Hi Mark,

You’re 100% right about all the conflicting advice in the field! Glad to hear this could help reaffirm your decision.

Thanks for commenting!
Kate

Being a new Copywriter, this is something I see conflicting advice about in many courses and articles, It is great that your points and guidance are in line with my decisions too.

Thanks for the great content!

Hi Erika,

It’s a tricky question but you’re right: In general, it leads to more headaches than it alleviates.

Thanks for commenting!
Kate

Hi Art,

I agree: Clients care much more about the results than the exact hours, steps, etc. that got you there. They want a great tasting cake, but they don’t need to know the exact recipe!

Thanks for commenting!
Kate

I remember he pushed back a bit insisting that he felt that by offering an hourly rate up front, he could win more business. I asked him what his current hourly rate was and proudly told me that he charged $150hr. He did say that he thought that he might be a lil’ outside the industry standard and wanted to get my opinion. I told him that’s pretty good and asked him how many clients he had at that rate. He said that he had a few, but I got the idea that “a few” was a little bit of a slightly padded exaggeration. He somehow got the idea that all customers operated from the “you get what you pay for” train of thought, and he believed that higher end professionals like lawyers and architects always charged much more per hour. He also told me that often times the project was so simple for him that he could have it done in less than an hour or two. I asked him if he thought his customers charged that much for their services? He said what customers… oops?

I asked the young man if he always did his work right there in front of the client? He said sometimes, but most often he worked from his home studio. I said in those cases, why would you tell the client how long it takes for you to do the work? Do you think the client really wants to pay you $150hr for a talent that comes so easy for you that you can get it done for them in a snap? Don’t you think the client would feel like they were getting a much better value if you told them that you’d get right to work on it for them, and could have their project completed for them by tomorrow or within a few days for $450, rather than charge them $450 for 3 hours work… or even worse, only be able to charge them $150 because you’ve somehow convinced them that you’re so good that it would only take you an hour to get their work done for them?

I remember telling my young friend that I really didn’t want my clients to know how much I charge per hour, how much I make or how long it takes me to do things. I told him that most people only care about the final cost and how soon they can have their product. I told him that nobody really likes paying a lawyer hundreds of dollars an hour for their expertise. People only pay that kind of rate because they somehow feel that they have no choice… and most people hate paying lawyers rates! I told him that it’s much better to leave your client feeling like they got a fair deal, that way they’re more likely to come back and be your client again. If they care how much you make by the hour, then they’re usually looking for a bargain, not necessarily an expert. Treat every project as if it’s unique and special, and make sure every client feels that way. That way they won’t care what your rates are… They’ll simply see you as the best choice to do their work.