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Double Your Freelancing Rate

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169 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2012

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315 people want to read

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Brennan Dunn

6 books14 followers

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5 stars
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41 (26%)
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15 (9%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
Profile Image for Jarrod Drysdale.
Author 3 books5 followers
August 1, 2014
This is an exceptional book. It's easy to underestimate this kind of advice. When you read, it seems obvious, as other reviewers stated.

However, the most valuable advice usually seems obvious in hindsight.

I'm about to return to consulting after several years away, and reading this book gave me encouragement and the confidence to charge what I deserve.

That said, I think the title of the book doesn't quite reveal everything covered. I didn't only learn about how to charge higher rates.

I learned how to understand what clients need, and why they hire consultants in the first place. This understanding is critical in order to be hired and get the best clients.

Last, Brennan is a different kind of author than you might be used to. He runs a weekly newsletter, and if you reply, he'll get right back to you. There's a real person on the other side of this book who is heavily invested in his readers' success. That easily justifies the purchase price.
Profile Image for Vangos Pterneas.
1 review2 followers
August 28, 2014
Brennan Dunn is the freelancer's superhero.

I read the first version of Double Your Freelancing Rate 8 months ago and doubled my rates. It worked like magic. Now, I have fewer clients who pay me much more than before. I am not afraid to let someone know that I am "expensive" and I never negotiate my rates (I only negotiate the scope of my work).

After reading the second version of this book, something amazing happened. Obviously, I apply the techniques about coaching and I position myself differently. Moreover, I changed the way I negotiate and the way I write proposals to potential clients. But, the most important factor is that I started positioning myself as a Consultant. Period.

When I talk to clients, I try to help them solve their problems (not mine ones!) and show how my expertise will make their business more profitable. When I create a proposal, I offer packages of variable pricing: I provide three options and the client chooses the one that fits their time & budget better. Although this practice performs better than my older proposals, some clients still cannot afford even the most economic package.

So, at the end of the proposal, I also note that I offer pure consulting services at a specific hourly rate. This rate is way higher than the one I'm paid for a project. And, you know what? Those clients who cannot afford any package, end up booking me for consulting sessions! Man, this is awesome! Those clients would not buy my services otherwise - I would get ZERO money from them. Putting this "consulting notice", however, turns them into customers!

The 50 bucks you'll pay for this book are peanuts compared to the value you'll received. Wish I could give this book 10 stars.
1 review
July 11, 2016
I think a lot of the information in this book is common sense from a sales perspective. However, I don't think many people are trained in sales, and thus this book becomes an invaluable resource for thinking like a salesman.

Before this book, I was doing some of these things naturally because my sales had progressed in such a way that clients naturally gravitated toward package deals and static prices. However, I hadn't put much thought into it and my prices were always based on the cost-plus model. After reading this book I feel well equipped to go on and value-price my work. I also feel like I have a better understanding of how to put together successful deals, and negotiate better sales.

A lot of this book is focused on the art of the deal, and it really pays off. In addition to the book, if you purchase the full course, there is an email worksheet schedule that follows up with you. This worksheet set has been a fun and interesting way to help you remember what to do and how to do it.

I'd also recommend buying the full-deluxe course because it comes with scripts and contracts that you can swipe and modify for your own uses. These contracts and scripts are things that Brennan would say or do, and are a very valuable insight into just how this new sales process works.

Finally, what you all really wanted to know: Yes, I've doubled my rate, and on some projects, tripled it, since using this book. It's not actually as hard as you'd think. The hardest part is talking the client into seeing the project from your point of view. After that, the rates fall into place. Without doing that, the client will think you're nuts.
Profile Image for Jonathan.
158 reviews5 followers
March 26, 2013
If you're a freelance web dev (or any type of freelancer, I suppose) and feel you're not earning as much as you should be, this ebook will give you the confidence you need to bump up your rates. The author suggests some good strategies for marketing your freelance business, communicating with clients, and scoping projects, so that your clients come to view you as a valuable business consultant rather than a "web guy".

The book is very brief (I read it during my commute) and about half its volume is comprised of worksheets and case studies - interviews with freelancers who've successfully raised their rates. The book doesn't suffer for its brevity, but I think there is scope for Dunn to expand the book into a more complete business guide for freelancers.

