Anchor High: Pricing Strategy For Consultants & Service Providers

Shannon Mattern
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Pricing strategy and proposal structure for consultants, fractional executives, agency owners and creative, professional, technical and administrative service providers who want to make more from the work they're already doing - without adding more to their to-do list. Anchor High is hosted by Shannon Mattern, creator of the Package Matrix™ - an offer framework built on behavioral economics, pricing psychology and a decade of results. If you sell your expertise and hands-on implementation, deliver solid work and have happy clients - but you’re maxed out and feel like you’ve hit an income ceiling, this show is for you. Each short episode breaks down how pricing psychology and proposal strategy influence prospects' decision-making and helps you rethink everything you thought you knew about how much you can really charge for your services and expertise.

Episodes

  1. APR 23

    How Price Anchors Can Make or Break Your Proposals

    Are you setting low price anchors without even realizing it? The first price a person hears becomes the anchor, meaning every number they hear after that gets compared to that first one. So if you anchor low and prices go up from there, you’re actually framing an expense-minded decision instead of an investment-minded one. And then you wonder why prospects keep hesitating, negotiating, or choosing your lowest option. In this episode, I break down exactly what low price anchors look like in your customer journey, why they’re costing you money before the conversation even starts, and how to anchor high in value so your best clients can say yes to your best work. What You'll Learn • What the anchoring effect is and why it shapes your prospect’s decisions • The most common low price anchors service providers set without realizing it • Why starting-at prices, budget questions, and low-to-high tiering work against you • How to anchor high in value before you ever introduce a number • Why presenting your highest option first changes the entire frame • A simple audit to find where you’re leaving money on the table in your customer journey Key Takeaway Every low anchor is a place you’re leaving money on the table before the conversation even starts. Anchor high in value first, present your highest option first, and design the decision so your ideal clients can say yes to your best work. Resources Mentioned:📈 Get the Package Matrix™ proposal template: https://shannonmattern.com/Connect With Shannon:👩‍💻 Website: https://shannonmattern.com/🤝 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/shannonmattern☎️ Book a Discovery Call: https://shannonmattern.com/calendarAbout Pricing Mindset Makeover:Pricing Mindset Makeover is for experienced service providers, consultants, and agencies who know they could be charging more but aren’t sure how. Each episode gives you the pricing strategy and mindset shifts you need to stop undercharging and start making more from the incredible work you’re already doing. Hosted by Shannon Mattern, Pricing Strategist and creator of the Package Matrix™ Framework.

    5 min

  2. APR 21

    Investment-Minded Clients Are All Around You

    Have you ever walked away from a consultation thinking "They probably can't afford it?" Or put together a proposal already knowing in your gut you were going to price it lower than you wanted to, because of what you assumed about the person on the other side? Here's what I know after a decade of watching service providers price their work: you think you know what your clients can and can't afford. What they will and won't spend. What their pricing paradigm is before they've even told you. And you are pricing through your own lens. In this episode, I break down the assumption loop that keeps you attracting clients who push back on price — and the mindset shift that lets you design proposals that give investment-minded clients a real choice. What You'll Learn: Why assuming expense mindset leads to designing expense-minded proposals The telltale signs you're pricing through your own lens What investment-minded clients actually need from your proposal How anchoring low signals low value — before the client even sees your price The one question to ask yourself before every proposal Key Takeaway: You don't know what your client's pricing paradigm is until you give them a chance to show you. Stop designing expense-minded decisions and start giving investment-minded clients a real choice. Resources Mentioned:📈 Get the Package Matrix™ proposal template: https://shannonmattern.com/Connect With Shannon:👩‍💻 Website: https://shannonmattern.com/🤝 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/shannonmattern☎️ Book a Discovery Call: https://shannonmattern.com/calendarAbout Pricing Mindset Makeover:Pricing Mindset Makeover is for experienced service providers, consultants, and agencies who know they could be charging more but aren’t sure how. Each episode gives you the pricing strategy and mindset shifts you need to stop undercharging and start making more from the incredible work you’re already doing. Hosted by Shannon Mattern, Pricing Strategist and creator of the Package Matrix™ Framework.

