– EST 2020 –
The Happy Pricing Manifesto
For freelancers, founders and ‘companies of one’ who want to price more purposefully
Stop being paid for your time; free yourself up to do the best work; attract your ideal clients and make the impact you crave.
10 principles
This manifesto was created to challenge your beliefs, spark your curiosity and empower your business.
01
Time ≠ money
02
You are worth more than you think
03
Say no more than you say yes
04
Profit is not a dirty word
05
Price slowly
06
Expensive is cheap in the long-run
07
Selling time is a lie
08
An afternoon nap is not a luxury
09
Free is a strategy, not a business
10
Sometimes it’s OK to walk away
❶
Time ≠ money
Stop selling your time and focus on the value you create
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that the amount you charge has to directly correlate to the number of hours you work.
That’s not fair on you or your client.
Ten minutes of your time could potentially save or create them thousands. And conversely, you could spend days on a problem that makes no difference to a client’s business.
When you sell your time everyone forgets that value comes from solving problems not working long hours. There’s no grace in taking longer than is needed to crack a nut.
❷
You are worth more than you think
Those years and experiences count for something
Imagine being paid for just being you. While you have the expertise, the knowledge and years of experience, there’s more to it than that.
Your clients aren’t just buying a solution but also good feelings. They’re buying trust, understanding and peace of mind.
They want to work with someone who has their best interests at heart.
Your worth isn’t just about what you do, but also how and why you do it. They may be able to go elsewhere, but they can’t get you.
❸
Say no more than you say yes
Your future self will thank you for it
Saying yes to everything makes you better at nothing.
Eventually you just get overwhelmed doing work you don’t enjoy.
Saying yes too soon can also come across as desperate rather than enthusiastic. Saying no on the other hand inspires confidence.
Saying no means you can focus on doing your best work… and get really good at it.
A good, firm no can also be empowering. It builds respect. It’s a signal that you’re in charge and are confident in your value.
❹
Profit is not a dirty word
Profit can fuel your purpose
Profit isn’t just the sum of your costs plus a little bit on top.
Profit is a measure of the value you provide: your unique blend of knowledge, experience and insight.
It fuels all the impactful things you want to achieve. It gives you the power to pay it forward and help others.
It’s not about choosing between purpose or profit, but saying yes to both.
“The Happy Pricing course completely changed my thinking around pricing and closing sales. Was great to connect with such a fantastic group of business owners as well as Carlos and Ben.”
– David Pawsey, DeepSocial
❺
Price slowly
Don’t show your cards too early
Pricing too quickly can mean you haven’t understood the real problem.
A client may be asking you to build a website but what they’re actually buying could in fact be more customers or more time. Unless you know what it is they’re really buying you could be pricing the wrong thing.
Setting the right price comes from understanding what’s really needed. It means taking more time learning, understanding and discussing your client’s needs.
When a client asks on the first call “Can I have a ballpark?” either offer a very broad range or politely push back.
Start with, “It depends on what you’re trying to achieve.”
Work with them to get clear about the job that needs to be done. Then price that.
Don’t be pressured into coming up with a price you’re not confident about. It will always be too low.
There’s no value in clients paying less for something that doesn’t get the job done.
“The Happy Pricing course has opened my eyes to the true nature of price and allowed me to understand and articulate the full value of what I do. It is nothing short of revelation and I recommend it to anyone who wants to seriously grow their business.”
– James Harrup, PureStory
Take the course
Tactics, tools and a tribe to help you price well
We’ll be launching our next Happy Pricing course in the Autumn of 20201. Led by serial entrepreneur and pricing coach Ben Johnson and startup coach and community builder Carlos Saba you’ll have a learning experience that will change the way you look at pricing and business.
“Carlos and Ben were a great team and made it entertaining to talk about making more money.”
