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5 Ways to Make Your Fees More Desirable

Let's be honest. It’s a tough market right now.

Clients are more cautious, budgets are tighter and there’s more competition for the same work. Many designers are finding that even strong enquiries are taking longer to convert, and clients are asking more questions before they commit.

I know this because I'm speaking to designers every day.

But that doesn’t automatically mean your fees are too high.

In fact, the designers who win the right work are rarely the ones who simply present the cheapest proposal. More often, they’re the ones who know how to qualify the right clients, talk about money early, build value before revealing the number and present their fees with confidence and clarity.

If your proposals are being questioned, delayed or compared on price alone, it may not mean your fees are the problem. It may mean the way you’re presenting them needs work.

Here's 5 ways to make your fees more desirable, without questioning your value.

1. STOP QUOTING THE WRONG CLIENTS

Not every enquiry deserves a proposal.

If someone doesn't have a realistic budget, has no respect for the process or no appetite for professional fees, discounting won’t fix that. It'll just trap you in a project that was never a good fit.

Your onboarding process should help you identify:

• Do they understand the value of a designer?

• Does their budget match their expectations?

• Are comparing expertise or just shopping for price?

• Are they ready to be led through a proper process, or do they need to be in control at every step?

Better alternative: Before you question your fees, question whether this is actually the right client.

2. TALK ABOUT MONEY BEFORE THE PROPOSAL

This is a big one.

Designers often wait until the proposal to reveal the fee, then wonder why the client panics. By that stage, the number lands without enough context.

Fees shouldn't be a dramatic reveal.

Start the conversation early:

• “Have you worked with a designer before?”

• “Do you have an expectation around design fees?”

• “Are you comfortable investing in the planning and documentation phase?”

• “Do you understand how procurement, margins and trade pricing usually work?”

Better alternative: Make money part of the professional conversation from the beginning, not an awkward surprise at the end.

3. BUILD VALUE BEFORE YOU REVEAL THE NUMBER

Premium brands don’t start with the price tag. They show you the craftsmanship, the features, the service, the safety, the experience and the reason the product costs what it costs.

Designers need to do the same.

Before you present your fee, walk the client through:

• Your Design Process

• What they get (the deliverables)

• The decision-making support

• The time you'll save them

• The costly mistakes you will help them avoid

• The access you provide to suppliers and trades

Better alternative: Don’t just send a fee. Present the value behind the fee.

4. OFFER OPTIONS NOT DISCOUNTS

If a client wavers, the answer is not automatically, “I can do it for less.”

That teaches them your original fee was inflated.

Instead, give them professional options:

• Reduce the scope

• Phase the project

• Start with one stage only

  
  

This is the difference between discounting and designing a better-fit engagement.

Better alternative: If the fee needs to come down, something in the scope comes down with it.

5. CREATE A CLEAR DECISION WINDOW

Designers shouldn't simply fake urgency, but they absolutely can communicate capacity and timeframes professionally.

For example:

• “We have one project start available in August.”

• “This fee is valid for 14 days.”

• “Supplier pricing may change after this date.”

• “If you’d like to begin next month, we’ll need confirmation by Friday.”

• “Our next available design slot after this would be September.”

This helps clients understand that your time, team capacity, supplier pricing and project schedule are not endlessly available.

Better alternative: Don’t chase indefinitely. Set a clear follow-up time and give the client a professional decision window.

Your fee structure should support your business, not undermine it.

When your process is clear, your value is understood and your pricing is presented professionally, clients are far more likely to see your fee as part of the service, not an uncomfortable extra.

If you’re unsure whether your current fee structure is helping or hurting your business, book a Discovery Call with me, and let’s review where things might be improved. Regards, Andrew