Stop Selling Yourself Short By Underpricing
When I first started working for myself as a lawyer and operational advisor, pricing was one of the hardest things to get right. I didn’t want to scare clients away, but I also knew that if I set the bar too low, I’d be cheapening my own brand. Over time, I’ve learned that pricing isn’t just a number on a contract—it’s a reflection of your confidence, your positioning, and the value you bring to the table.
Warren Buffett once said: “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” That’s the mindset I try to keep front and center. My role is to deliver value—sometimes directly through legal and operational advice, other times indirectly by helping a company deliver better results to its customers. If I believe in that value, my pricing has to reflect it.
Why Underpricing Backfires
Many of us fall into the trap of thinking: If I price lower, I’ll win more clients. But in practice, it often does the opposite and results in stagnation to your business growth.
Clients undervalue you when your price is too low.
You attract the wrong kind of work—projects that eat time without building long-term value.
You burn out doing more for less.
Pricing too low doesn’t just hurt your bottom line. It undermines your credibility.
My Approach to Pricing (Still a Work in Progress)
I try to be flexible with clients by understanding their budget and goals, but I’m also firm with my minimums and rates. I know the services I provide ultimately improve people’s lives, whether directly or indirectly, and I remind myself: If I don’t value myself, no one will.
Here are a few principles I’ve learned to stick to:
Be clear and confident in your value proposition. Spell out the deliverables, the outcomes, and the benefits.
Don’t confuse under promising with underpricing. “Under promise and overdeliver” works when it comes to client service, but it doesn’t mean you should discount yourself.
Quality justifies cost. If you provide meaningful value, your clients will happily pay for it.
The Bottom Line
Pricing is not about chasing the lowest number, it’s about signaling value. Setting your rates with confidence tells clients that you stand behind your work, and that you’re worth the investment.
The sooner you stop underpricing, the sooner clients will start seeing you not as a cost, but as a partner in their success.
If you want more practical, actionable legal and business tips for freelancers, consultants, and creatives, please share and subscribe: https://bradfordtobin.substack.com/
This post is for informational purposes only and reflects the personal views of the author. It is not intended as legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and should not be relied on as a substitute for consultation with qualified legal counsel.