How To Raise Your Prices 25% Without Losing a Single Client

Pricing your services is a really tenuous discussion… It’s this delicate negotiation

You have to ease clients into it, apologize for it, maybe even grandfather everyone in at old rates forever because you were so grateful they stuck around.

Actually, no, it’s nothing like that at all!

I watched coaches torture themselves over 10% increases, drafting and redrafting emails like they were delivering bad news.

Then, in a recent group mentorship call, Laura dropped this line: "I raised my rates 25% and didn't lose a single client."

The group went silent. Someone finally asked, "How the fuck did you do that?"

What followed was one of those conversations that reminds me why I built CCU in the first place. Laura and Dave (who did the same thing), both at entirely different stages of their businesses, had figured out the same fundamental truth about pricing that most coaches miss entirely.

Here's what we broke down together:

Communicate Value Increase, Not Just Price Increase

Laura's approach was so direct that it almost sounded aggressive. She told her clients, "I have levelled up. It's time for y'all to level up with me."

No apology. No explanation about inflation or rising costs. Just a clear statement: her skills had increased, her systems had been refined, and her results were better than they were a year ago. The price was catching up to reality.

This is where most coaches fuck it up. They frame price increases like bad news instead of what they actually are, which is confirmation that you've gotten better at what you do.

You've invested in education.

You've systematized your approach.

You've worked through your own mistakes, so your clients don't have to.

You've developed frameworks that deliver results faster than before.

Your clients aren't paying for your time. They're paying for all of that accumulated experience, for the systems you've built, for the results you consistently deliver.

When you position a price increase as "I've gotten better at helping you," most clients don't resist - they agree.

Give a minimum of 30 days' notice

Laura sent her announcement with clear timelines. Current clients had 30 days before new rates took effect. New clients coming in would pay the increased rate immediately.

This isn't just professional courtesy - it's strategic. Thirty days removes the biggest objection before it even comes up: "I wasn't prepared for this." You're giving clients time to process, budget, and recognize the value they're receiving without feeling blindsided.

The advance notice also creates urgency for prospects who've been sitting on the fence. They can lock in current rates or wait and pay more. Either way, you're moving forward.

Bake In Strategic Discounts

Dave took a brilliant, different approach. When he raised his rates, he offered his long-term clients a loyalty discount—not forever, but for the next 6-12 months. New clients paid full price immediately.

This does two things simultaneously: it rewards the people who've been with you while still establishing new baseline pricing for your business. You're not locked into old rates forever, but you're also not punishing the clients who believed in you early.

Strategic generosity that builds loyalty while still raising the bar for what you're worth.

What Actually Happened

Laura's email went out. A few "sounds good" replies. One "congratulations on your growth." Not a single cancellation.

Dave's approach got similar results. His long-term clients appreciated the loyalty discount. His new clients didn't question the rates because they had nothing to compare them to.

As we unpacked this in the call, the pattern became obvious: clients who value what you do don't leave over a price increase. They leave when they stop seeing value, when results stop showing up, when you stop delivering what you promised.

If you're consistently showing up, delivering results, and improving your craft, your clients already know they're getting more than they're paying for. A price increase doesn't surprise them. In fact, it’s the opposite. It confirms what they already believed about your worth.

The Real Fear

The conversation shifted when another coach in the group admitted she'd been sitting on a price increase for eight months because she was terrified of losing clients.

Here's what we worked through together: the fear of raising prices isn't really about money. It's about worth. It's about whether you believe you deserve to be paid well for the work you do. It's about whether you trust that what you provide is valuable enough to command what you're asking.

Every coach who's stayed stuck at the same rates for years tells themselves they're "protecting their clients."

But you're not.

You're building resentment. You're creating a business model that can't sustain you. And eventually, that exhaustion shows up in your coaching, which actually does hurt your clients.

The Question That Matters

By the end of the call, we'd landed on the same question Laura had asked herself before she sent that email:

Have I levelled up?

Have my skills improved?

Are my results better than they were a year ago?

If the answer is yes, your pricing should reflect that. Give your clients 30 days. Communicate the value increase. Consider strategic discounts for loyalty if it makes sense for your business model.

And then watch what happens when you finally charge what you're actually worth.

Laura and Dave both proved the same thing: most clients won't bat an eye. Because they already knew.

Keep Raising the Bar,

Paul Oneid MS, MS, CSCS