rate raise
· 22 scenarios · P-004
The Rate Raise Playbook
Time the raise, frame the number, and deliver the news to existing clients without losing them. Every raise conversation — and every pushback that follows.
clarify
align
assert
defend
exit
one-time purchase · lifetime updates · works in any browser
Your costs went up. Your skills went up. Your rate didn't. The email announcing the new number has been "almost ready" for a year.
Hi Sarah,
Starting August 1, my rate moves to $95/hour. Everything currently scoped stays at the existing rate — the new number applies to work we plan from August onward. Happy to walk through what this means for the next project…
how it works
Four steps. One send-ready email.
step 01
Diagnose
Answer four quick questions about what the client said and where the project stands. The playbook routes you to your exact scenario.
step 02
Get the strategy
See the real risk under the surface, the strategy mode the situation calls for, and how firm your tone can safely go.
step 03
Build your draft
Pick an approach, drop in the client’s name and project details, and the playbook assembles the email around them.
step 04
Copy and send
Take the finished email, a reusable template, or an AI prompt tuned to the scenario — whichever fits how you work.
what's inside
22 scenarios across the whole client relationship
From the standard annual raise to the client who says it’s not in the budget — the framing, the timing, and the scripts for round two.
Annual increases, experience-based raises, market-rate and cost-of-living adjustments — framed to land.
Long-term clients, corporate accounts, agencies — the same raise needs a different delivery for each.
"That's not in our budget," the counter-offer, the guilt play — holding the number in round two.
Mid-project raises, grandfathered rates, and the client paying half of what new ones do.
A rate structure that raises itself — anchors, reviews, and terms that do the negotiating for you.
every scenario includes
Not advice.
A complete response kit.
Discounting the moment they flinch teaches them the number was never real. Round two isn't about the rate anymore — it's about whether your rates mean anything.
also included
More than scenarios
the guide
19-chapter boundary guide
The thinking behind the scripts — how boundaries work, why clients test them, and how to hold them long-term. Read it cover to cover or jump from any scenario.
browse mode
Every scenario, one index
Skip the diagnosis when you already know your situation — browse all 25 scenarios by category and jump straight to the script.
the format
One file, works anywhere
A single HTML file that runs in any browser — laptop, tablet, phone. No account, no installs, works offline. Yours forever.
the complete bundle
The rate raise is one of five conversations.
Boundaries, scope creep, late payments, and onboarding each have their own playbook. Get all five — 122 scenarios — plus 50% off any ClearBound AI subscription.
$79
$161
faq
Before you decide.
What exactly do I download?
A single interactive HTML file plus a quick-start README. Open the file in any browser — Chrome, Safari, Firefox — on any device. No account, no installs, and it works offline.
How much notice should you give before raising your rates?
Give at least 30 days, and ideally set the new rate to start at a natural break—a new month, quarter, or project phase. That gives clients time to adjust budgets and signals that the change is planned, not reactive. For ongoing retainers, more lead time is better; for new projects, simply quote the new rate up front. The Rate Raise Playbook covers timing, framing, and the exact wording for each of these situations.
How do you raise your rates with existing clients?
Give notice, anchor the new number, and frame it as routine. Tell existing clients your rate is changing, state the new figure plainly, and set an effective date a few weeks out so ongoing work isn’t disrupted. Don’t apologize or over-justify—a confident, matter-of-fact tone signals the raise is normal. The Rate Raise Playbook gives you 22 scenarios and ready-to-send emails for announcing the increase and handling every pushback that follows.
Is this a course or a PDF?
Neither. It’s an interactive tool: you answer a few questions about your situation, it routes you to the right scenario, and it builds the email around your details. There’s nothing to read cover-to-cover unless you want to — the 19-chapter guide is there when you do.
What if my situation isn't one of the 22 scenarios?
Every scenario is built on the five strategy modes, so the scripts adapt to variations of each situation. And every scenario includes a tuned AI prompt — run it with your specifics to generate a version for your exact case.
Do I get updates?
Yes — lifetime updates are included. When new scenarios or improvements ship, you get the new file at no extra cost.
Is there a refund policy?
Yes — 14 days, no questions asked. If the playbook doesn’t help you handle your next hard conversation, reply to your receipt and you’ll get a full refund.
You’ve known the number for a year. Send it.
22 scenarios. Every framing, every pushback. Ready before the email.