How to Tell Clients Your Prices Are Going Up: The Words and the Timeline
Clients rarely leave over a price. They leave over how they found out. A rise that arrives on an invoice with no warning feels like a breach of trust, while the same rise told plainly a month ahead feels like a business being run properly.
So the hard part of raising prices is not the number. It is the message, and most owners put it off because they do not know what to say.
Here is a six week timeline, three short messages you can adapt, and a list of what to leave out.
A decision made from your numbers is easier to say out loud. Example data.
The short version
Give at least four weeks of notice, and tell regulars yourself.
State the new price and the date it starts. Nothing else is required.
Do not apologize and do not explain your costs.
Offer one small courtesy to long-standing clients if you wish, with an end date.
The six week timeline
When | What you do |
|---|---|
Six weeks before | Decide the new price and the date. Write it down so it stops moving. |
Five weeks before | Update your price list, website and booking page, set to change on the date. |
Four weeks before | Tell regular clients, in person where you can, and follow it with a short message. |
Two weeks before | A brief reminder in your usual channel. |
The day itself | The new price applies. No further announcement is needed. |
Two weeks after | Look at your bookings. Notice who has not rebooked, and reach out. |
Four weeks is long enough for a client to adjust and short enough that the rise still feels current. Much longer and people forget. Much shorter and it feels sprung on them.
The message for regular clients
Short, warm and specific. You can adapt this.
"Hello Sarah. I wanted to let you know in good time that my prices are changing from December 1. Your usual appointment will be $105, up from $95. Everything else stays the same, and I am looking forward to seeing you on the 14th."
Notice what it contains: the date, the new figure, the old figure, and a line that looks forward. It does not ask permission, and it does not invite a negotiation.
The message for your price list or newsletter
"From December 1 our prices are changing. You will find the new list here. Appointments booked and paid for before that date stay at the current price. Thank you for being part of this."
The sentence about bookings already paid for answers the first question anyone will ask, so you do not have to answer it forty times.
The reply when someone pushes back
"I understand, and I appreciate you telling me. The new price is what lets me keep doing this work properly. If it would help, I can suggest a shorter appointment that fits the budget you had in mind."
You hold the price and offer a different scope. That respects both of you. It is very different from a discount, which tells the client the new price was optional.
Knowing who your regulars are tells you who to speak to first. Example data.
What to leave out
An apology. "I am so sorry to do this" tells the client you think it is wrong.
A list of your rising costs. Your rent is not their concern, and it invites debate about whether it is high enough to justify the rise.
"Unfortunately". It frames good business as bad news.
An open question. "I hope that is all right?" hands them the decision.
A long message. Four sentences is plenty.
A courtesy for long-standing clients
If you would like to thank the people who have been with you longest, you can hold their current price for a short, stated period.
Option | What it costs you | Worth it when |
|---|---|---|
Hold the old price for one more visit | One visit's difference per client | You have a small number of regulars |
Hold it for three months | Three months of the difference | A few clients have been with you for years |
Hold it for good | The difference, every visit, for as long as they stay | Rarely. It creates two price lists. |
Always give the courtesy an end date and say it in the message. An open-ended exception becomes permanent, and in two years you will be explaining three different prices.
Before you send anything
Check the number against your own costs and hours. A rise you can explain to yourself is one you can say calmly. Our earlier post on how to price so your business pays you is a good place to work it out.
Decide what you will say if asked why. One sentence: "It reflects what it takes to do this work well."
Update every place the price appears. An old figure on a booking page causes more upset than the rise itself.
Tell anyone who works with you, so nobody is caught out at the desk.
What usually happens
You will have rehearsed a difficult conversation that, with most clients, never comes. Many say "of course" and move on. A few will ask a question. One or two may leave, and it is worth asking yourself honestly whether those were the clients the business depended on.
Give it a full month before you judge the result. The first week tells you about nerves, yours and theirs. The first month tells you about the business.
See what the rise does, free
La Soglia, the free membership of the Money Mastery System, holds everything you own and everything you owe in one place, personal and business together, with no bank connection and no card. A price rise shows up there within a quarter, as a net worth that moves a little faster.
Bring it to the Collective
Would you like a second pair of eyes on your message before you send it? The Money Mastery Collective has a discussion feed open on the free membership. Post your draft and ask.
Questions we hear
How do I tell clients about a price increase?
Directly and early. Give the new price and the date it starts, about four weeks ahead, and tell regular clients yourself.
How much notice should I give for a price increase?
About four weeks is a good guide. It is long enough for clients to adjust and short enough to stay current.
Should I explain why I am raising my prices?
No more than a sentence. A detailed list of costs invites debate, and an apology suggests the rise is wrong.
What do I say if a client objects to the new price?
Thank them, hold the price, and offer a different scope that fits their budget.
References
There are no outside figures in this post. The messages are examples for you to adapt, and the figures in them are illustrations.
Start free with La Soglia
La Soglia is the free membership of the Money Mastery System. It gives you the Net Worth Tracker, where everything you own and everything you owe sits in one place, and the Money Mastery Collective. There is no card to enter and no bank connection.
Keep in touch
Donna shares a short version of posts like this one on Instagram and LinkedIn. Follow along there, or find everything in one place on our links page.
A note on what this is
This article is educational. The Money Mastery System is an educational tool, not financial software, and nothing here is legal, tax, investment or financial advice. The wording is an example to adapt, and any notice you owe clients under a contract takes priority over the timeline here. For guidance on your own circumstances, please speak with a qualified professional who knows them.
Comments