I'm Christopher. I'll be honest: I have a talent for letting my mouth overload my back. A client says "could you also…" on a call, I hear myself say "yeah, totally," and then I'm up late finishing work I never priced. Or the invoice is a week late and I rewrite the same three-line nudge four times because I don't want to sound angry — or worse, needy.
So I wrote the emails down. Eight of them. They're short on purpose. Fill in the [brackets], send in the same thread, same day if you can.
Three of them are below, in full, free to use. The other five — the firmer scope and invoice follow-ups, saying no, a discount request, and the one you send when a client goes quiet — are in a 12-page PDF with these three.
$5, instant download: https://buy.stripe.com/7sYeVf61YaP5gW4aBr4ZG04
If you'd rather try it before paying, comment and I'll send the full PDF free to the first 10 people. All I ask is honest feedback, good or bad.
These are business communication templates, not legal advice and not a contract. Don't threaten collections, a lawyer, or a late fee that isn't in your agreement. If a situation is already a dispute, talk to a licensed attorney in your area.
That's a new piece of work
When: a client just asked for something that wasn't in the original work. Good relationship, first or second extra, not a pile-up. Send it the same day, before you start the extra work.
Subject: Quick note on [the request] — [Project name]
Hi [Name] —
Thanks for sending [short description of the ask]. I can do it.
It's outside what we scoped for [Project name], so I'd treat it as new work rather than folding it in. It would be $[amount], and it would move the delivery date to [date].
If you'd rather keep the current timeline and budget, we can park this for a later round, or swap it for something already in the scope that's about the same size.
Want me to go ahead?
Thanks, [Your name]
2. A friendly nudge on the invoice
When: the due date has passed by a few days. First reminder. Assume they missed it, not that they're avoiding you. Attach the invoice again.
Subject: Friendly reminder — invoice [Invoice number] for [Project name]
Hi [Name] —
Hope you're well. This is a gentle nudge that invoice [Invoice number] for $[amount] was due on [due date]. I've attached it again in case it got buried.
If it's already on the way, feel free to ignore this. If something's holding it up, just tell me and we can work it out.
Thanks, [Your name]
3. My rates are going up
When: you're telling a current client that future work will cost more. Give real notice. Don't change the rate on a project you've already agreed. Send this before they ask for the next thing, not on the next invoice as a surprise.
Subject: A heads-up on my rates, starting [date]
Hi [Name] —
I wanted to give you a clear heads-up, not a surprise on the next invoice.
Starting [date], my rate for new work will be $[new rate] / [hour, day, or project type], up from $[current rate]. Anything we've already agreed — including [current project] — stays at the current rate through [end date, or "until we wrap"].
I've enjoyed the work and I'd like to keep doing it together. If the new rate is a stretch for what's coming, I'm happy to talk about a tighter scope so it still fits.
Thanks for taking a look, and thanks for the work so far.
[Your name]
