Charge for Your Expertise: Knowing Which Wire to Cut - Ep 208

Someone asks for your rate and suddenly your brain starts negotiating against you. I’ve been there, and I’m sharing the stories that changed how I price my work as an enthusiastically self-employed consultant, coach, and LinkedIn trainer. We start with the core truth behind value-based pricing: clients are not paying you to “cut the wire.” They’re paying you to know which wire to cut, and that comes from years of experience, pattern recognition, and results. I walk through how my LinkedIn coaching evolved from a $150 in-person session into a $750 VIP coaching package built for real implementation, including recorded sessions, a profile resource guide, and an accountability call.  I also talk about what it feels like to raise rates, how to present a clean offer ladder during discovery calls, and why a done-for-you service should cost more when it demands deep focus and intensive time. Then we get into the messy parts: the moment a prospect told me my training cost “more than our lawyers,” how that objection stuck with me, and how I’d handle it now. We also dig into client boundaries, scope creep, and the “pain in the” clients who drain your energy.  Finally, we talk about AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, why their advice can be outdated, and why expert access is becoming the real premium in coaching and consulting. If you want more confidence in your pricing strategy and a healthier relationship with your time, press play. Subscribe, share this with a self-employed friend who’s undercharging, or message me on LinkedIn with the biggest pricing challenge you’re facing right now. Support the show (https://www.buzzsprout.com/2162051/support) ************************************** My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie.  Visit mellermarketing.com (https://www.mellermarketing.com/) Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller (https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendameller)   (click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast)