Hey Reader,

Recently, two of my clients came to me about to make the same mistake.

Each had a potential client lined up. And each had already decided what that client could afford, and how she would feel about the price.

They were discounting and second-guessing their price before they ever talked to her. Before they got to know her.

Both of them closed. Neither client batted an eye at the price.

More often than not, I find that organizers, and especially women entrepreneurs, second-guess the value of their expertise.

They forget that people are paying for their years of experience, not just their time. They forget that you can't build a sustainable business and support your family on $50 an hour.

And they forget that owning a business means working outside the hours with a client. When you worked for a company, someone else carried the overhead.

Now you are the overhead.

Here's what your price has to cover, beyond the hours in a client's home:

• The invoicing and the bookkeeping
• The website and the social media
• Planning the work day before you arrive
• Loading the car with supplies and donation boxes, then unloading the donations after
• The conversations where you learn what I call the stuff behind the stuff

There's always something more going on with a client than the disorganization in her home. It's called life.

I coached both of my clients through that nasty little thing called imposter syndrome. Neither one pitched at a discount. Neither one worked for free.

You might be thinking, "Well, at least they'd get the practice." And you'd be right.

But now they'd have a client who isn't nearly as invested as a paying client. And one who might not get the full transformation that your paid service delivers. That means you did them a disservice by discounting.

Or worse, a client who wonders:

"Why did she drop her rate so fast? I didn't even ask for a discount. Is she inflating her prices just so she can offer one?"

Your clients expect you to have an organized business. Most organizers are really good at the organizing and not so great at the business part.

That's okay. It's just a skill you haven't developed yet. But you can.

The more confident you are in what you offer and the problem you solve, the more professional you show up. Clients connect with that.

They hear you clearly state your price and your process. They hear you ask good questions. They feel that you are leading as the expert.

All of that builds authority. And suddenly, the price is just another data point.

If you want to see your real rate once the overhead is counted, I walk through the math in this video.

👉 Your Professional Organizer Pricing Isn't High Enough (Watch time: 12 minutes)

Start with the uncompensated time. Your actual hourly rate might surprise you.

Amy

P.S. If you're second-guessing a price right now, before the conversation has even happened, I'd love to talk you through it. Here's the link to book a call. Bring the price you're unsure about, and we'll look at it together.