How to Quote Your Consulting Fees with Confidence

So you are in a discovery session with a great prospective client, the conversation is really going well and you hear the magic words. “I am interested, what do you charge?”

How do you respond?

  • Do you start to stutter and hesitate before saying your fees?
  • Do you circle back and start listing all your services again?
  • Do you find yourself justifying the fee before quoting it?

Don’t be too hard on yourself, you are definitely not alone. Most consultants and solopreneurs struggle when talking about their fees. But if you’re going to be successful and have a profitable consulting business, you have to get good at talking about money!

Practice Saying Your Fees.

The first rule for quoting your prices with confidence is simply to practice. Say to yourself, say it to a mentor, say it to your business coach, say it to your accountability partner…just keep saying it.

The more you say your rates out loud, (not in your head) the more natural it will be for you and you will have more confidence when saying it to a prospects.

Try Smiling When You Say It.

Whether you’re on the phone, writing an email, and facing a prospective client, smile when you say your fees. Your tone of voice, body language, energy and choice of words shift when you smile.

A strong positive tone conveys confidence, authority and professionalism…after all, you have a wealth of corporate experience behind those fees, right?

Avoid Sounding Hesitant or Unsure.

Listen to yourself as you speak to prospective clients. Are you saying things like, “Well, normally I charge…” or “Actually, my fees are…” or “Do you think that $XX.00 will work for you?

None of these statements sound convincing…furthermore they don’t instill confidence in your prospective clients, and even worse, they make you sound like you don’t believe in yourself.

Rather than squeaking out a timid, “Um, I charge, like $1,000 per month,” try this instead, “Total investment for my monthly, premium consulting package is $1,000 and I accept all major credit cards“. Boom.

Understand That Silence Is Golden.

The first time you quote consulting fees that are in line with what you’re worth, you will be nervous or even intimidated, but don’t keep talking! Silence is fine, let the other person digest what you said and don’t overthink the situation.

So when you’re talking price, avoid the urge to fill the silence (especially because you’re most likely to try to justify your pricing) and let your prospective client take time to respond.

Will speaking with confidence always land you a new client, every time? Probably not, but being able to comfortably and confidently discuss your services AND your fees play a big part in converting prospective clients into paying clients.

 

It’s easy to quote your consulting fees with confidence when you are being paid what you’re worth.

(Photos: frankly242/freedigitalphotos.net)