How Service-Based Businesses Can Increase Rates, According to Justin Oberman

In a recent LinkedIn post, Justin Oberman discusses a strategic approach for ghostwriters and copywriters struggling to increase their rates. Oberman suggests a method centered on understanding a client’s true value proposition beyond just the written word.

Oberman outlines a direct client questioning technique to uncover this value. He advises reaching out to a client who recently paid full price without hesitation and asking them:

“What did you try before you came to me, and what did it cost you?”

This question, according to Oberman, shifts the focus from a transactional exchange of services for money to a deeper understanding of the client’s problems and the solutions provided.

Shifting from Price Wars to Value Demonstration

The author contrasts this approach with the common practice of setting prices based on competitor rates or simply offering more content for less money. Oberman recounts his own past experiences of feeling the need to justify pricing and hours, stating:

“I used to set the price by looking at the competitor’s price and arguing down. Cheaper than this guy. More posts than that guy. Always apologizing or trying to justify the numbers or hours.”

This competitive, price-driven strategy, as highlighted by Oberman, often leads to a devaluing of services and a continuous cycle of justifying costs rather than demonstrating worth.

Identifying the True Client Need

Oberman’s pivotal moment, as described in his post, came when he asked a non-haggling client the crucial question. He realized that clients weren’t just purchasing writing; they were investing in a comprehensive solution that addressed underlying business needs. Oberman breaks down these deeper needs into several key components:

• The value of regular conversations for externalizing thoughts without the burden of writing them.
• The benefit of expert judgment in identifying and prioritizing viable ideas.
• The importance of discretion, allowing clients to speak freely without concern for content creation.
• The assurance of follow-through, ensuring project completion without adding management overhead.

As Oberman points out, “A writing service gets much more valuable when the client has less work to do.” This statement encapsulates the core of his argument: true value lies in reducing the client’s workload and cognitive load, not just in delivering text.

The High-Net-Worth Writer Framework

This insight, Oberman explains, is central to his work and is being further explored in an exclusive WhatsApp Sprint with Tasleem Ahmad Fateh, hosted by Writeversity. This two-week program aims to help writers position themselves as high-value service providers. While the sprint has already begun, Oberman notes that it is not too late to join, encouraging interested individuals to sign up via the provided link.

By reframing their services around client-centric problem-solving and value delivery, Oberman suggests that service-based professionals can move away from competitive pricing and command higher rates, ultimately serving clients more effectively.