The Intangibles: Pricing What Clients Really Value

Read Time: 3:26 minutes

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In a past issue of CAS Cache, I broke down the fundamentals of value pricing, why it beats hourly billing, and how I started learning about it by soaking in Ron Baker’s wisdom and, more importantly, by listening to my clients.

Today, I want to explore something value pricing people often overlook: the intangibles.

I was reminded of this recently when I hired a life coach at $2,700/month.

Upcoming Live Events that I will be at:

• All Things CAS Roundtable - Have you got a question, challenge, or idea about running and growing your CAS service? Join our live, unrecorded monthly roundtable in The Kick C@$ Community. A space to ask anything and hear what’s working (or not) from fellow CAS leaders in real time on the second Tuesday of every month at 3 PM CST.

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• Bridging The Gap Accounting Conference on July 22nd through July 24th.

• Intuit Connect on October 27th through October 29th.

The accountant's instinct was to calculate it. I then compared it to what I pay my mind coach. From a purely transactional lens, it didn’t make any sense. And this is how some prospects will look at your pricing.

But I wasn’t hiring a therapist.

I was hiring a mirror, a motivator, someone to text me, “Did you get that thing done?” Someone with shared life experience and an objective perspective. That coach is part therapist, accountability partner, and strategic thought partner. And when I stopped trying to compute an “hourly rate,” I finally saw the value.

It reminded me of when I hired a personal trainer. The value wasn’t just in the customized workouts or access to their fancy app. It was in having skin in the game. It was knowing that someone expected me to show up. And that if I didn’t, I’d still be charged.

The point is that real value often lives outside the tasks.

🕒 Is time tracking helping or hurting firm profitability? 

We’re partnering with others in the industry to run a quick, anonymous survey to find out. We’re also digging into how often firms use multiple billing models — time-based, fixed, value — and what’s really working.

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Your Clients Are Doing the Same Math

Your CAS clients are doing exactly what I did. They’re trying to calculate what they’re “getting” in terms of time. Then, if you’ve positioned your firm well, they hit that same wall I did: “Wait a second, this isn’t just about deliverables.”

It’s about trust.

It’s about peace of mind.

It’s about feeling heard.

And here’s the kicker: showing your financials to someone is wildly vulnerable. I sometimes describe it as the business equivalent of dropping your pants at the doctor’s office. You know it’s necessary, but still, no one’s exactly thrilled about it.

That’s why the relationship matters so much in CAS. Yes, they’re hiring us to do the work. But they’re also hiring someone who “gets” them, understands their business chaos, and can translate balance sheet jargon into something that makes sense on a Tuesday morning when payroll stress hits.

From Math to Meaning

I shared my go-to framework for calculating value in the original Value Pricing issue. It’s still my starting point. However, the more firms I work with and the more entrepreneurs I serve, the more I realize that emotional ROI is just as important as financial ROI.

When you’re building pricing models for your CAS engagements, here are a few intangible value signals to consider:

• Confidence in decision-making: Can your client make faster, better decisions because of your work?

• Emotional relief: Are you saving them mental space? Are you calming the Sunday Scaries?

• Perceived partnership: Do they see you as a vendor or someone walking beside them?

• Identity affirmation: Are you helping them feel like a “real” business owner?

These don’t go on a balance sheet but completely affect willingness to pay.

The Intangibles

So, how do we bake these things into our pricing?

First, start by listening. Your Voice of Client interviews are gold mines here. Don’t just ask, “What do you value?” Ask, “How did you feel before working with us?” and “What feels different now?”

Second, consider adding language to your proposals or conversations to acknowledge the emotional side. Remember to sell the vacation, not the plane ticket.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to charge more for the intangibles you deliver.

I paid $2.7k/month to feel supported. Your clients will do the same if you can connect the dots between your service and their lived experience.

Final Thoughts

If you’re still stuck on “what should I charge?” don’t just run the numbers. Ask yourself, “What is this worth to someone scared, overwhelmed, or just trying to figure it out?”

That’s the real value. At that point, pricing becomes less about hours and more about impact.

And sometimes, impact looks like helping someone drop their financial pants and not feel judged.

Thanks for reading, Luke Templin!

P.S. There are four ways I can help you grow your CAS offerings when you are ready:

1. Join my How to Start Offering Advisory Services Cohort.

2. Cannot wait until it starts? Check out the pre-recorded version here.

3. Join The Kick C@$ Community to grow your CAS offering alongside others doing the same.

4. Automated white-labeled financial digests for your clients with FinDaily.io