Kept losing clients to 'bargain agencies' and finally figured out why

I spent about 8 months in a row watching clients leave for agencies charging half what I do. Got to the point where I was down 3 accounts by June. Then I actually called one of the clients who left and asked them straight up why they picked the cheaper option. Turns out they thought my higher price meant I was stuck up and wouldn't listen to their ideas. So I changed my sales pitch to focus on how I collaborate instead of just listing my experience. Been stable for 2 months now. Has anyone else dealt with the price = attitude assumption?

2 comments

2 Comments

vera_roberts4d ago

Oh wow, that is really eye opening. I never thought about it that way but it makes total sense. Here is something I wonder though - could your old pricing structure have been signaling something else too? Like maybe the clients who left were actually right for those cheaper agencies because they wanted a more hands on, "we are in this together" kind of relationship. Sometimes we think higher prices just mean better work, but to some people it feels like you are selling them a status symbol instead of a partnership. You might have accidentally been filtering for the wrong type of client all along, and the real fix wasn't just changing your pitch but realizing who you actually work best with.

miles_roberts224d ago

Wait, wait wait - are you saying I might have been scaring off the exact clients I should have kept all that time? That's honestly messing with my head a little bit. Never saw it that way.