Ready to Raise Your Rates? 5 Signs It’s Time to Increase Your Doula Fee

Setting your prices (and raising them!) can feel like one of the most daunting challenges as a doula or birth professional, but guess what? It doesn’t have to be! If you've been feeling WEIRD about raising your prices, or wondering if you should, I'm here to help. Let's dig in!

First, let me know if this sounds like you...

• You're starting to feel burned out, broke, maybe even a bit resentful
• In your heart of hearts, you know you're undercharging and over-delivering
• You feel like your time/energy/wisdom/love/kindness isn’t reciprocated or valued
• You know there's no way in hell you'll ever be able to fulfill your Ultimate Life Vision if you continue charging what you currently are, or making your current level of income…

If any of that hits home, keep reading....

It's simple: Without reciprocity, or a symbiotic energy exchange, you go into debt.

And not just financial debt (the obvious kind) but mental and emotional debt.

That's what tends to happen when you're always giving giving giving (love, time, energy, kindness, help, support) but not receiving back equally. 

This goes for both your professional and your intimate personal relationships.

We all know what it's like to be in a relationship (with a friend, lover, or family member)… when we give and pour into them our love, time, and energy aren't returned back equally. Ouch! 

Those are the relationships that hurt and end quicker than they should.

Whether it's a personal or professional relationship; reciprocity is required. It's the hallmark of a sane, stable, mature, long lasting relationship.

For women who have been socially and religiously conditioned to do LOADS of unpaid, under-valued labor (physical, emotional, mental, and otherwise)… the idea of symbiosis and reciprocity, the idea of requiring it, makes us wonder: 

AM I A GIANT BITCH FOR NEEDING AN EQUAL ENERGY EXCHANGE? 

No, you're not. You're just a normal human being with normal emotional needs.

Even if you feel really scared about it, I’m going to show you how to KNOW if it’s the right time to INCREASE your prices. And to be able to do it without intense feelings of guilt or shame. Receiving back the love you so generously offer others shouldn't feel heavy.

It should feel light and joyful!

5 ways to KNOW you're undercharging 

#1. You have loads of clients/are totally booked out/working too much.

If you’re feeling way too busy and at the point of burnout, increasing your prices can recalibrate that. Being super busy and fully booked with tons of clients who pay you in full, no questions asked, is a sign to raise your price. Charge more, and you'll able to hit your revenue goal with less clients, in less time, and give those few clients an incredible level of support. Like, five-star, world-class support. They'll love you for it. This one's a no-brainer. Everybody wins!

#2. People are describing your work or services as being cheap or affordable.

If people are constantly saying, "Oh, I thought it’d cost so much more than that!" that indicates there's an issue with the perceived value and the actual price tag. See, when the perceived value is different from the actual price, that confuses people. And confused people don’t buy. Imagine someone offering to sell you a BRAND NEW Lexus in perfect condition for only $5,000. That's a red flag, bebe! 

“Somethings gotta be wrong with it”, you think. The perceived value is SO much different from the price! And you run the other way, thinking they're trying to swindle you. Funny thing is, if it was offered at reasonable price, damn, maybe you would've bought it. Bottom line is, a lot of people aren't hiring because your price is too low. Crazy, I know. For more on this topic, check out the blog I wrote on price psychology. 

#3. You're always attracting PITA (pain in the ass) clients.

This is often because of an energetic mismatch and maybe… self-worth issues? You need to increase prices, work on the energy that you're putting out and set personal boundaries. Working with PITA / wrong-fit clients may be a temporary financial bonus, but it puts you in long-term energetic debt. It ain't worth it. 

#4. You're consistently creating amazing results for people.

Real-life example. After hearing about the ridiculous amount of money my clients were able to make by applying the strategies they learned in my program, I raised my own prices. Once I saw clients hitting consistent 5-figure months… tripling their prices (and getting loads of clients at that new price!), I know I had to start charging more. If you're a service-based entrepreneur, you charge based on results, not the “time” you spend with clients. Think of the long term results/benefits/transformation they're getting by way of working with you. Even at my new, higher price, my clients still achieve an incredible ROI (return on investment). And they will for years and years to come. 

#5. You fucking want to! 

End of story; no need to justify or rationalize your decision to anyone. It's okay to feel like you've outgrown your pricing. Prices aren’t set in stone. 

So, which of these items hits home for you? Comment below and let me know which #. Maybe all of 'em?! 

Futhermore, if you're thinking- “Dang Melynda, if I can't get clients at my current low price, how the hell am I going to get clients at a HIGHER price!?” Then we should talk. 

When folks aren't buying, it's RARELY due to a pricing issue. I've coached 100's doulas, midwives and birth pros and I've never in my entire life met someone who couldn't get clients because their price was too high.

If you aren't getting doula clients at your already rock-bottom price point, here are a 7 questions to ask:

1. Are you marketing to the right people? If your product isn't in front of the right people, it won't matter what the price is.
2. Do you solve a very specific problem or pain point for a specific person? Specificity Sells.
3. Do you know specifically, intimately who your People (ideal clients) are? A world-class PRODUCT at the perfect PRICE that's properly POSITIONED all starts with… PEOPLE. Don't skip this foundational step.
4. Is your product/service unique? How? And more importantly; have you effectively communicated to your audience how it's unique/different? You have to have a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) and a strong differentiation strategy. It's hard to get seen/heard/hired when you look and sound like every other doula out there.
5. Have you clearly communicated the exact benefits, outcome, results and transformation people can expect by way of working with you? Or have you just been focusing on the features (what it “includes”)?
6. Is your website functionally designed (able to turn clicks into clients)? It may be pretty, but does it work?
7. Are your consultations effective? What's your close rate (ratio of consultations that result in clients)?

When no one's buying what you're selling, we automatically think "I need to lower the price", but the truth is, you probably just need to refine/elevate your product, message, marketing, target market, website, or consultation skills.

So, there you have it!

If any of this resonates with you, know that it's completely normal to want to charge what you're truly worth—and even to raise those prices as your business grows. You're allowed to feel abundant, supported, and wildly successful! Remember, it's not just about the "money"; it’s about aligning your energy with the right clients and creating a symbiotic exchange that leaves EVERYONE feeling empowered! You've got this, and when you set those new prices, know that the right people will be more than willing to invest in the incredible value you bring to their lives!

xoxo,

Melynda