Stop Charging What You're Worth - Do This Instead

Have you ever been told to “charge what you’re worth”?

It’s a phrase that’s become incredibly common in the coaching and online business space.

You hear it in marketing messages, from coaches, and across social media.

While it’s often intended to be empowering, the reality is that this language can be both misleading and unintentionally damaging for your mindset, your business, and your brand.

The way you talk about pricing can unintentionally limit your business growth and client relationships. 

In order to communicate your value effectively and set pricing strategies that benefit both you and your clients in the long run, it helps to understand the following:

•    The Problematic Language of Pricing
•    Worth vs Pricing
•    Misguided Advice and Pricing Strategy
•    Actionable Advice and Shifting Perspectives

I unpack this further below and also discuss this in episode 219 of the Simplify to Scale Show. 

Tune into Episode 219 of the Simplify to Scale Show or keep reading below.

Why “Charging What You’re Worth” Doesn’t Work

Linking your pricing to your personal worth may seem like a confidence boost at first.

But when you unpack it, there are several reasons this idea creates problems.

• It ties your pricing to self-worth: Your worth as a person is infinite. No price tag could ever represent your value.

• It overlooks the client experience: Pricing should be about the value your client receives, not how confident you feel.

• It promotes a founder-focused mindset: Sustainable businesses are built around client problems, not personal validation.

Entrepreneurship already puts your self-worth to the test.

When pricing is tied to how you feel about yourself, it only adds more pressure.

It also subtly sends the message that charging more makes you more worthy, which isn’t true.

The Market Doesn’t Care About Your Confidence

A common misconception in the industry is that confidence should determine price.

But pricing is not about you. It’s about what the market is willing to pay for the value you provide.

That value is based on:

• The size and importance of the problem you solve

• The transformation you help your clients achieve

• Your client’s perception of what that is worth

You can feel incredibly confident and still be out of alignment with the market if you haven’t considered how your clients perceive your offer.

When and How to Raise Your Prices Strategically

Let’s say you have a $5,000 program that delivers incredible transformation.

You believe it should be priced at $10,000.

That might be true, but only if your market agrees.

Here’s what to evaluate before making a pricing change:

1. Actual value: Does the transformation you deliver truly match or exceed the new price point?

2. Perceived value: Does your messaging clearly communicate that value to your ideal client?

3. Client alignment: Are you speaking to the right audience, one that is actively seeking a solution to that specific problem?

Price increases should be grounded in strategy, not emotion.

Doubling your price because you “deserve” more can lead to a disconnect if your clients don’t understand or agree with the value behind it.

Don’t Confuse More Content with More Value

Another common trap entrepreneurs fall into is content stuffing.

When you raise your price, it’s common to think you need to add more to justify it. But more isn’t always better.

For time-poor clients, more content often equals more overwhelm.

High-level clients are looking for clarity and results, not extra modules or bonus checklists.

It helps to ask yourself:

• Does this content move the needle on results?

• Is this addition based on client need or internal doubt?

• Will this make the experience more streamlined or more complex?

In many cases, adding more is not about serving your clients, it’s about trying to prove your own value.

Center Your Clients, Not Yourself

Founders often start out with businesses that are built around them.

Their name, their ideas, their expertise.

However, scalable businesses are built around the client and the problems they want solved.

When you keep the client at the center of your pricing, you build offers that are more aligned with market demand and easier to sell at a premium.

It helps to ask yourself:

• What problem are you solving?

• How important is that problem to your client?

• What result are they paying for?

The more scalable your business becomes, the less it should depend on you personally.

Plus, the more you shift away from “charge what I’m worth” thinking, the easier it becomes to build a business that runs without you needing to be involved in every piece.

How to Price for Scalable and Sustainable Growth

Here’s a better approach to pricing than “charge what you’re worth”:

• Focus on the transformation and not your personal validation

• Ground your pricing in actual and perceived value

• Know what your ideal client truly wants and is willing to pay for

• Keep your offer focused on outcomes and not information overload

• Let your pricing reflect the problem you solve and not your confidence that day

Therefore, if your current pricing doesn’t reflect the value you provide, it’s worth taking a look at your messaging.

Oftentimes, the value is there, but it’s just not being communicated in a way that resonates with your market.

Do you want support evaluating your current offers and identifying pricing opportunities that align with real value?

Take the Lean Out Method Scalability Assessment at leanoutmethod.com/assessment for personalized insights into how scalable and sustainable your business is today and where to focus next.