What if I forced you to double the freelance fees you charge?
If I suggested that you double the fees you charge, maybe you'd tell me that none of your clients would use you.
That sounds reasonable.
After all, as freelancers we don't set out to charge less than we can. We know what our clients and prospects will accept, and we write up our estimates accordingly.
Now I'm going to be totally unreasonable.
Suddenly I have strange superpowers and I'm going to force you to double your fees.
You have no choice. Ten days from today your rates will double, across the board.
So what are you going to do about that?
This won't be easy. In 10 days a valued client might call you with a new project and you're going to say, "Excellent! Thanks! And by the way, my fees just doubled."
Will new or existing clients accept that you'll be doubling your fees for the exact same service you offer right now? I doubt it.
You have 10 days in which to double the value you offer your clients.
If you want to be able to double your fees, you need to at least double the value you provide.
There are many ways in which you can do this. But given that you have only 10 days, here is what I would suggest.
First, become a specialist in the niche in which you have the most experience and talent.
The fastest way to increase your value is to become a specialist. It doesn't matter whether you are a doctor, a lawyer or a copywriter – specialists get paid more than generalists.
Take a look at the work you have done. Identify a niche that matches your experience and interests. Then describe yourself as a specialist.
Here are some examples:
I am a B2B Copywriter
I am an Online Copywriter
I am a Financial Copywriter
I am a Consumer Electronics Copywriter
I am a Health and Fitness Copywriter
I am a Direct Mail Copywriter
What kind of writer or copywriter are you? Choose your niche.
Then change your marketing to reflect your new speciality.
You have only 10 days, but you need to position and present yourself as a specialist in your new niche.
This means making changes to all your marketing materials. It means changing the way you talk about yourself and your services. It means changing any print materials you have. It means updating your web site and your blog, if you have one.
On your web site, it means changing the message on the first screen of your home page. As soon as someone comes to your site, they need to see that you are a specialist.
Have you written any articles that are related to your new niche? If not, start writing...write one a day for the next 10 days, then get them up on your site.
These articles are evidence that you really are a specialist in your field.
If you don't have a blog, start one today. Focused on your new niche.
Write a press release and send it out on day 10. Announce your new specialty to the world.
Will you be ready to double your fees in 10 days?
It will be a rush. You might lose some old clients. (It's always harder to increase fees with existing clients.)
But what if you do lose a client or two? As long as you pick up a new client or two at your new rate, you're golden.
From that day on, you'll be charging twice as much for all the work you do. Your business will be transformed.
Why not do this anyway?
Forget my superpowers. Do this anyway.
Becoming a specialist in a particular niche is the fastest way there is to increase the value you offer and the fees you can command.
And if you really focus on this as being an urgent task, you can make a huge difference in just 10 days.
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