How to move from hourly to value-based pricing without losing clients?

[Ronald89]

I've been freelancing as a graphic designer for a few years, but I'm consistently undercharging for my work because I base my rates on what I think clients will pay rather than the value I provide, leading to burnout from taking on too many projects. I want to shift from an hourly rate to a value-based or project-based pricing model, but I'm unsure how to structure proposals and confidently communicate that higher price to existing clients who are used to my old rates. For established freelancers, how did you transition your pricing strategy without losing your core client base? What specific steps did you take to research and justify your new rates, and how do you handle scope creep or revisions within a fixed project fee to protect your profitability?

[Edward36]

You're not alone. I shifted to value pricing by starting with one pilot project priced on outcome rather than hours. I asked the client what result mattered most (time saved, conversions, flexibility) and priced around that impact. Keep the deliverables crystal clear and include a short ROI blurb in the proposal.