This starts with a quick story about the “temporary discount” that wouldn’t die. If you’re a service-based business owner, it might be all too familiar.

But hopefully at the end, it’ll turn into a conversation you’re actually excited to have.

This is about a real person that I recently had a conversation with (although it was just a quick coffee chat from a mutual connection, the conversation turned to pricing advice—which it often does with me). Let’s call our protagonist Stacey.

When Stacey opened her private fractional CFO advisory, she did what so many service-based business owners do in year one.

She set what felt like fair, professional rates.
She heard from a few referral partners, “Oof, that’s high for my clients.”
She second-guessed herself.

Then one day, a new client came in wanting weekly check-ins.
The client hesitated at the rate.
Stacey, eager to fill her calendar and genuinely wanting to help, offered a 30% discount “for weekly sessions.” The client agreed. It felt like a win.

Fast-forward a few months:

• Weekly became bi-weekly.
• Bi-weekly became monthly.
• The client’s business was generating good outcomes.
• The discount never changed.

Now it’s the end of the year. Stacey is looking at her numbers, thinking about 2026, and realizing that this “temporary” rate has quietly become permanent. She knows the client can afford her full fee (she sees the books, after all!). She notices a little knot of resentment every time that session pops up in her calendar.

And she’s dreading the conversation.

If you’re a fractional advisor, designer, copywriter, therapist, strategist, coach, or small agency owner, you probably recognize some version of this story:

You offered a special rate “just to get started,” meant to revisit it later… and then later never came.

Now you’re staring down 2026, wondering how to raise prices without losing good clients or feeling like the villain.

And that fear isn’t totally irrational.

In a PwC customer loyalty survey, nearly 1 in 5 consumers said they stopped buying from a business in the past year because of price increases.

So yes, price changes carry risk.

But here’s the thing: the real danger usually isn’t the increase itself. It’s when your pricing has no clear structure or rationale. Add that to improvising under pressure and uncertainty, and no wonder we sometimes want to avoid the topic altogether.

Why This Isn’t Really About “That One Client”

On the surface, Stacey’s problem looks like a single awkward conversation:

“How do I tell this person their rate is going up?”

But underneath, there are three fundamental dynamics at play.

1. Price is acting as your filter, whether you mean it to or not.

When Stacey experimented with heavier discounts, she noticed a pattern: the people who came in on those rates were often more price-sensitive, harder to retain, and quicker to leave as soon as a cheaper option appeared.

She hadn’t just made herself “more accessible.”
She’d accidentally tuned her filter toward people who would always see price as the main story.

Whether you’re selling consulting, design, photography, or coaching, your pricing quietly signals:

• Who you’re for
• How seriously you expect people to take the work
• How ready they need to be to get results

When that signal is inconsistent (standard for some, deeply discounted for others, with no clear rationale), you feel it first as… resentment.

That resentment isn’t you “being ungrateful.”
It’s a sign your business model and your boundaries are out of alignment.

2. Discounts are lasting longer than the reason they existed.

Stacey’s discount made sense in context: a higher-frequency, intensive phase of work.

But the context changed. The rate didn’t.

That’s not a moral failing. It’s simply what happens when discounts are made up in the moment instead of designed in advance.

If you’re nodding along, ask yourself:

• Did I ever say, “Let’s start here and revisit in three months,” and then never actually revisit?
• Do I have clients whose rate no longer reflects the scope, frequency, or value of the work?

Those are structural issues, not personal ones.

3. You’re making price changes about them, not about your business.

The part that ties your stomach in knots is usually the story in your head:

• “She’ll think I judged her finances wrong.”
• “He’ll think I’m greedy.”
• “They’ll feel punished for getting better results.”

But notice how all of that makes the price about their character or situation.

As we were chatting about her situation, I encouraged Stacey to reframe the conversation, moving it away from “I decided you can pay more now” and toward:

• “My rate structure is changing for all clients in 2026.”
• “I want to honor our relationship, so I’m giving you a heads up so you have time to decide if this fits.”
• “I’m focused on delivering high-quality services and continuing the outcomes we’ve been able to achieve together.”

