Raising Your Prices Without Losing Clients

That price increase email has been sitting in your drafts for weeks. You've rewritten it seventeen times, and it still doesn't feel right. Every time you hover over the send button, your brain starts spiraling: "What if they all leave? What if this ruins my business? What if I'm not worth these rates?"

After working behind the scenes of multiple 7-figure businesses, I can tell you exactly why that fear is costing you money - and how to fix it.

The Truth About Price Increases

Here's what most entrepreneurs get wrong: They treat price increases like a personal favor they're asking from their clients. But in successful businesses, price increases aren't requests - they're professional updates that reflect your evolution as a business owner.

The Three Critical Elements Every Price Increase Email Needs

Having seen hundreds of price increase emails (and their results) from 7 and 8-figure businesses, here's what actually works:

1. Professional Positioning

Your price increase email needs to establish authority from the first line. The way you open this email sets the tone for how your client will receive the news. Most entrepreneurs start with apologies - successful businesses start with confidence.

2. Strategic Timing

The timing of your price increase announcement is just as important as the message itself. There's a specific window that maximizes client retention while maintaining your professional positioning. Get this wrong, and you risk either looking unprofessional or losing clients unnecessarily.

3. Value Articulation

The most successful price increase emails focus on a specific element that most entrepreneurs completely miss. This one shift in how you frame your increase can be the difference between client pushback and client retention.

Common Mistakes That Kill Your Credibility

The fastest way to lose clients during a price increase isn't the increase itself - it's how you communicate it. Here's what we see killing credibility in price increase emails:

- Writing long explanations about rising costs (this actually devalues your service)

- Including personal justifications (this undermines your authority)

- Making promises about future value (this weakens your current position)

- Asking permission instead of informing (this shifts the power dynamic)

Want to see exactly how to craft a price increase email that gets a "Thanks for letting me know" instead of pushback?

Let's Talk About Timing (Because It's Not Just About the Email)

Listen, I've seen hundreds of price increases roll out in 7-figure businesses, and here's what most people miss: When you send that email matters almost as much as what it says. And no, I'm not just talking about giving "proper notice."

The Notice Sweet Spot

Here's the thing about giving notice – more isn't always better. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but I've watched too many entrepreneurs shoot themselves in the foot by giving too much time. Their clients either forget about the increase entirely (awkward) or have too much time to shop around (even more awkward). There's a sweet spot that actually works, and it's probably not what you think.

Project Timing is Everything

You know that client who's in the middle of their biggest project of the year? Yeah, maybe don't drop your price increase bomb right then. The most successful price increases I've seen align perfectly with natural project breaks. It's like choosing the right moment in a conversation – timing changes everything.

Seasonal Reality Check

Real talk: Your clients have their own financial cycles. I'm talking budget planning, fiscal year endings, and peak seasons. Time your increase right, and it becomes part of their natural planning process. Get it wrong, and you're fighting against their entire business rhythm.

The Day Actually Matters

I know this sounds nitpicky, but the day and time you send that price increase email can significantly impact how it’s received. After analyzing thousands of pricing communications, here’s what we’ve found works best:

Midweek Wins: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays consistently outperform other days for sending important business emails. These are the days when people are fully in their work rhythm—Monday is for catching up, and Friday is for winding down.

Avoid Weekends: Emails sent on Saturdays or Sundays often get buried or ignored entirely, as clients aren’t in a professional mindset.

The Magic Time Window: Aim for late morning (10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.) or early afternoon (1:30 p.m.–3:00 p.m.) in your client’s time zone. This avoids the pre-meeting rush of the morning and the post-lunch energy dip, ensuring your email arrives when they’re most likely to read and process it thoughtfully.

End of Month/Quarter: If your clients work in a structured budget cycle, time your email for the last week of their fiscal month or quarter. This allows them to incorporate the new pricing into their upcoming plans without disrupting their current cycle.

Conclusion: Own Your Pricing Like a Boss

Let’s be real—raising your prices might feel like you’re stepping into uncharted territory, but it’s actually one of the smartest moves you can make for your business. This isn’t about making excuses or apologizing for your worth. It’s about standing tall, owning your value, and communicating that in a way that lets your clients know you’re here to stay.

You’ve put in the work, you’ve built your expertise, and you know you deserve to be paid what you’re worth. So, take the leap and hit send on that price increase email. With the right timing, tone, and confidence, your clients won’t bat an eye.

Need help crafting that perfect email? The Cashflow Conversations Kit has got you covered. It’s time to make those tough conversations not only bearable—but actually profitable. Download the kit now and start handling your client communications like the pro you are.