One complaint: the book is only available in PDF format, which seems short sighted in this day and age, since PDF is poorly suited for eInk devices such as Kindle. I had to spend an hour of my time converting the book to mobi format, and tweaking the formatting to make it readable.
1 review
April 16, 2013
It's a short read. I thought I'd learn more from it, but unfortunately it was quite basic stuff (but sometimes spiced up with cool ideas).
1 review
September 15, 2017
I found Brennan on his Indiehackers interview.

This book/course really brought me up-to-speed on understanding what my clients really want. The online community that comes with it has also been invaluable for learning and getting feedback on my implementation of the lessons inside.

When I bought this course, I was at a point when I thought I'd be looking for a job (which I was dreading). After reading this, I got pretty excited about the prospect of getting my own consultancy started and am in the process of setting up now.
Profile Image for António Godinho.
5 reviews
March 2, 2020
I made a little summary of everything this book taught me and it fit into 1 page. There's a lot of really useful information but it comes with a lot of filler. Reading up on the author's techniques for making money, you can't help but feel you're one of the people he's making money from by stretching some useful pointers into a full length book.
Profile Image for Samuel.
274 reviews4 followers
June 28, 2020
This book is not just about doubling your "freelancing" rate—it's much more than that. Double your freelancing rate doesn't just offer casual business or strategy tips. The book has many interesting hypothetical stories that most freelancers, from newbies to pros, can easily understand. It's packed with many real-life interviews and great case studies.
Profile Image for Bálint.
274 reviews32 followers
March 17, 2020
Like Brennan's work and this book helps to have a completely new view how to approach freelancing, work, sales and getting clients. Helpful, easy to digest, practical.
1 review
Read
October 3, 2016
Man-o-man... I just jumped into this book and bought another one from Brennan Dunn because I am getting so much out it from day, no hour, one of starting it.

I feel my business savvy has jumped through the roof in a short time... and practiced this the other day with a meeting with a lead. They thought we were just going to talk about me writing some useful content for their business... but instead a lead the discussion about determining the value of their average client and thus the value of a lead. There is an approach to doing this so that the work we do can AND SHOULD impact our clients bottom line. Otherwise, why do this work. All of us can impact clients this way but very few of us consultant, freelancers and workers do this.

You want to up your game and get prospects' and leads' attention? Focus on them, their business, their bottom line, and other scientific yet simple ways to make them, and you, money.

Thanks for all the value already, Brenna with this book, your posts and you courses.
1 review
November 30, 2015
I've read many books/blogs on freelancing, but this one, in my opinion, is the best so far. Instead of showing you how you can be good and (slightly) better paid *freelancer*, it takes it on a new level and teaches you the entirely different mindset - how to become a valuable specialist for your client, focus on the right things (business related things instead of just being "coding/designing machine") and as a result, get paid accordingly - multiple times better than any "freelancer" can. Valuable advice for people who are good at what they do but have no clue how to sell it right, and talk to clients right for that matter.

It also gives the confidence to charge what you're really worth (even if you don't know it yet), shows how to write a good proposal, and has lots of good discussions on different freelancing topics. Although some little chunks of this may be found on different parts of the internet, in different books and even in Brennan's blog, but when it all composed together, structured and coupled with unique content, case studies and Brennan's special approach - it's very powerful. I finished reading it not long ago, and already have success with bumping up my rates with the new clients.

So, TL;DR: Highly recommended.
3 reviews2 followers
November 3, 2014
Really good ebook about freelancing and consulting. I've gotten a lot of value reading the ebook. It really made me think about my consultancy Tapmint from our positioning, offering, pricing, and the type of clients we should target. Some of the takeaways (there are more, but here's just 3!) I got from it:

1. Clients come to us because they want a solution to a business problem they have.
2. We should be pricing based on value not an hourly rate (he advocates a rate tied to a weekly rate to anchor it)
3. Productized consulting

I like the concept of productized consulting and how to systemize what we are offering. I will be working on something to do this!

I've also gotten a lot of value out of Brennan's blog posts (free), his email series with simple survey about your consulting (after you buy the book). I do recommend to do the survey as it takes only like 10mins but it forces you to think about what you are doing and why. I also listened to him recently when he was featured on the podcast Kalzumeus, Episode 3 (free) which is an excellent podcast with Patio11. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that does freelancing / consulting.
1 review
October 1, 2014
If you're looking to increase your rates and you're asking yourself, "I can't increase my rates when there's someone cheaper than me", it answers that question. If you're wondering how to write a proposal that sells so you're not spinning your wheels, it answers that question. If you're wondering how to increase your rates on existing clients, it's answers that question. If you're wondering why people hire you in the first place, it answers that question and you'll realize it's not because you're super awesome at what you do.

