Latest / Freelance Careers with Fexingo: Independent Work, Consulting, and Self-Employment / How a Freelance Consultant Raised Rates by Publishing a Pricing Page
Transcript
- Lucas: So Marta Ruiz runs a small operations consulting practice, mostly for e-commerce brands between five and twenty million in revenue. And in January of this year, she did something that most freelancers would consider absolutely terrifying. She published her prices on her website. Luna: Wait, like actual numbers? For everyone to see? Lucas: Actual numbers. Three packages, from a ten thousand dollar diagnostics sprint up to a forty-thousand-dollar annual retainer. And the result was pretty striking. Her average project value went up about thirty-five percent over the next six months, and the number of lowball inquiries she got basically fell off a cliff. Luna: That's fascinating. But I have to ask, wasn't she worried about competitors undercutting her or clients just cherry-picking the cheapest option? Lucas: She was worried. But she had a theory. She'd been in business for about four years, and she was tired of the dance where a prospect asks for a proposal, she sends a quote, and then they ghost her. She figured if someone saw her prices upfront and still reached out, they were already sold on the value, not just the price. Luna: So it's like a filter, but for serious buyers only. Lucas: Exactly. And the interesting part is how she structured the page. She didn't just list three numbers. She anchored with the middle package first, which was the one she most wanted to sell, and then positioned the high-end retainer as the 'best value' for companies that really wanted to move the needle. Luna: That's classic price anchoring. But what about the language around it? Did she just say 'here's what I charge' or did she frame it differently? Lucas: She framed every package around an outcome, not an hour. So instead of saying 'ten hours of consulting,' she said 'a two-week diagnostics sprint that gives you a prioritized roadmap with projected savings.' And she included a note that the investment was 'based on the scope of similar engagements with companies in your revenue range.' Luna: So she's telling them what it costs, but she's also telling them why it's worth it. That's a fine line to walk. Lucas: It is. And she told me that the first time someone booked a call after seeing the page, she was bracing for a negotiation. But the client opened with 'we saw your diagnostics sprint, that's exactly what we need, can we start next week?' She didn't have to justify a thing. Luna: That must have felt amazing. But what about the downside? Did she get any pushback from existing clients who saw the page and thought they were overpaying? Lucas: That was her biggest fear. But it didn't happen. In fact, one of her long-term clients saw the page and upgraded from the middle package to the annual retainer because they realized they were getting a better deal by locking in. Luna: So the transparency actually increased trust. It made her look more confident, not less. Lucas: And that's the psychological shift she's been talking about. When you hide your prices, you're signaling that they're negotiable, that you're not sure they're worth it. When you publish them, you're saying 'this is what I'm worth, take it or leave it.' And most buyers respect that. Luna: But there's a risk too, right? What if a prospect sees the price and just decides you're out of their league without even reaching out? You lose that chance to educate them. Lucas: That's real. Marta told me she did lose a few potential clients who were probably operating on a much smaller budget. But she was okay with that, because those clients would have been a struggle to work with anyway. She'd rather have ten qualified leads than fifty tire-kickers. Luna: So it's a quality over quantity trade-off. And it sounds like it's working. Lucas: Yeah. Six months in, she's actually increased her rates again, because the page gave her the confidence to do it. She said it was like a forcing function. Once the prices are out there, you have to deliver on that level, and that raises your own game. Luna: That's a great point. And I imagine it also saves a lot of time in the sales process. No more back and forth about budget before you even know if they're serious. Lucas: Absolutely. She told me her sales cycle shortened by about two weeks on average, because the initial discovery call was way more focused. Clients came in already knowing the ballpark, so they could talk about specifics instead of asking 'how much do you charge per hour?' Luna: The hourly question. The bane of every freelancer's existence. Lucas: Right. And that's the thing, the page made it so that conversation just never happened. She had one client who asked for a discount after seeing the page, and she handled it by pointing to the scope adjustments they could make to bring the price down, rather than just slashing her rate. Luna: So she maintained the integrity of the price but offered flexibility in the deliverable. That's a smart move. Lucas: Exactly. And she said that client ended up going with a smaller package, but they were happy with it and have already talked about scaling up next year. So she kept the relationship without compromising her value. Luna: I love that. So what would you say to a freelancer who's thinking about doing this but is still scared? What's the first step? Lucas: Marta's advice is to start with your middle package. Don't publish everything at once. Just pick the one offering you sell most often, put a price on it, and see how it feels. You can always adjust after a few weeks. Luna: That's a low-risk way to test the waters. And I guess it's also a way to get feedback from the market without committing to a full pricing page. Lucas: Exactly. And she also said to write the page as if you're writing to your ideal client, not to a faceless audience. Use the language they use, talk about the outcomes they care about, and don't be afraid to show a bit of personality. Luna: That makes it feel more human, less like a price tag. Lucas: Right. And one more thing she mentioned: she put a FAQ section on the page, answering things like 'what if I need more than the retainer?' and 'do you offer payment plans?' That preempts a lot of questions and makes the page feel even more transparent. Luna: That's a good idea. It's like you're having a conversation with them before they even email you. Lucas: And that's really the theme of this whole approach. It's about being upfront, being confident, and letting the right clients self-select. I think that's a lesson that applies beyond just pricing pages. Luna: Yeah, you know, that kind of transparency is something we try to do here too. We keep this show ad-free, and that's a deliberate choice. If you've gotten value from these episodes, and you want to support that choice, you can find us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Lucas: Yeah, we keep it simple. Just a way for listeners to help keep the lights on, and it means we never have to run ads. We appreciate anyone who's ever considered it. Luna: And we'll get back to the topic, because we've got a good question from a listener about how Marta handles clients who ask for a discount even after seeing the page. Lucas: Right, that's actually a great follow-up. She told me that the key is to never say 'no' outright. She always asks what they're trying to achieve and then shows how she can adjust the scope to meet their budget. That way, she's not lowering her rate, she's changing the offer. Luna: It's a classic win-win. They feel heard, and she keeps her rate intact. Lucas: Exactly. And over time, she's noticed that the clients who initially ask for a discount often end up being her best long-term partners, because they're engaged and detail-oriented. So it's not a red flag, it's just a conversation. Luna: That's a really positive way to look at it. So what's the one thing you'd want listeners to remember from this episode? Lucas: I think it's that publishing your prices isn't about showing your cards, it's about showing your confidence. If you know your value, putting a number on it publicly can actually attract the right clients and repel the wrong ones. And that's the whole game. Luna: Well said. And if you're curious about Marta's exact page structure, we'll have more details like that in the show notes. Lucas: Yeah, go check that out. And in the meantime, maybe think about what your own pricing page might look like. Even if it's just a starting point. Luna: Until next time.