Every accountant knows they should “get better at pricing,” but few grasp the scale of the opportunity. Pricing is not a side note in your business model. It’s the single biggest lever you have to transform and grow your firm. Yet most accountants aren’t pulling it nearly hard enough.
At Renew, we coach firms to adopt a new mindset:
With this foundation in place, let’s look at what it means to pull the pricing lever properly.
Positioning First, Price Second
Before you ever talk numbers, you need to position your firm clearly. For example:
“We work with select businesses and individuals on a year-round basis. We’re not the least expensive option, but we create the most value for clients who want a long-term relationship.”
That statement does two things. It filters out price-shoppers and sets the tone for a partnership, not a transaction. Pricing confidence starts with positioning confidence.
Stop Selling Time
Time is the weakest metric in professional services. It doesn’t capture the years of expertise, the sleepless nights of tax season, or the risk you shoulder for your clients.
Clients don’t buy hours. They buy outcomes: peace of mind, financial security, better decisions. If you’re still thinking in hours, you’ll always underprice.
Diagnose Before You Prescribe
Too many firms still quote based on last year’s return or a quick glance at financials. That’s not pricing. That’s guessing.
Like a doctor, you need a diagnosis before you prescribe. What’s the client’s situation? Their goals? Their pain points? Without this, you’re selling a form. With it, you’re selling transformation.
At Renew, we teach firms to use a repeatable sales process—our Renew Sales Ladder—that ensures you’re pricing the client, not the service (or worse, the form).
Value Up, Clients Down
Here’s the paradox: when firms raise prices, they usually end up with fewer clients…and more profit.
With fewer clients, you have more capacity to be proactive. You deliver greater value. Your team breathes easier. Everyone wins.
That’s what happens when you stop surviving and start playing to win.
Stop the Discounting Habit
One of the most damaging lines an accountant can utter is: “We’ll do a better job and charge you less.”
Why would you do that? Better service must command a higher price. Every time you discount, you reinforce the scarcity mindset and weaken your model. Clients expect to pay more for better value. Let them.
Pricing Is an Attitude
Your mindset at the moment of pricing matters. If you’re stressed, rushed, or feeling needy, don’t price that day. Wait until you’re in a stronger headspace.
Because here’s the truth: you think about your price far more than your clients do. What they want is clarity and confidence. If you deliver that, and they are a target client, they’ll accept your price.
Pull the Lever
Pricing is not about hours. It’s not about matching competitors. It’s about building a business model where your firm thrives and where you and your team can reclaim your life.
So, here’s the challenge: Stop being a pricing apologist. Stop selling time.
Pricing Goals
Most aim at nothing at hit it with amazing accuracy. Our benchmarking study suggests the following targets:
Instead:
Ready to pull the pricing lever in your firm? Schedule a call with Renew to see how we help accountants reset their pricing, win back their time, and build a business model that truly works.
