You Don’t Raise Your Rates, You Wait for the Right Moment
You’re standing at the edge of a clearing. You see the prey. You’re hungry. You’ve worked hard to get here. But you don’t pounce just because you’re ready. You wait. You study. You move with intention.
That’s what it means to raise your rates with strategy.
Anyone can blurt out a higher number. But not everyone knows how to make it land. Not everyone knows how to build the value behind it, or time the move so it actually sticks.
If you want your next rate increase to work for you, not against you, it’s not just about confidence. It’s about clarity, positioning, and proof. That’s the difference between guessing and growing.
Let’s be real.
Raising your rates can feel like stepping onto a tightrope. You’re afraid a client might flinch, or worse—ask, “Why the sudden hike?” And just like that, you're mentally scripting a TED Talk to justify why you're worth it.
But here’s the part no one talks about:
Raising your rates isn’t just a numbers game. It’s about timing. It’s about certainty. It’s about strategy. You don’t just lunge. You calculate. Because you’re not a freelancer grasping for scraps.
The Lioness Knows Better Than to Rush
Out in the wild, a lioness doesn’t leap at the first glimpse of prey. That would be reckless. Wasteful. Dangerous.
She stalks. She waits. She moves in sync with her pride. And when she strikes, it’s clean. Decisive.
That’s the same mindset you need when raising your rates. It’s not about anxiety. It’s not about mimicking what others charge.
It’s about alignment—between your offer, your positioning, and your confidence. So when you finally pounce, it lands.
What Does That Look Like in Business?
Your services are sharpened. You know exactly who they help.
You’ve got receipts—real stories of transformation, not just completed tasks.
You're fully booked, stretched thin, and staying at your old rate is costing you more than it's earning.
That’s your cue.
Don’t Break Formation
Here’s where it unravels for some.
They spike their rates without building the value behind them. Or out of irritation. Or because someone on Instagram tossed out a “charge more today” post like it was gospel.
But when you jump out of formation, you miss the mark.
Potential clients get confused. You start over-explaining. Pushback trickles in. Doubt creeps back. And next thing you know, you’ve lowered your price—again—because “no one’s biting.”
The price wasn’t the issue. The timing was.
You didn’t give people a reason to believe the new number meant new value.
It’s Not About Time. It’s About Transformation.
Clients aren’t buying your time. They’re buying the outcome of working with you.
So before you raise those rates, ask yourself:
Have I clearly framed the transformation I create?
Am I showing real proof—results, wins, testimonials?
Have I leveled up how I talk about my work?
It’s not “I do admin.”
It’s “I clear the clutter so you can scale.”
Not “I manage your inbox.”
But “I protect your time, your brand, and your bandwidth.”
That’s what commands higher rates.
When You Strike, Strike Like You Mean It
When a lioness goes for the kill, there’s no second-guessing. When you raise your rates, it’s the same. No backpedaling. No nervous laughter. No disclaimers in the proposal. You drop the number and let it sit. Because your work justifies it. Because delivering that level of transformation takes energy—and you know it’s worth it.
So when someone blinks and says, “That’s more than I expected,” you smile and say:
“That’s what it takes to get the result you’re after.”
No drama. No defensiveness. Just clarity.
Move with Purpose
If you’re going to raise your rates, do it deliberately. Hunt the right opportunity. Build the foundation.
And when the moment’s right—strike, and don’t look back. Because the ones who get paid well? They’re not the loudest. They’re the clearest. You don’t need to defend your worth.
You need to own it.
—Monica ✌🏽❤️
