The Biggest Lie You've Been Telling Yourself About Raising Your Rates

Yesterday Evan and I sat down with a client for whom we did a short branded doc.

We shared a vision on how we could take that idea and turn it into a feature-length film.

She was moved to tears. She felt the vision deeply.

The experience got me thinking about how your largest opportunities whisper. They don’t yell.

Over the years, learning to listen to these ‘whispers’ has led to over $10 million in project budgets.

The lie many of us tell ourselves is that we have to make incremental moves. $3 to $5k, then $5k to $10k.

Today, I’m going to break down how to listen for the whisper, when to go for that big swing, and the single biggest thing to keep in mind when you do.

Implementing this is how you can 10x your rates in one move.

It’s how I turned a $2,500 story consult for Four Seasons into a $500k retainer for the year in a matter of months (which is a 20x move).

Okay, let’s break it down…

The Whisper vs. The Yell

Those game-changing opportunities, the ones that can skyrocket your rates and transform your career?

They’re not going to announce themselves with fanfare.

They don’t show up in your inbox with a subject line that screams “BIG OPPORTUNITY HERE!“

They don’t call you up and say, “Hey, we’ve got a massive project for you!“

They don’t knock on your door with a neon sign saying “Your Big Break is Here!”

No. They whisper.

And here’s the kicker: it’s only if you’re truly listening - I mean really, truly listening - that you can hear them.

The Power of the Whisper

Now, you might be thinking, “Come on, surely the big opportunities are obvious?”

Let me share a couple of stories that might change your mind.

A couple of weeks back, I got a late-night email I got while in Vienna. Someone was looking for a “camera in a boardroom” to film a quick interview.

Sounds like a standard $2-5K gig, right?

Wrong.

Because I was listening for the whispers, I took that sales call and dug deeper. I uncovered their massive launch opportunity and realized how an epic vision story could make a difference.

Instead of replying with a standard quote and some bullet points, I wrote a script, filmed a pitch video, and sent it on a custom landing page the next business day.

The result?

They were blown away…

We landed a project that was about 10x what they initially envisioned.

That’s the power of listening for whispers.

These aren’t gradual increases.

These are quantum leaps. And they all started with a whisper.

The Two Whispers You Need to Listen For

So, how do you identify these whisper opportunities? What should you be listening for?

There are two key whispers that, when heard together, signal it’s time to go for the big swing:

• The Big Need (The Logical Trigger)

This is the business opportunity or potential ROI your work can provide. It’s about growth, expansion, or solving a pressing problem.

Maybe they want to grow their program globally. Perhaps they’re aiming to enroll another hundred members. Or they might be eyeing a million-dollar grant.

This is the logical, business-focused trigger.

• The Big Desire (The Emotional Trigger)

This is what the human behind the client really wants for themselves. It’s about personal ambition, legacy, or impact.

It could be fame or recognition. It might be wealth or financial freedom. Perhaps it’s about self-transcendence or personal growth. Maybe they want to change the world or preserve a tradition.

There will be one Big Desire.

The Art of Listening

Here’s the thing: clients rarely articulate these needs and desires clearly. They don’t say, “Hey, I need the $200,000 thing that will make me famous.“

Instead, you’ll hear subtle hints.

Offhand comments.

Unspoken anxieties or aspirations.

That’s why I call them whispers.

It’s on you to hear those whispers and connect the dots.

Taking the Big Swing

When you hear both a Big Need AND a Big Desire, that’s your cue. That’s when you go for the big swing.

But how?

• Use your expertise to craft a solution that addresses both the logical need and the emotional desire.

• Speak to the big need while implying fulfillment of the emotional desire.

For example, you might focus on how your project will help enroll new members or secure that grant (the need), while subtly highlighting how it will position your client as a thought leader or change-maker (the desire).

• Be remarkable in your approach.

This is where the magic happens.

This is where you separate yourself from the pack.

Instead of sending an email with bullet points, create a custom pitch video with a soundtrack and b-roll.

Rather than sharing your idea verbally on a call, create a mockup video or print out materials to make your vision tangible.

For our meeting this weekend, we developed a whole brand for the feature film, including mockup movie posters.

We printed them out and laid them on the table when the moment was right.

It made the vision real, felt, and it was a remarkable experience.

The goal is to be felt, not just heard. To show rather than tell.

The Payoff

When you nail this approach, magic happens:

• Your client gets excited. They see possibilities they hadn’t considered before.

• You position yourself as a strategic partner, not just a service provider.

• You stand out from the competition in a way that’s hard to ignore.

• You build trust because you’re showing, not telling.

And here’s the best part: you set yourself up for those quantum leaps in your rates.

No more inching from $3K to $5K to $10K.

You’re making bold jumps from $3K to $30K, or $30K to $300K.

This is the secret sauce on how I landed my biggest film of all time at a $2 million dollar budget.

Your Next Steps

Ready to start listening for whispers? Here’s what to do:

• In your next client interaction, listen intently. What’s their big need? What’s their big desire?

• Craft a solution that addresses both the logical and emotional triggers.

• Think of the most remarkable way you could present this solution. How can you show rather than tell?

• Take action. Create that remarkable pitch and send it out.

• Be prepared to deliver on the bigger vision you’ve proposed.

• Don’t settle for average with the big swing. Ever.

Remember, the biggest opportunities don’t yell - they whisper.

But when you learn to listen, and respond with vision and remarkability, you can transform whispers into roars.

Are you ready to listen?

• Patrick