Still Saying Yes to Low-Paying Clients? Here’s What It’s Really Costing You.
Over-Servicing Isn’t Loyalty.
It’s Avoidance (and It’s Holding You Back).
Here is the reality:
We don’t keep underpaying clients because it’s smart.
We keep them because it’s easier than setting a boundary.
We tell ourselves things like:
“They’ve been with me since the beginning.”
“They’re not that bad.”
“It’s not worth losing them over.”
And that feels like loyalty.
But what it really is… is avoidance.
Avoiding discomfort.
Avoiding setting boundaries.
Avoiding the possibility that they’ll leave.
Here is the truth:
You don’t owe clients lifetime discounts just because they’ve been around a while.
Over-delivering for a client who doesn’t value your work?
That’s not loyalty.
That’s a liability.
And when you finally decide to realign the relationship - or let it go altogether - it almost always feels like a relief.
You show up better for your team.
You make space for better-fit clients.
And you regain trust in your own value.
Letting go of underpaying clients isn’t a loss.
It’s a reset.
Let Me Say This As Clearly As I Can
Over-servicing an underpaying client will not make them pay you more.
And although I knew this from running someone else’s firm…
I still had to learn it the hard way for myself.
By burning out my team, bottlenecking my own capacity, and watching my pipeline dry up. All the while trying to “prove myself” to companies who were never going to value my work, no matter how much of it I gave away for free (without actually mentioning it, because that would take away from the good deed, right? Wrong. So, so wrong.)
How to Know If This Is Happening to You
🧭 Use our Client Compass
One of the first things we do with clients is have them map out their current portfolio:
Who’s actually profitable?
Who drains your team’s energy?
Who constantly asks for “just one little thing”?
Who’s paying for exactly what they’re getting, and who’s getting a steal?
Most people are shocked by what they find. And not in a good way.
💡Gut Check: If you don’t have visibility into this, you’re already over-servicing. No question.
Audit What You’re Actually Doing For Clients
If you want to know exactly where your profit is leaking:
Audit every service you’re performing for a client… and match it against what you’re actually charging them for.
This was my first initiative in my role as COO at Momentum Accounting.
We upgraded from hand-made Word documents to a systemized proposal software. Started moving clients to formalized, itemized proposals that clearly acknowledged everything we were doing.
The result?
✓ 20% increase in top-line revenue.
✓ Without adding a single extra task.
No productivity hack. No sales push.
Just charging for the work we were already doing.
How to Raise Prices Without Making It Weird
If you’re reading this and thinking, “Yeah, but I can’t just raise prices out of nowhere.”
You’re right.
You should start by scheduling an executive check-in between you as the founder and the client. Here’s why:
💭 When was the last time you actually talked to your client transparently about how things were going?
Here’s the move:
Set up a casual but intentional 30-minute check-in.
Don’t start with pricing. Start with them.
Ask:
How are things going? (Then stop talking.)
What’s changed in their business since we first met? (Then stop talking.)
Have they considered changing service providers in the last year? (Then stop talking.)
Review what your team has documented as their true deliverables to ensure everyone is on the same page.
If the scope has grown and their business is growing - it’s time.
The price increase becomes a natural outcome of a real conversation, not a demand out of nowhere.
This isn’t just about revenue.
It’s about realignment.
What To Say (and How To Say It)
If you’ve been putting off these conversations because you don’t know what to say, here’s a script to get you started:
On the check-in call:
“I wanted to connect directly and hear how things are going from your side. What’s working well, what’s changed, and where you’re headed this year.”
If it’s time to adjust pricing:
“It has been incredibly exciting to watch your business grow and even more fun to have been part of it. To continue supporting your business at this level, your monthly fee will be updated to [amount], starting [date].”
You don’t need a 10-minute justification.
Just a calm, clear reminder that your pricing reflects your value and the reality of what your team is actually doing.
Final Thought: The Right Clients Want to Pay You What You’re Worth
Let me say it again for the founders in the back.
Your best clients don’t want a discount.
They want peace of mind and clear expectations.
They want an accounting expert who has their back and isn’t secretly resenting them for all the unbilled work.
If you’re overwhelmed trying to over-deliver in hopes someone will finally see your value, I promise you:
They already do (or they wouldn’t be asking for more).
So, if you’re winging it? Here’s the plan:
Get clear on your client list.
Audit what you’re actually doing.
Check in with every single client.
Raise prices when scope demands it.
Stop over-servicing cheap clients.
They’re not your growth strategy.
They’re your biggest expense.
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