    3 min

  3. APR 16

    At Capacity But Still Not Making Enough? Here’s the Real Problem

    Have you ever looked at your business and thought — something has to shift, but you’re not sure exactly what yet? If you’re an experienced service provider, consultant, or agency owner who’s at capacity and still not making what you know you could be making, this episode is for you. The problem isn’t your schedule, your systems, or your skills. It’s a pricing and leverage problem — and there’s a both/and solution that lets you make the shift safely. What You’ll Learn: Why fully booked service providers are often still underearning The three-way trap that keeps you frozen in status quo Why this is a pricing and leverage problem, not a time management problem What the Package Matrix™ is and how it creates the both/and solution Your next step if you know something has to shift Key Takeaway: The capacity problem is not a time problem. It’s a pricing problem. When you stop trying to solve it with your schedule and start solving it with your offer structure and pricing strategy, everything shifts. Resources Mentioned: Get the Package Matrix™ proposal template: shannonmattern.com Book a discovery call: shannonmattern.com/calendar Connect With Shannon: Website: shannonmattern.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shannonmattern Book a Discovery Call: shannonmattern.com/calendar About Pricing Mindset Makeover: Pricing Mindset Makeover is for experienced service providers, consultants, and agencies who know they could be charging more but aren’t sure how. Each episode gives you the pricing strategy and mindset shifts you need to stop undercharging and start making more from the incredible work you’re already doing. Hosted by Shannon Mattern, Pricing Strategist and creator of the Package Matrix™ Framework.

    3 min

  4. APR 14

    Why More Effort Isn’t Making You More Money

    ➡️ Get our High-Converting Proposal Template shannonmattern.com Have you ever worked crazy hard to grow your business but kept producing the same results? In this episode, I’m talking about one of the most exhausting patterns I see in the most driven, capable service providers I work with: trying to grow their revenue with one foot on the gas and one foot just as firmly on the brake. Your conscious mind knows exactly where it wants to go. And your subconscious mind — whose entire job is to keep you safe — sees the changes you want to make as dangerous. So it brakes. Hard. With equal force. And here’s the part that makes this tricky at your level: the brake doesn’t look like fear or self-doubt. It looks like noble obstacles. It sounds like logic. It feels like responsible preparation. What You’ll Learn: Why driven service providers plateau despite putting in maximum effort How your subconscious brake works — and why it’s not a character flaw What “procrastination masquerading as progress” looks like at your experience level The one question to ask yourself to identify your brake right now Why awareness is the first step to releasing it Key Takeaway: You’re not stuck because you’re not working hard enough. You’re stuck because you’re working hard in two directions at once. Name the brake. Start releasing it. Resources Mentioned: Book a Discovery Call: shannonmattern.com/calendar Connect With Shannon: Website: shannonmattern.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shannonmattern Book a Discovery Call: shannonmattern.com/calendar About Pricing Mindset Makeover: Pricing Mindset Makeover is for experienced service providers, consultants, and agencies who know they could be charging more but aren’t sure how. Each episode gives you the pricing strategy and mindset shifts you need to stop undercharging and start making more from the incredible work you’re already doing. Hosted by Shannon Mattern, Pricing Strategist and creator of the Package Matrix™ Framework.

    5 min

  5. APR 9

    What to Do When a Client Says You're Too Expensive

    Have you ever had a client tell you that you're too expensive in a way that made you question everything about your pricing? One of Shannon's clients sent over her highest-priced proposal ever. The prospect tore it apart, asked if she was serious about the price, and said there was no way she could justify hiring her. The very next week, that same client booked two projects worth $77,000. In this episode, Shannon breaks down what to do when you hear no so you don't let one rejection derail your pricing confidence or send you back to undercharging. What most service providers do after a pricing rejection — and why it backfires Why the most vigorous nos are almost never actually about price How to debrief a rejection to separate fact from feeling The story you should never let a no tell you about your prices What happened one week after Shannon's client got that brutal rejection. How to protect your pricing confidence so one no doesn't become a pattern When you hear no, feel your feelings — and then separate fact from fiction. You're not for everyone. You don't have to make up for other service providers' bad behavior. Not everyone needs to be able to afford to work with you. One client's reaction is not data about your price. Website: shannonmattern.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shannonmattern Book a Discovery Call: shannonmattern.com/calendar Pricing Mindset Makeover is for experienced service providers, consultants, and agencies who know they could be charging more but aren't sure how. Each episode gives you the pricing strategy and mindset shifts you need to stop undercharging and start making more from the incredible work you're already doing. Hosted by Shannon Mattern, Pricing Strategist and creator of the Package Matrix™ Framework.