It's a short read, yes, but quality over quantity right? Compare it to a $10 book, yes it's pricey, but you get what you pay for. It'll pay for itself multiple times over. You should only worry about the price if you're not the kind of person to take action, because with this book you'll need to in order to get any benefit from it.
Profile Image for Justin Carroll.
2 reviews
August 26, 2015
I'm a disciple of Ron Baker, Tim Williams and Blair Enns, so I was very skeptical Brennan would be able to bring anything new to the table on the subject of value-based pricing.

Although DYFR is similar (simply because we're talking value-based pricing), Brennan excels at helping his readers implement those principles through the exact same system that's worked for him. Even going so far as to illustrate exactly how to write proposals, sell retainers and launch consulting products.

Don't get me wrong, it's not that other pricing professionals aren't practical (they are), it's just that this is where Brennan's perspective shines.

Definitely read other pricing professionals, but I recommend ending your studies with DYFR to shape that knowledge into a practical system that works.
Profile Image for Reinart Justin.
1 review
May 30, 2016
Brennan hit home with Double Your Freelancing Rate (which I bought as an online course). It lets you know the important mindset shifts you need to literally double your rate. It teaches you how to position yourself to become 10x more valuable than what you think you are.

After I bought the online course, I directly applied the principles I learned. What happened next? Within 2 weeks, I earned back the entire cost (plus a bit more) of the course as I applied what I learned. I literally just took his scripts, his meeting framework, and applied. And I charged 5x more than I planned to do.

Freaking amazing. I highly recommend this book to any freelancer/consultant who want to charge what they're really worth.

Thanks, Brennan!
1 review
August 1, 2016
Brennan's course helped restructure the way I view the value I was creating for businesses in a very positive way.

Knowing the right questions to ask can make a big difference when dealing with clients and discovering what they really want, not typically what they are asking for.

Brennan's book equipped me with some of those questions and a way to filter out and find the customers who really value your work.

Businesses don't want a new website, they want to please their customers, they want to save time, and increase ROI.

Brennan's course outlines ways to present the work you do as an investment to help achieve those business goals.

I'm continually integrating the lessons from DYFR into my project / client processes and am delighted with the results.
Profile Image for Danielle.
1 review
August 3, 2016
Brennan does a great job of distilling lots of tough business concepts in this easy-to-understand and more importantly, easy-to-implement book. Some of the concepts are those obvious bits that you know you should be doing but weren't sure how to implement. Most of the concepts were new to me but well explained and again, easy to immediately start using in my business.

I've been looking for this kind of well-researched and proven information for months! It was a breath of fresh air to finally find tactics and actionable items for transforming my business from a commoditized vendor to a credible consultant without all kinds of fluff about the universe or feelings. Thank you to Brennan for taking the time to put your client intake and sales flow processes together in this little gem.
16 reviews2 followers
August 2, 2014
I bought the book and the accompanying course, and Brennan did, and still is doing a great thing teaching on how to become a better negotiator, how to position yourself differently and provide value based work, instead of being just a freelance x.
It's necessary for all freelancers that feel that they are not earning to their potential, and after you read the book, you will never again call yourself a freelancer in front of a client.

Great tips on how to find and identify value in the work you are providing or are being asked to provide.
I have recommended this book to all of my consultant friends, and we are all having positive responses to using the methods taught in the course.
Profile Image for Joanne Henein.
1 review60 followers
September 26, 2014
There has been a lot of "complaining" in the industry about being undervalued and nicked-and-dimed, but there hasn't been much other solution than "just raise your prices." I'm so happy that someone has finally spelled out these major challenges that creatives/freelancers go through - in a constructive way - AND provided a whole heap of solutions!

Having a background in business consulting / enterprise solutions, and now being in creative media / online marketing, I can fully appreciate how Brennan's approach translates into our industry.

If you want to be equipped to demonstrate that you are a solution, not just a service, this is your MUST-READ.
Profile Image for Abraão Coelho.
1 review2 followers
December 23, 2015
Well... DYFR was exactly what I expected because I have been in touch with Brennan's material for a while. It isn't about just "doubling your rate", it goes beyond that.

