The rate-raise conversation, scripted
Most price increases fail on delivery, not on the number. The rate was fair; the sentence around it wobbled, apologized, over-explained, and handed the other person a reason to push back. A raise is a four-sentence conversation, and each sentence has one job.
The four sentences
1. The notice. "I want to give you early notice that my rate is changing." Calm, first, no preamble.
2. The number. "Starting [date], it will be [X]." Say it once. Do not soften it with a range.
3. The why, briefly. "This reflects the depth of the work now versus when we started." One line. Value, not costs.
4. The room. "I wanted you to hear it from me, with time to plan." Then stop talking.
The discipline is the silence after the fourth sentence. Whoever speaks first concedes, and it does not need to be you. Let the number sit in the room and be exactly what it is.
What not to do: don't stack reasons, don't offer the discount before they ask, don't fill the pause. A price defended with five justifications sounds unsure of itself. A price stated once, and left alone, sounds true.
