The way you allow yourself to be treated is a big part of your expert-positioning, and nowhere is this more apparent than in your pricing. 

If there's one thing I strongly believe aspiring experts need to hear, it’s this: Don't do business with customers who ask for discounts. That's right - avoid them like the Plague. Make it your own rule that if they can't afford your fee, they can't have you, then stick to your rule. 

I have observed with nearly 100% predictability that the clients who haggle and who plead poverty consistently generate the most problems. They will demand more, pay late (if at all), expect things outside the scope of your agreement, waste your time, demand unnecessary meetings and generally make your professional life a misery. Indulging them also teaches you to devalue yourself. 

As you strive to become a significant name in your industry, save yourself one major headache. Operate from an abundance mentality and not one of desperation. Value your own worth. Be bold and turn the business down. Preference fewer engagements at higher fees, and not the other way around. 

Treat yourself as premium, and you will train both yourself, and the market, that you are destined to own your industry.