Charge at the point of pain

My services are expensive.  For many clients my day-rate is at the absolute upper limit of what they would ever pay any supplier under any circumstances.  When I mention my fee there's often a sharp intake of breath around the table, nervous glances even.  I'm fine with that.  I'm fine with being a line item on a departmental budget requiring an asterisk against it and an explanatory note at the bottom of the page.

But the reason I'm fine has nothing to do with the actual money.  To do my job properly I usually need a pretty big headcount of client personnel in the room; sales representatives if I'm running training and marketing executives if it's a strategic planning workshop.  In either case, my fee is dwarfed by the cost-to-company of putting that many people in the room with me.  

It wasn't always this way: when I started out my day-rate was dwarfed by the room hire.

If I'm perceived as inexpensive then my ability to deliver my product (training, consultancy) diminishes; participants turn up late, step out to take calls and conduct other business during 'my time'.  Entire sessions can be compromised in this way, projects founder and I'm left with a justifiably poorer reputation.  Conversely, when I charge more I get the engagement I need to get the job done.  Once word gets out as to what I'm costing the company everyone magically does what they're asked to.  In the room on time, phones off and focused.  

Pricing can be an effective tool, sometimes the only tool, for creating internal commitment to my project.  My fee should force my contact to go to his boss' boss to get budget sign-off.  Suddenly my guy has to vouch for my quality and I stop being the only person to with a genuine stake in the success or failure of the project.  So now I really have to be worth what I'm charging.  I'm forced to bring my 'A Game' every time because other people are affected by the result.