Raising prices feels worse to the person sending the email than to most clients reading it. Clients expect costs to move. What they do not like is a surprise, a vague reason or a number with no date. A good notice is short, specific and early enough that they can plan.

Check your contract first

Look at your agreement for a notice period or a term. If a client is on a fixed price for a year, the new price starts at renewal. If you work month to month, a notice of 30 to 60 days is common and polite, but use what your contract says. If you have no agreement, write one, starting with a scope of work.

Decide the number and the date

State one price and one effective date. Examples in this article: $90 an hour to $105, effective March 1. A rise of about 15 percent after two years is easy to explain; doubling a rate needs a new scope. Many people grandfather their longest clients for a few months, a small gesture that costs little.

Template 1: a standard notice

Subject: A change to my rates from March 1

Hi Colin, I wanted to give you plenty of notice. From March 1, my rate moves from $90 to $105 an hour. It has been two years since my last change, and costs for tools and insurance have gone up. Work scheduled before March 1 stays at the current rate. Thank you for being a great client. Happy to talk through any questions. Alex

Template 2: a flat monthly retainer

Subject: Your retainer from April

Hi Colin, starting with the April invoice, your monthly retainer will go from $1,800 to $2,050. Nothing about the scope changes: the same four reports and the same weekly call. If you would rather adjust the scope than the price, tell me and I will put together an option. Alex

Template 3: for a long time client, with a grace period

Subject: A small update, and a thank you

Hi Colin, after four years I am updating my rates. For you, the new rate of $105 starts on June 1, three months later than for new clients. I wanted you to hear it from me first. Alex

What not to do

  • Do not apologize three times. One line of thanks is enough.
  • Do not blame a single cause you cannot back up.
  • Do not bury the number in the fourth paragraph.
  • Do not send it on a Friday afternoon and disappear.

When a client pushes back

Some will ask for a discount. Offer a choice rather than a cut: keep the old price with a smaller scope, or the new price with the full scope. Another option is a longer term at the new price. If a client leaves over a 15 percent rise, you may be glad to make room for better work; see how to fire a client for the other side of the coin.

Raise prices for new clients first

The cleanest test of a new rate is the next quote. If new buyers say yes to the new price without flinching, you probably waited too long. Pair it with a quote that spells out what is included, as in how to write a quote for a service.

One more tip: send the notice by email and mention it in your next call, so nobody learns of it only from an invoice. If you bill through software, check that the new rate is set on the right date, because a rate that changes early by accident is the one mistake clients remember. And keep a short note of each reply, since a client who asks a question about the change is often about to renew.

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