Negotiating your rate

What to do when there’s budget misalignment

Happy Friday, friends!

One of the most frequent questions I get asked about pricing services is whether I ever negotiate my rate - and the TL;DR is:

I don’t negotiate my rate.

(Speaking of rates and pricing - if you want to feel more confident in your rates, develop strategic offers, and build a clear path to your revenue goals, my upcoming Nail Your Pricing workshop is specifically designed to help you do just that. Check it out here!)

So let’s talk about why, what I do instead, and some common “what if’s.”

💰 Why I Don’t Negotiate My Rate

I’ve adjusted my rate downward to win specific clients twice in the past, and in both instances, I ended up regretting it. Even when I was well into the work, I felt like the client was constantly questioning or challenging my value - and that’s not a fun way to work.

The second reason is opportunity cost. Lowering my rate to win one client could prevent me from taking on another client willing to pay my full rate. Now, in all transparency, I only got comfortable with this when I started to take a more intentional and consistent approach to business development - with a strong pipeline, I can feel confident that the next opportunity is always just around the corner.

➡️ What I Do Instead

Here’s how I approach rate conversations without negotiating: