Consultant fees: make $100 an hour

Consultant fees can make you $100 an hour. You heard me right. If you set your consulting fees properly, you can earn $100 an hour — even $150, $200, $1000 or more. How do you do it? My post on setting consulting fees gives you many of the answers. But what if you’ve been scraping by at $40 an hour or $75 an hour?

Many people make the mistake of setting their consulting fees too low. They worry that their clients can’t afford to pay more, that they aren’t good enough to charge more, or that they’ll look arrogant.

Every time I’ve raised my fees, I’ve gained more clients. I scare off the occasional client, but the reality is that most clients respect your right to earn a fair living. And if you’re dealing with people who don’t respect that, those clients are probably going to be trouble anyway. See my post on consultant fee sticker shock.

So, if you’ve read my setting consultant fees post and you’re still afraid to charge your market value, stop being afraid! Tell the very next lead your new rate. That person wasn’t your client to start with, so what do you have to lose by telling them your new higher rate? The last time I raised my fees, the next prospective client said, “Oh, that’s very reasonable” when I quoted him at my higher rate.

(Want even more info? Get Consulting Fees: A Guide for Independent Consultants).

“Consultant fees: make $100 an hour” from Become a Consultant at ConsultantJournal.com.