    5 min

  6. APR 7

    Proposal Anxiety Is Real - A Pricing Strategist Explains How to Handle It

    ➡️ ⁠⁠⁠Get our High-Converting Proposal Template⁠⁠⁠ Have you ever sent a proposal and immediately started obsessing about what the answer’s gonna be? One of my clients recently sent her highest proposal ever by a lot after shifting to value-based pricing. She reached out right after hitting send, in full anxiety mode, asking how to manage her nerves and stop refreshing her inbox. In this episode, I break down why proposal anxiety is completely normal (and actually a sign of growth), what you can do to manage your mind in the space between sending and hearing back, and one practical thing you should put in every proposal to calm your brain down. What You’ll Learn: Why your nervous system freaks out the first time you charge what you’re actually worth The mindset shift that stops the inbox-refresh spiral Why the stories your brain tells while you wait are pure fiction One practical proposal tip that gives your brain a plan for the space between What happened a week later when my client managed her mind through it Key Takeaway: If you’re gonna tell stories, tell good ones. The courage to send your highest proposal ever is step one. Managing your mind through the wait is step two. And I promise — it gets easier every time you do it. Resources Mentioned: Proposal Template + Package Matrix™ Strategy Episode 001 — Cost-Based vs. Value-Based Pricing Episode 004 — Pricing Paradigms Connect with Shannon: Website: https://shannonmattern.com LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/shannonmattern Book a Discovery Call: https://shannonmattern.com⁠⁠/calendar About Pricing Mindset Makeover: Pricing Mindset Makeover is for experienced service providers, consultants, and agencies who know they could be charging more but aren’t sure how. Each episode gives you the pricing strategy and mindset shifts you need to stop undercharging and start making more from the incredible work you’re already doing. Hosted by Shannon Mattern, Pricing Strategist and creator of the Package Matrix™ Framework.

    5 min

  7. APR 2

    From Sticker Shock to Sold: Pricing Confidence for Service Providers

    ➡️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get our High-Converting Proposal Template⁠⁠⁠⁠ Do you ever get weird when saying your prices out loud to another person? Like, almost a little apologetic or even defensive? Like you're bracing yourself for the sticker shock response before it's even happened? If you feel good about your prices on paper, but all that confidence disappears when you're sharing them with a prospective client, it's likely because you're trying to prove the value rather than pre-frame it. In this episode, I break down the difference between proving value and pre-framing it, share the "25 + 25" exercise to get genuinely sold on your own prices, and explain why confident pricing isn't about being bolder - it's about building real conviction in what you make possible for your clients. Why pricing confidence on paper doesn't always translate to confidence out loud The real reason you're bracing for sticker shock before it even happens The difference between proving value vs. pre-framing value The 25 + 25 exercise to get sold on your own price Why your price isn't about you - and what it's actually about How to pre-frame value from the very first interaction so the price feels like a no-brainer The first person who needs to be sold on your price is you. When you believe at your core that what you deliver is worth at least 10 times the price, you won't feel discomfort saying your prices to other people - and sales gets so much easier. Need help with your pricing strategy? ⁠⁠⁠⁠Book a Discovery Call with Shannon⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Shannon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pricing Mindset Makeover is for experienced service providers, consultants, and agencies who know they could be charging more but aren't sure how. Each episode gives you the pricing strategy and mindset shifts you need to stop undercharging and start making more from the incredible work you're already doing. Hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Shannon Mattern⁠⁠⁠⁠, Pricing Strategist, creator of the Package Matrix™ Framework and Founder of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Web Designer Academy⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    4 min

