Clients Say “Why Are Your Prices Going Up?” And You Say…

In this episode of the Hands-Off CEO Podcast, Mandi Ellefson unpacks one of the biggest fears firm owners face, raising prices. For many, it feels risky, even dangerous, because losing a single client can feel like a step backward. But as Mandi reveals, the real danger isn’t in raising your rates, it’s in how you position the increase.

You’ll discover why most firms trigger pushback the moment they justify price hikes with “rising costs” or extra deliverables, and how to avoid falling into that trap. Instead, Mandi shows you how to reframe your offers around the bigger outcomes. Clients truly want growth, profit, and transformation so that higher fees land as a declaration of leadership, not bad news.

She also shares a simple four-part script you can use to confidently present new fees in a way that builds trust, authority, and excitement with your best clients. And you’ll see why the top firms in every industry are charging 2x–3x more without working harder by anchoring their services to results that matter most.

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why raising your prices isn’t the real risk and what is
• The mistake that makes price increases feel like bad news to clients
• A four-step script to present higher fees with confidence and clarity
• How to shift from “vendor” to “growth partner” by leading clients to bigger outcomes
• Why the most profitable firms don’t add more work and make results more certain

🕒 Chapters

00:00 – Why raising your prices feels risky

00:35 – The real danger isn’t the price increase

01:10 – The wrong way firms explain higher fees

01:55 – What clients actually care about (outcomes)

02:40 – Reframing your value around revenue impact

03:25 – Thinking like a growth partner, not a vendor

04:15 – How to anchor fees to client results

05:05 – The 4-part script for raising your prices

06:10 – Avoiding the “more deliverables” trap

06:50 – Spot, quantify, and prove the value gaps

07:40 – Turning price increases into trust and authority

08:25 – Your challenge: lead with outcomes, not tasks

09:10 – Case studies: firms doubling and tripling profits

09:55 – Why premium fees unlock scalable growth

If you’ve been holding back on raising your rates out of fear of pushback, this episode will give you the tools and mindset shift to increase profits, strengthen client trust, and position yourself as the leader clients can’t afford to lose.

👉 Want to stop undercharging and start landing $100K+ clients? Join our next Executive Briefing: https://handsoffceo.com/briefing