Why Don't I Know What People In My Field Charge?
You have been setting your price by feeling, not by fact. You guess low, take what is offered, and call it modest. This is not modesty. It is missing information. Ask yourself who benefits when you do not know the going rate. Not you. Whoever pays you benefits from your silence, and so does anyone who was told, early, that talking about money is impolite. That rule was never applied equally — those already paid well always seem to know the numbers. Reason does not accept a rule that serves some and blinds others. The fix is not clever. It is direct: find the real numbers, write them down, and place your price inside them on purpose. What follows here will show you how to gather that evidence and how to use it without shame.
You price blind because no one taught you to ask, and asking felt rude. Reason needs evidence, not guesswork. Find out what five real people in your field charge or earn, then set your number from that ground — not from fear. This is owed information, not a favor, to everyone who works.
What changes unlock by starting
- You have a real range of numbers instead of a guess.
- You can name a floor price and hold it in a negotiation.
- You notice, without shame, when an offer sits below the going rate.
- You've built the habit of asking, so you're never blind again.