  8. MAR 31

    The 3 Money Beliefs Every Service Provider Needs to Know

    ➡️ ⁠⁠⁠Get our High-Converting Proposal Template⁠⁠⁠ Do you worry about making sure your prices are “affordable”? Or find yourself thinking “my clients are small businesses, they don’t have the budget”? What about the flip side: “they have money, this should be a no-brainer for them”? If you spend a lot of mental energy thinking about how much money your clients do or don’t have, you might have what Shannon Mattern calls a Pricing Paradigm blind spot. In this episode, Shannon shares her proprietary Pricing Paradigms™ Framework - the result of a decade watching how service providers think about pricing and how clients respond. You’ll discover the three distinct paradigms at play in every transaction, and how to shift toward the one that actually grows your revenue. What a Pricing Paradigm™ is and how yours was formed The 3 Pricing Paradigms™: Expense, Hustle, and Investment and the key differences between them How each paradigm shows up when you’re writing a proposal or having a sales conversation Why worrying about your client’s budget is actually hurting your revenue How you have more influence over your client’s Pricing Paradigm™ than you think How to start shifting toward an Investment Paradigm™ in your pricing decisions Pricing Paradigms™ aren’t fixed - they can be deconstructed and rebuilt. When you shift from an Expense or Hustle paradigm into an Investment Paradigm™, you stop worrying about what clients can afford and start showing them what’s possible through working with you. Need help with your pricing strategy? ⁠⁠⁠Book a Discovery Call with Shannon⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Shannon: ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ Pricing Mindset Makeover is for experienced service providers, consultants, and agencies who know they could be charging more but aren't sure how. Each episode gives you the pricing strategy and mindset shifts you need to stop undercharging and start making more from the incredible work you're already doing. Hosted by ⁠⁠⁠Shannon Mattern⁠⁠⁠, Pricing Strategist, creator of the Package Matrix™ Framework and Founder of the ⁠⁠⁠Web Designer Academy⁠⁠⁠.

    8 min

  9. MAR 26

    Why "Charge Your Worth" Is Bad Advice

    ➡️ ⁠⁠Get our High-Converting Proposal Template⁠⁠ Has anyone ever told you to "charge your worth"? It's ChatGPT's favorite pricing suggestion, and it's well-meaning advice… But here's the problem: you're not selling you. And when you base your price on your worth, every sales conversation turns into an audition where you're trying to prove you deserve what you're charging. In this episode, I break down why "charge your worth" keeps service providers stuck, what to actually base your price on, and how shifting your focus from you to your client's outcomes eliminates pricing anxiety for good. Why "charge your worth" is well-meaning but fundamentally flawed pricing advice What happens to your nervous system when you think you're selling yourself Why your proposal isn't a resume (and what it actually is) What clients are really buying (it's not you) The questions to ask yourself before your next proposal to shift to outcome-based pricing Why believing in the value you create eliminates pricing anxiety completely Stop trying to charge your worth. Your price isn't about you. it's about the value of the outcomes and results your clients can create through working with you. And when you take the time to genuinely think through that value and believe it, you will never again question your pricing. Need help with your pricing strategy? ⁠⁠Book a Discovery Call with Shannon⁠⁠ Connect with Shannon: ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ Pricing Mindset Makeover is for experienced service providers, consultants, and agencies who know they could be charging more but aren't sure how. Each episode gives you the pricing strategy and mindset shifts you need to stop undercharging and start making more from the incredible work you're already doing. Hosted by ⁠⁠Shannon Mattern⁠⁠, Pricing Strategist, creator of the Package Matrix™ Framework and Founder of the ⁠⁠Web Designer Academy⁠⁠.

