How I Stopped Competing on Price (and Started Competing on Vision)
Why most creatives undercharge - and how to reposition yourself as the premium option without changing your rates.
If you’re a filmmaker, creator, or creative freelancer, there’s a moment that hits you like a brick: someone with half your talent is charging triple your rate.
And they’re getting it…
That’s when you realize this game isn’t about skill - it’s about positioning.
The Freelancer’s Trap
For years, I priced my work like everyone else: time + deliverables. I’d itemize, calculate, and send my number - hoping it landed somewhere between competitive and respected.
Sometimes I’d win the gig. Sometimes I’d lose to someone cheaper. Either way, I was playing the wrong game.
Because when you price like everyone else, you invite comparison. And comparison always leads to one question: “Can you do it cheaper?”
The answer is always yes - someone out there can.
The Shift: Compete on Vision, Not Price
The turning point came when I stopped talking about what I’d deliver - and started talking about why it mattered.
Instead of quoting for a video shoot, I pitched an idea that solved a brand’s visibility problem. I stopped being a line item and became a creative partner.
That single shift did more for my rates than any negotiation tactic ever could.
The 3 Levels of Creative Work
Execution (Freelancer) - You do what the client asks. You’re replaceable.
Direction (Expert) - You guide the creative. You’re respected.
Partnership (Founder) - You shape the vision and outcomes. You’re invaluable.
If you’re stuck at Level 1, your only lever is price. But when you start operating at Level 2 or 3, you can charge more because your work moves the needle.
📸 How to Start Competing on Vision
Stop sending quotes that list deliverables. Send proposals that tell a story.
Speak the language of outcomes - engagement, reach, retention, sales.
Ask better questions. (“What are you hoping this content achieves?” beats “What’s your budget?” every time.)
🛠 Tool Spotlight:
Harpoon — an underrated tool that helps freelancers and filmmakers act like agencies. It turns your client contracts into cashflow projections, tracks profit margins, and even forecasts when you can afford to take creative risks. It’s financial clarity disguised as freedom.
📈 Why It Matters
When you stop competing on price, you stop racing to the bottom.
When you compete on vision, you climb into a different arena entirely - one where the best idea wins, not the cheapest offer.
And that’s where real creative businesses are built.
Stay building,
Alex