"So, how much ..."
Selling design services is a skill in itself that most creatives don't have and see as a cringe thing they don't want to do.
If you ask me, the ability to hold your own in a sales conversation is a superpower. Your potential client takes you more seriously and sees you as a peer business owner not so much as an order taker. And you negotiate a deal that both sides are happy with.
Unfortunately...
...selling is seen in creative circles as something you need to deal with begrudgingly to get to the fun part.
And also...
Selling is done only by super sleazy people and I'm not one of them.
The value of my work is obvious only by looking at it.
Whenever I try to negotiate, the situation always turns on me and I end up doing a lot more work for a lot less money than expected.
But don’t worry, there is something you can try that might work for you.
Productize service!
Productize service is a service with a pre-defined fixed price and pre-defined scope of work. You can have a detailed description and terms of service of what you are delivering, with a price attached to it.
This way, your potential client can make a decision without negotiation. So when they reach out, they are already sold and you can get to the fun part.
I'm guessing this sounds cool but still a bit abstract. So here are a few real-life examples for you.
UI/UX as a monthly subscription service
The value proposition to the Client:
Ongoing UX/UI Design Projects
Unlimited Revisions
No Contracts, Cancel Anytime
Design updates every ≤ 48 hours (Business Days)
Price: $7975/per month
Example: Fairpixels — fairpixels.pro
Done For You User Testing
The value proposition to the Client:
Get all of the value of user research without any of the hassle. Actionable reports by experts based on usability testing you can easily implement or delegate.
Price: starts at $899 per test
Example: Conversion Crimes — conversioncrimes.com/managed-user-testing/
UX Audit
The value proposition to the Client:
Solve one problem of a website or an app
Answer our questions for 2 min
Wait 3 business days
You get a detailed report
Price: $500 one time fee
Example: UX Audit — ux-audit.com
Downsides of productize services:
You leave money on the table by not pricing individually
If it's in the lower price range, you need a bigger volume of clients
You need a reliable marketing channel to drive leads.
If you pull it off you never have to sell yourself again.