Avoid undervaluing your knowledge and services

"First, research your competitors' rates. Then decide on a pay structure and avoid undervaluing your knowledge and services"

This is good advice. It comes from an article in Business Week titled "Determine What To Charge as a Consultant". The profession might differ, but the issue keeps the same.

"The rule is to charge what you are worth and what the market will bear", from the same article. Clients offering dead low rates based on absolutely irrelevant arguments should be dealt with a polite, short, non-elaborated refusal. I used to negatively try and teach reluctant prospects. I quit doing it as it has no impact and no value. It may hurt to come down to zero earning, but when you know what the market stands for, give up argumenting. You will feel bad if you accept, that is, you will feel powerless.

"Value-based billing is what a consultant charges when she is confident she can save her clients substantial money."

The problem with interpreting is that you hardly can suggest how much a client would save with you as compared with a less competent interpreter, or no interpreter at all but broken English on one side or both sides of the interaction. There are no nice formulas to provide.

And the last chunk: "don't fall into the cheap trap".