Last week, I had dinner with a brand strategist named Sarah who was completely deflated. She’d just lost a potential client to someone charging half her rates.
But here’s the fascinating part: that client had spent twenty minutes explaining why Sarah’s approach felt so different, so thoughtful, and exactly what they needed. They praised her insights, described her process in detail, even said they felt confident she could transform their business.
And then they chose someone else purely on price.
Sarah thought this was evidence she needed to lower her rates. I saw something completely different… a pattern I’ve seen across many creative businesses that, once you understand it, changes everything about how you position your work.
The Creative Service Landscape Has Shifted
The landscape has transformed dramatically. Clients are more educated than ever, but they’re also more overwhelmed. They arrive having researched everything, knowing what good work looks like, but drowning in options.
Quality has become non-negotiable, but it’s no longer enough on its own. What makes you stand out now is how you think, how you solve problems, and how the experience of working with you feels.
What’s Working Right Now
Leading with Method, Not Just Portfolio
The creatives consistently booked at premium rates have stopped competing on outcomes and started focusing on their unique approaches. Instead of just showing before-and-after results, they explain why they made specific decisions. They make their invisible value completely visible.
A brand photographer I know used to showcase beautiful images with simple captions. Now she shares how she spends the first thirty minutes helping clients feel comfortable, why she chooses specific lighting to reflect personality, and how she guides natural poses. Clients don’t just see beautiful photos – they understand the thinking that makes her clients look exceptional.
Pricing for Transformation, Not Time
Successful creatives have moved away from hourly rates toward pricing based on the value their work creates. They focus on the confidence, clarity, and relief clients gain, not just the deliverables.
Building Depth Rather Than Width
Specialization is key. Going deeper with specific types of clients or particular challenges makes everything easier – pricing, marketing, referrals, even the work itself. When you become known for specific transformations, you become the obvious choice.
Authentic Visibility Over Marketing Tactics
The most successful creatives have stopped following generic marketing advice and started sharing their genuine perspectives and insights in ways that feel natural. People connect with authenticity.
What’s No Longer Working
Generic descriptions like “I help businesses with branding” make you blend in. When everyone sounds the same, clients default to choosing on price.
Competing mainly on price attracts clients who don’t value expertise. These clients tend to be difficult to work with and rarely become strong advocates.
Trying to be everything to everyone means you don’t stand out for anything. Clear boundaries about what you do make it easier for the right clients to find you.
Playing it safe with personality makes you forgettable. In a market full of competent providers, personality creates genuine connection.
Treating consultations as information-gathering rather than valuable experiences. Your consultation should demonstrate your thinking and expertise, not just collect requirements.
What to Do Next
Pick one approach that resonates most with you… don’t try to do everything at once.
Honestly assess whether you’re caught in any of the patterns to avoid. Are you competing mainly on price? Being too generic? Hiding your personality?
Make one small change this week. Rewrite how you describe your services to focus on transformation. Reach out to past clients to understand your real impact. Share a genuine insight about your process.
The goal isn’t perfection – it’s progress. When creatives make these shifts, they stop competing on price and start competing on unique value. They attract clients who appreciate their expertise and build practices that energize rather than drain them.
The creative service economy is thriving, but success requires more than talent. It requires understanding your unique strengths, pricing confidently, and building from what makes you exceptional.
The opportunity is absolutely there.
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