THE PRICE

What to say when they ask how much you charge

Most beginners either freeze or say a number so low it destroys credibility. Here is how to name a fair price with confidence.

The two ways beginners get pricing wrong

There are two common failure modes when a potential client asks how much you charge. The first is freezing. The question lands, you feel unprepared, and you either deflect ("it depends on a lot of things") or ask them what their budget is before naming anything. That signals insecurity and shifts control to the client in a way that rarely ends well.

The second failure is going too low. Naming a number under EUR 200 per month to seem accessible. The problem is that clients do not read a low price as generous. They read it as a signal that the person does not take their own work seriously. It raises questions rather than removing them.

The right approach is to name a specific, honest number with a brief explanation of what it covers. That is it. No apologising, no excessive justification, no asking permission.

What a fair beginner price actually looks like

EUR 400 to EUR 600 per month for ad management is a fair and credible starting price for a beginner working with small local businesses. Here is what that covers: initial campaign setup, weekly monitoring, copy adjustments when needed, and a monthly summary of results sent to the client.

That price is low enough that a local business can consider it without a long internal decision process. It is high enough that the client takes the service seriously and expects you to show up consistently. And it is honest for where you are in your skill development.

The ad budget, whatever the client decides to spend on the actual ads, is a separate conversation. You are not managing the money. You are managing the campaigns. That distinction needs to be in place before any number gets discussed.

How clients read your pricing
Under EUR 200/month
suspicious
EUR 400-600/month
fair, credible
EUR 1,500+/month
needs portfolio

How to say the number in the actual conversation

Here is a simple way to handle the pricing question when it comes up. "My management fee for a local business account like yours would be somewhere between EUR 400 and EUR 600 per month. That covers setting up your campaigns, monitoring them weekly, adjusting copy and targeting based on what the data shows, and sending you a monthly summary. That fee is separate from whatever you decide to put into the ad budget itself."

That is three sentences. The number, what it covers, and the important clarification about the ad budget. After that, you stop talking. You let the client respond. Most of the time they will ask a question rather than reject the price outright, and a question is an opening.

Handling the price conversation step by step

  1. Wait until you understand their situation before quoting. Do not name a price in the first five minutes. Get through your questions first. You will be able to frame the price more specifically once you know what they need.
  2. State the number with a flat, neutral tone. Not apologetically, not with upward inflection like a question. State it the same way you would state any other fact.
  3. Follow the number immediately with what it covers. This prevents the client from sitting in silence with just a number in their head. Give them the context right away.
  4. Clarify the ad budget separation clearly. This misunderstanding causes more early client friction than almost anything else. Deal with it proactively.
  5. After stating the price, ask a question. 'Does that feel like it is in the range you had in mind?' gives the client an easy way to respond and opens a conversation rather than a negotiation.
Name your price without apology. The number you say tells the client as much about your confidence as the work itself.

FAQ

Is EUR 400 to EUR 600 per month really credible for a beginner?
Yes. The price you name signals how you see the value of your own work. EUR 400 to EUR 600 for monthly ad management is at the lower end of the market, which is appropriate for someone building their first track record. It is not so low that clients question your seriousness, and not so high that it requires an extensive portfolio to justify.
What is the difference between my fee and the ad budget?
Your fee pays for your time: setting up campaigns, monitoring results, writing copy, adjusting targeting, and communicating with the client. The ad budget is what goes directly to Facebook or Google to actually run the ads. They are completely separate. Make sure every client understands this distinction clearly before you agree on anything.
What if they say it is too expensive?
First ask what budget they had in mind. Sometimes 'too expensive' means they had a very different number in their head, and you can learn a lot from what that number is. If their budget is genuinely below what makes sense for ad management, it may be a sign that this is not the right first client.
Should I offer a discount to close the first client?
Only if you are willing to work at that rate long-term or you plan to raise it explicitly after month one. A discount that has no end date creates a client who is anchored to the lower price and will push back when you try to raise it. If you lower the price, put a clear time limit on it.
When is the right time to raise prices?
After you have a result to point to and the relationship is established. A client who is happy with month three is much more receptive to a price increase than a brand new prospect. Most freelancers raise their rates by EUR 100 to EUR 200 per client per renewal, usually after month three to six.