Just realized I was underselling my packages for years

Tbh, I had this moment about 3 weeks ago when a client straight up told me my rates were too low. I was doing these social media packages for $400 a month, thinking I was being fair and getting steady work. Then this one business owner said, 'Wait, you do all that for what I pay my nephew?' and I felt pretty dumb. It clicked for me that I was pricing based on what I thought people would pay, not what the work was actually worth. I bumped my rates to $650 after that and only lost one client. Now I'm kicking myself for all the money I left on the table over the last 2 years. Has anyone else had that wake up call where you realized you were selling yourself short?

3 comments

3 Comments

owens.laura5d ago

Good lord, just missing out on $6000 a year must sting a bit. That's a pretty expensive lesson in not letting people lowball you before you even start. At least now you know what happens when you actually ask for a fair price. The one that left was probably a vampire client anyway.

webb.hannah5d ago

Honestly that's one way to look at it, but I bet those vampire clients leave behind a trail of endless revisions and late-night emails. At least she got paid something instead of dealing with psychic damage for pennies.

kimr915d ago

Oh yeah, the "psychic damage for pennies" line is spot on. I read this freelancer blog post once that said the clients who haggle the hardest are usually the ones who demand the most changes and late night emails. @webb.hannah is totally right that she got paid something instead of dealing with that nonsense. That $6000 lesson stings for sure, but at least she learned her worth without losing a bunch of time and energy to someone who would have drained her dry anyway. Those vampire clients are real, and they never stop asking for more.