Brennan helps you walk through the process of positioning yourself as a consultant, a real one. Really, positioning is everything. Of course you have to deliver but, as freelancers, we always find someone delivering a lot less and charging a lot more than us. And the course makes a great job at helping you understand that and moving away from being a commodity.

And the best thing: the end-goal is to double your rate, sure, but this course is to help you how to build a Business. And it does a great job at it!
Profile Image for Ignas.
126 reviews16 followers
May 1, 2014
Not bad for sure :) It gave some nice insights, not all were original and new for me personally. I read a lot of articles already and maybe because of that it was not very shocking and new. But what was shocking is the case study which is inside and the prices freelancers charge. Now I'm more confident that one day I will charge more too (and sooner is better). Not a bad read for sure and especially if you haven't read anything similar yet. It is pricey by the way, but well if you will really increase your hour rate, then it is worth to invest.
23 reviews159 followers
January 12, 2015
Hadn't had the chance to read the new edition yet but enjoyed the previous edition.

This is excellent. An easy, compelling read (I guess it's compelling because it's talking about making money…); super actionable.

The criticism that a lot of people told me they have is that the title sounds tacky - in reality it's a great runthrough of techniques for placing & pitching yourself as a freelancer so you can move towards selling focused services rather than being a jack-of-all-trades gun-for-hire.
1 review
February 27, 2015
Finding Brennan's courses online was potentially one of the best things to ever happen to me. He is a master at helping you understand the negotiating process. He distills things down in ways that no one else does.

It's been a truly eye-opening experience. Using the principles of the book, it's already working in several ways.

DYFR will help you get out of bad habits in the negotiating process. Which means you'll command higher rates and have less headaches on the project itself.

Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Wee Keat.
1 review5 followers
August 2, 2014
Brennan has opened up my mind about the way I should approach my clients. The advice is incredibly practical.

I had a relevation even in the first few chapter on qualifying clients. When I applied the same process that Brennan has taught in the book, a potential client commented that I'm one that really wants to find out about her business, and she really wanted to work with me.

Good book, highly recommend anyone to read it.
1 review
October 8, 2014
This book is great for freelancers and consultants who don't know how to raise their rates. This sets you up with the right path on how to get the business part of freelancing done. You might be a technical person, you know how to get things done, but how do you sell it to a business that doesn't know and/or give a crap about the technical details?! It's an easy read but packed full of details and examples, can't wait to put it into practice.
Profile Image for Adrien.
1 review
December 4, 2014
This book helped me understand how to approach being a more valuable web designer. It got questions like "how much should I charge?" or "how do I convince clients of my value?" out of my head.

I have much more meaningful goals now. I'm focusing solely on the skills I need to make a real impact on my clients' bottom lines, and figuring out how to talk to clients about the value of design.

I've never felt so confident.
Profile Image for Bj Pivonka.
1 review1 follower
June 1, 2015
Quite simply the best book for freelancers.

If you feel like your income is stuck due to your client workload, this book shows you how to increase your income without overloading your workload past what you are already doing.

DYFR gives you step by step instructions on how to increase your prices and make more money with your current and future clients.

If you are a serious freelancer you have to get this book.
1 review
July 24, 2015
I've been following Brennan's articles and podcasts for a while and gained a lot of insight about how to better charge my clients, but the meat and potatoes of this book has been essential in taking my business to the next level. If you're serious about getting more clients, and better clients, this book is well worth the investment. I now have a whole new outlook on my business, and I have an actionable list of business development tasks and new products to provide to my clients.
1 review1 follower
December 11, 2015
every now and then i read a book that dramatically improves my life with just a few adjustments to my daily routine...this book is one of them.

after reading only half of it, i was able to improve my negotiations, literally double my rate (it's not just a clever word), and feel more confident in what i do and how i help businesses.

Brennan is brilliant when it comes to this stuff...so if you want to increase the rates for your freelancing, consulting, or advisory work, buy this book!!
1 review
March 14, 2016
This book is amazing. I'm only a few months in my freelancing journey, but I wish I had read this before I started.

Brennan doesn't waste any time on the craft, but goes through step by step all the mechanics of how to deal with clients and why he does it this way. I am in the process of incorporating these steps into my own flow, and I would highly recommend anyone who is about to start freelancing to read this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews

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