Season 3 Ep 69: ASKED & ANSWERED - Why your pricing sounds expensive (even when it's not)

Designers think their pricing problem is the number, but the real issue is how that number is positioned. In this episode, Cheryl breaks down why client pushback isn’t about being too expensive but introducing pricing before the value is fully understood. When designers lead with fees, tie their work to time, or fail to clearly communicate the depth of decisions, coordination, and problem-solving involved, clients default to their own (and very often incorrect) assumptions.We want you to think about reframing pricing as a positioning issue and not a simple math problem. Cheryl walks through how to build context, shift the focus from hours to outcomes, and present design as a high-level service rooted in expertise, not effort. When the value is clear first, the same number lands completely differently and the pushback disappears.Have a question--click here to ask us.RESOURCE LINKS:Damn Good Workshops - WebsiteThese workshops are 2–3 hour deep dives (some more than one day) built for creative entrepreneurs who want to lead with confidence, price with authority, and grow with intention. We created this workshop series with tracks that cover the challenges we know designers face: pricing, sales, client relationships, project management, marketing, and leadership.Each workshop is designed to stand alone — so you can choose the topics that matter most right now — while still connecting to the bigger picture of building a profitable, sustainable design business.Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - WebsiteThe best multi-faceted business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.The Paradigm Quick Start - 3 Month Custom Coaching ProgramThe Paradigm Shift - 6 Month Custom Coaching ProgramThe Paradigm Intensive - 12 Month One on One Immersive Custom Business CoachingJoin our FREE Facebook GroupsSmall Business - Think Big - FacebookWhat They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook GroupFor designers who need honest talk and a place to work on the business, marketing and promotion small business owners need.Subscribe to our NewsletterABOUT US:Cheryl Clendenon is the host of The Damn Good Designer Podcast and an award-winning interior designer, writer, and business coach with 26 years of full-time industry experience. With a prior career in media and radio sales, she brings a rare blend of creative thinking and business acumen to the design world. Cheryl was named KBB Person of the Year in 2021, is a nationally published industry voice with a monthly column in Home Accents Today, and regularly speaks on pricing, scope, process, and profitability. Known for her fast pace, contrarian instincts, and practical insight, Cheryl helps established design firms build stronger businesses and define success on their own terms.***Any use of this page and its content to develop or train artificial intelligence or to do computer analysis is prohibited.***