Be Clear About Your Prices
Nov 15, 2020
What’s a Virtual Assistant cost? It’s all over the map, ranging from $15 to $100 an hour, or more. It’s hard to know where you fit in – and be confident in what you’ve decided! – when there is so much variation in our industry.
When you’re not clear about your pricing, several things can happen (none of them good):
- Clients aren’t sure if you’re really in business. I don’t know about you, but I am not a big fan of working with people who seem to be doing me a favor by charging too little or nothing at all. I call it the “friend’s network” and it’s never worked out very well for me. When pricing isn’t clear, expectations aren’t solid either and it’s a disaster waiting to happen.
- We don’t appear professional or confident. A lot of what clients expect is an “I’ve got this” attitude from their VA. When we waffle about our rates, that’s not the vibe we’re giving off. Even though my rates are on the high end of the spectrum, when I state them with confidence, I get zero pushback. Not everyone I speak with is a good fit for working with me, but it’s rare that we have a conversation about my rates.
- We stress out our clients. Clients want to know what to expect when working you, and a big part of this is knowing your hourly rate. You might give them a range of hours for a project, which lets them understand the investment that they’re making. No one likes a surprise when it comes to spending money.
- We stress out ourselves. Before I was clear about my rate, it was on my mind all the time. I was constantly second guessing and worrying that I wouldn’t be able to make enough money to support myself. Ten years later, I’m here to say. Becoming confident about my pricing was an important key to growing a successful VA business with great clients.
Imagine going to the dentist and asking how much it costs for a routine tooth cleaning and having the receptionist talk for 15 minutes without giving you a clear price. Pretty silly, right? So choose a number, raise it over time, but put a stake in the ground, for everyone’s sake!
If you’re not already a member of our Facebook Group, The Virtual Assistant Connection, and would like to join, here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com/
