When $10k for Brand Strategy Shocks Clients
By Levina Kusumadjaja
It’s your first time charging 10k for strategy. It was a pleasant sales call. The client seemed like a good fit, you seemed to be a good fit for the client’s problem. Then they asked you about the price, and you dropped the $10k for brand strategy and then... silence.
1 second...
2 seconds...
3 seconds...
And now suddenly, the client is expressing that the project isn’t urgent, that this “thing” that you have been talking about doesn’t have to happen now. And the call ends with one conclusion: “Thanks for your time, I really appreciate it. I know it’s important and it will help my business, but not now.”
And then they hung up.
Has this ever happened to you before? You’ve mustered all your courage and confidence from way before the call to charge $10k for strategy. So taking on the call was already a huge step, then adding to that was being brave to actually say that you’re charging $10k for brand strategy. These are bold steps indeed. And in those moments, you are already fighting your own fears and insecurities in your mind, staying cool in your best ability, but then your courage is met with a giant roadblock: the client doesn’t want to invest $10k for brand strategy.
“Mayday, mayday! We have to try to convince them now and sell hard!”
In your brain system, it is most likely that you are now in a state panic. Your brain is signaling “mayday, mayday” because your expectations are thrown off. You’re confused and your mind just goes blank. So, instead of taking a step back to assess what was happening, you scramble to find the right words to try to convince them that the $10k will be worth their investment. You’re fixed on trying to sell your service to them and get them to believe in your value. And from there, it just keeps going down, because instead of having a conversation about how you can solve your client’s problem, your focus has changed to proving yourself and impressing them.
When your client feels uncomfortable with your price, the first thing you need to do is to take a step back.
Assess what it is that you’re feeling and thinking, and then make room for an honest conversation to take place. You can express to your client that you are feeling confused and you’d like to know what they are thinking and feeling about your price. Communicate this intention to understand and to help, because everyone wants to be accepted at where they are at and doing this to your client will establish trust. Invite your client to express what makes them scared or uncomfortable with the number.
The moment you are able to have a transparent and open conversation about where you and your client are coming from, it will no longer be a place of confusion or panic, but rather a place of mutual trust. And it is this trust that will help your client understand why the $10k will be worth the process and value that you are offering to them. It is through this trust as well that your client will be more willing to listen and consider your suggestions because they now know that your goal is to help them, not to fulfill your own sales agenda.
It’s so important to be able to take a step back at times when we feel confused or scared because it will help us maintain a posture of empathy and curiosity—two things that will help us find clarity in the moment. Focus on asking questions and staying genuine. Always remember that it’s never about trying to sell brand strategy, but it’s about helping your client solve their problem. Even if those moments of silence, discomfort, and rejection are scary, you are going to be okay.
Cheers!
Levina
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About the author:
Levina is a writer based in Indonesia. Because of Melinda Livsey, she recognized the power of brand strategy for every creative. She is sharing about her learnings as she goes to help creatives have fun in their growth and journey of building brands. Connect with her on LinkedIn and say hi!