3 months, or whatever block of time you feel is appropriate to the work you do.<\/p>\n<p>Give your client something to look forward to, so that they can <strong>immediately see the benefit to keeping you around<\/strong>. How long would it take them to find another designer as organized and dedicated as you are? If they are a valuable client, they won\u2019t be interested in finding out.<\/p>\n<p>Why take time out of their schedule to find someone cheaper to do an inferior job when they have a superstar offering them the perfect solution right now? When your clients know they are getting real value, saving real time, and making real revenue, they\u2019re less likely to quibble on price.<\/p>\n<h4>In Conclusion<\/h4>\n<p>If all of this sounds like more work than you may have signed up for in the beginning, that\u2019s a good indication to re-evaluate your relationship to providing value for your clients. If you think about it, you\u2019re already getting paid a certain rate for the type of work you do.<\/p>\n<p>Logically, there is no reason to request more money for the exact same thing you\u2019re doing now \u2013 <strong>going above and beyond your current level<\/strong> is the only way to confidently ask for a raise. As the saying goes, the more you give, the more you get; and nowhere is that more true than in the freelancer-client dynamic.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/raising-your-rates\/\">Freelancers: Tips for Increasing Your Rates<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\">Hongkiat<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a freelancer, raising your rates is crucial not just for your growth as a creative business owner but also [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/suimy.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1639"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/suimy.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/suimy.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/suimy.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/suimy.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1639"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/suimy.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1640,"href":"http:\/\/suimy.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1639\/revisions\/1640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/suimy.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/suimy.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/suimy.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}