What to say when raising your prices
Announce a price increase to existing clients in a way that keeps them. Fill in your details below, copy the prompt, and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini.
Telling clients your prices are going up is a conversation most small business owners and freelancers dread, and many handle too apologetically. An over-apologetic price increase announcement signals that you are not confident in your own rates, which makes clients more likely to push back or leave.
The most effective price increase messages are clear, give reasonable notice, and briefly explain the rationale without over-justifying it. You do not need to apologize for increasing your rates. You need to give people enough time to adjust and a clear sense of the value they continue to receive from working with you.
Fill in the new rate, when it takes effect, and who you are telling. The prompt below will write a professional price increase announcement.
Fill in your details
Your prompt
You are helping me communicate a price increase to existing clients. Here are the details: My service: [SERVICE] Current price: [CURRENT_PRICE] New price: [NEW_PRICE] Effective date: [DATE] Why I am raising prices: [REASON] Write a professional email announcing this price increase. It should: give adequate notice, briefly explain the reason (without over-justifying), affirm the value I provide, and make it easy for them to continue. Keep the tone confident, not apologetic.
Copy this prompt and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any AI tool.
Tips for this conversation
- 1Give at least 30 days notice, 60 is better for ongoing retainer clients.
- 2Lead with the value you provide, then announce the new rate. Do not lead with "I regret to inform you."
- 3Be confident. Apologetic price increases invite pushback. Matter-of-fact ones do not.
Common questions
How do I handle clients who push back on a price increase?+
Hold your position calmly. You can offer flexibility (phased increase, locked rate for a longer term) but do not reverse the increase entirely. If a client leaves over a fair market-rate increase, they were not sustainable at the old rate anyway.
How much notice should I give for a price increase?+
A minimum of 30 days for most services. 60 days or more for long-term retainer clients. The higher the percentage increase, the more notice is considerate. Clients who feel ambushed by a price change are far more likely to leave than those who had time to plan.
Should I grandfather existing clients at the old rate?+
Offering a short-term grandfather option (such as locking in the current rate if they commit to a 6-month contract before the increase date) can reduce churn while still moving toward your new pricing. Use it as a limited-time loyalty offer, not as a standard option.
How do I use this prompt?+
Fill in your details using the form above. The placeholders in the prompt update live as you type. When you are ready, click “Copy prompt” and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any AI tool. The AI will write a personalised script based on your specific situation.
Which AI tool works best for these conversation scripts?+
Claude and ChatGPT both work well. Claude tends to produce more nuanced, natural-sounding language that is closer to how people actually speak. ChatGPT is strong for structured, direct output. Try both with your details and compare the results.
Should I use the AI output word for word?+
Use it as a strong draft, then edit it to sound like you. The AI gives you the structure and language to work from. Reading it out loud before the actual conversation is one of the best ways to catch anything that does not feel natural for your voice.
Can I adapt the prompt for a written message instead of a conversation?+
Yes. Before copying the prompt, add a line specifying the format you need: “Write this as an email” or “Write this as a short Slack message.” The variants above also cover different tones and formats for many situations.
Related situations
What to say when making a counter offer
Make a confident counter offer that gets results without damaging the deal.
What to say when pushing back on scope creep
Address added requests outside your contract without losing the client.
What to say when a client complains
Turn a client complaint into a trust-building moment with the right language.