    4 min

  10. MAR 24

    Why You Keep Lowering Your Price Right Before Sending Your Proposal

    ➡️ ⁠Get our High-Converting Proposal Template⁠ Have you ever been about to send a proposal over to a client, and then right before you hit send, your heart starts to race, your hands start to sweat, and you lower the price? That experience - the racing heart, sweaty palms, racing thoughts - isn't a confidence problem. It's a primal, lizard brain fear response. And it's costing you thousands. In this episode, I break down what's actually happening when you drop your price at the last second, why it affects your clients just as much as it affects you, and what to do with your mindtrash instead of letting it run your pricing decisions. Why that last-second price drop is a FLIGHT response - not a confidence issue The core beliefs that trigger pricing fear (and why you don't have to believe everything you think) How pressure in your proposal affects your client's ability to say yes What FIGHT, FLIGHT, FREEZE, and FAWN look like in client proposal responses What 'mindtrash' is and why it's actually gold for your business The real fix: building a proposal process that creates psychological safety The urge to lower your price isn't a sign you need more confidence. It's a sign your proposal process is creating pressure. When you build a proposal that creates psychological safety for your client, it creates safety for you too. Need help with your pricing strategy? ⁠Book a Discovery Call with Shannon⁠ Connect with Shannon: ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠TikTok⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ Pricing Mindset Makeover is for experienced service providers, consultants, and agencies who know they could be charging more but aren't sure how. Each episode gives you the pricing strategy and mindset shifts you need to stop undercharging and start making more from the incredible work you're already doing. Hosted by ⁠Shannon Mattern⁠, Pricing Strategist, creator of the Package Matrix™ Framework and Founder of the ⁠Web Designer Academy⁠.

    5 min

  11. MAR 19

    Pricing Strategy for Service Providers: How to Charge More Without Changing Your Offers

    ➡️ Get our High-Converting Proposal Template Do you ever feel like you're a contestant on The Price Is Right when it comes to pricing your services? Like you're trying to figure out what's the highest price you think your prospect will say yes to without going over and losing the sale? If you're guessing what clients will pay, comparing your prices to competitors, or asking ChatGPT for market rates, it's a telltale sign you might be using the wrong pricing model, one that has you competing with everyone else in your industry. In this episode, I break down the difference between cost-based pricing and value-based pricing, and share why making this shift can help you charge 2-5x more without changing anything about your offers. The telltale signs you're using cost-based pricing (and why it's keeping you stuck) What cost-based pricing actually is, and why it creates a race to the bottom How value-based pricing shifts the focus from YOUR costs to CLIENT outcomes Why your cost to deliver is the floor, not the ceiling The exact questions to ask yourself before your next proposal to price based on value How to show clients that the value is many times more than the price Your cost is the floor, not the ceiling. When you shift from pricing based on what it costs YOU to deliver, to pricing based on what your CLIENT can create, you can confidently charge significantly more without changing your offers. Need help with your pricing strategy? Book a Discovery Call with Shannon Connect with Shannon: LinkedIn TikTok YouTube Instagram Pricing Mindset Makeover is for experienced service providers, consultants, and agencies who know they could be charging more but aren't sure how. Each episode gives you the pricing strategy and mindset shifts you need to stop undercharging and start making more from the incredible work you're already doing. Hosted by Shannon Mattern, Pricing Strategist, creator of the Package Matrix™ Framework and Founder of the Web Designer Academy.

    5 min

  12. MAR 16

    Pricing Mindset Makeover

    ricing Mindset Makeover is a podcast on pricing strategy for experienced service providers, consultants, and boutique agencies who want to make more from the work they’re already doing. If you deliver solid work and have happy clients, but you’re maxed out on time and feel like you’ve hit an income ceiling, this show is for you. Each short episode breaks down how pricing psychology and proposal strategy influence decision-making so you can increase your income per client without adding more work.

    4 min

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About

Pricing strategy and proposal structure for consultants, fractional executives, agency owners and creative, professional, technical and administrative service providers who want to make more from the work they're already doing - without adding more to their to-do list. Anchor High is hosted by Shannon Mattern, creator of the Package Matrix™ - an offer framework built on behavioral economics, pricing psychology and a decade of results. If you sell your expertise and hands-on implementation, deliver solid work and have happy clients - but you’re maxed out and feel like you’ve hit an income ceiling, this show is for you. Each short episode breaks down how pricing psychology and proposal strategy influence prospects' decision-making and helps you rethink everything you thought you knew about how much you can really charge for your services and expertise.

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