So instead of a personal judgment, it becomes:

• A business-wide update
• Grounded in a clear structure
• Communicated with respect and notice

This is where a price change feels firm and kind instead of anxious and apologetic.

A Simple Framework for Raising Prices Without Losing Your Nerve

Before you roll out a new rate card for 2026, it’s worth doing two things:

1. Clean up the old pricing decisions that no longer make sense.
2. Decide, in advance, how you’ll handle exceptions.

Step 1: Get honest about your “resentment roster.”

Make a short list (even if it’s just in your head) of:

• Anyone whose rate feels noticeably out of sync with newer clients
• Anyone you discounted “temporarily” with no defined end
• Anyone you secretly hope reschedules so you don’t have to deal with the money conversation

You don’t have to act on all of them at once. But you do need to see the pattern.

Step 2: Redesign how your rates work in your business.

Instead of swearing you’ll “only charge one high rate for everyone” (usually not realistic), give yourself a structure you can follow that has a business rationale:

• How are your clients segmented? (Different willingness to pay, value-based pricing, more impactful outcomes?)
• What are your offerings? (How are your services packaged—hourly rates, packages, retainers?)
• When will you offer a reduced rate? (Higher-intensity phases? Beta offers? Long-term clients? Frequency-based?)
• How can you set yourself up from the start for future price changes? (When the cadence changes, when the project wraps, or after X date.)

Now when you talk about money, you’re not inventing rules in the moment. You’re communicating ones you already have.

(If you ever find yourself on the opposite side thinking, “I may actually need to lower my prices strategically” I’ve written a separate post on exactly that: When to Lower Your Prices)

Step 3: Script the conversation before you’re in it.

You don’t need a monologue. You just need a few clear lines you’re willing to say out loud.

For a situation like Stacey’s, it might sound like this:

“I wanted to give you a heads up that I’m updating my rate card for 2026 as my practice evolves. I’m shifting from frequency-based pricing to a standard-rate structure so I can keep my services aligned with the way I work best and continue focusing on strong client outcomes.

Starting on [date], one-time sessions will follow my standard rate of [$$$]. I also now offer a session package option at a preferred rate if you’d like to secure a set number of sessions in advance.

I’ll honor your current rate through [transition date]. I value the work we’re doing and would love to continue if this still feels like a good fit for you.”

If they push back:

“I understand it’s an adjustment. I’m not able to reduce my rates further at this time. I hope we can continue working together, but I want you to choose what’s right for you.”

It will feel awkward the first time you say it. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong. It just means you’re not used to protecting your pricing yet.

Step 4: Decide your line before you walk in.

The real panic kicks in when you don’t know your own bottom line.

Before you talk to anyone, be clear with yourself:

• What rate do I ideally want this client at in 2026?
• Is there a lower “compromise” rate I could live with for a defined period—yes or no?
• At what point does keeping this discount cost me more than it’s worth—in profit, energy, or opportunity?

Write those numbers down somewhere you can see them.

If you decide in advance, you’re not negotiating your self-worth in real time. You’re simply holding a line you already chose on a calmer day.

[Want more scripts for pricing changes? Check out this resource: Scripts for Pricing Adjustments]

One Small Thing to Do Before the Year Ends

If this all feels like a lot, don’t try to fix your entire pricing model this week.

Just pick one client or one offer that you already know isn’t working.

Ask yourself:

• What was the original reason for their current rate?
• Has that reason expired?
• If this were a brand-new client walking in the door today, what would I charge?

Then draft a short email or script using the structure above.

You don’t have to send it immediately. But get the words out of your head and onto a page. Once it exists, having the conversation becomes infinitely easier.

Keep in mind: You will have clients who leave when prices change.

But the ones who stay, at aligned, intentional rates, are the foundation of a healthy business.

Before you raise your prices for 2026, don’t just change the numbers in your invoicing system.

Clean up the old agreements that are quietly draining you.
Design the new rules you want to run your business on.

And then, like Stacey, take a deep breath, open your calendar…
and have one intentional, grounded conversation at a time.

Happy pricing everyone!