It took my close rate from 20% to 67% with an innovative pricing strategy

I’ll be honest… I didn’t come up with this. My husband did.

When I became a Circle Certified Partner, I had about three months to get my rates up with a solid pricing strategy. That’s part of the deal…

Because here’s what was happening: at a 20% close rate, I was spending a LOT of time on discovery calls that went nowhere. Raising my rates was only going to make that worse with my new pricing strategy. Or so I thought.

My husband looked at what I was doing and said something along the lines of, “Why don’t you just set your hourly rate, then offer packages of hours at a discount?”

I remember thinking that felt almost too obvious. But I tried it. And it completely changed my business.

Here’s Exactly What I Did

I set my hourly rate at $75/hr. That’s the anchor. That’s what people see first.

Then I offer three pre-paid support packages:

• 10 Hours — $650 (works out to $65/hr)
• 25 Hours — $1,625 (also $65/hr)
• 50 Hours — $3,000 ($60/hr)

That’s it. Nothing complicated. No tiered service levels, no bronze/silver/gold nonsense. Just hours at a better rate if you commit upfront.

What Happened Next

My close rate went from 20% to 67%.

I’ll say that again because it still kind of surprises me. I went from closing roughly one in five prospects to closing two out of three. And I did it while raising my prices.

Since implementing this, I’ve only lost three clients total. One of those needed a refund. The rest have stayed, re-upped, or moved to a bigger package.

Right now, I have one retainer client. Everyone else is on pre-paid packages or custom project scopes. This is the backbone of how I run my business.

Why It Works (It’s Not Complicated)

People love discounts. That’s it. That’s the psychology.

When someone sees my hourly rate and then sees the package price, the savings feel obvious. They’re not doing mental gymnastics trying to figure out if I’m worth it. The math is right there. They can see exactly what they’re getting and exactly what they’re saving.

But here’s what I didn’t expect: the real value isn’t the initial sale. It’s what happens after.

When a client has pre-paid hours, they actually use you. They don’t sit there debating whether to send you a Slack message about something small. They don’t try to cram six questions into one email to “save” an hour. They just… reach out. The friction disappears. And because they’re using you more, they see more value in what you do. So when those hours run low, they buy more.

You also stop being the person who sends invoices that make people wince. You’re the person they already invested in. That changes the whole relationship. When something breaks at 9pm on a Tuesday, you’re the first call. Not because you’re cheap… because the money’s already spent. You’re their person.

The Part Nobody Talks About

Here’s what I want to be real about: the “discount” is the hook, but commitment is the actual product you’re selling.

I’m not slashing my rates to get clients. I’m giving people a reason to go all in instead of dipping a toe in with two hours of work and disappearing. The difference between a client who buys two hours and a client who buys 25 hours is not just revenue… it’s the kind of relationship you build. The 25-hour client trusts you. They plan with you. They come back.

Your hourly rate needs to be real, though. Don’t jack it up to $200 just so you can “discount” packages down to $130 and call it a deal. People can feel when something’s off. Set your rate where it should be based on what you actually bring to the table. Then let the packages reward people for committing.

If You Want to Try This

Look at what you’re charging right now. That’s your hourly anchor. Build two or three blocks of pre-paid hours with a slight discount… nothing wild, just enough that someone on a discovery call looks at the options and thinks “well, obviously I’d go with the package.”

Pitch it on your next call. See what happens.

I went from dreading the pricing conversation to it being the easiest part of every call. And I have my husband to thank for that, which he will never let me forget.