How to Price AI Implementations After an Audit (Without Getting Burned)

The real-world playbook for turning your first audit into a profitable, scalable consulting business

December 20, 2025
Read Time: 10 minutes

Let’s talk about the question that trips up almost every new Vibe Consultant:
How do you actually price the implementation after you’ve delivered the audit?

I’ve made every mistake in the book. I’ve undercharged, overscoped, and learned the hard way that most pricing advice online sounds great but falls apart in the real world. So let’s get into what actually works, whether you’re just getting started, scaling up, or thinking about productizing your solutions.

Stage 1: Your First Implementation (Getting to $10K/Month Fast)

If you’re just starting out, your #1 goal isn’t to maximize profit on your first deal. It’s to get experience, build trust, and create a repeatable process that gets you to $5K–$10K/month as fast as possible.

Here’s the truth:
You’re not going to be perfect at pricing or scoping at the start. These are skills you only learn by doing. So don’t get paralyzed by trying to get it “right” on day one.

How do you get your first implementation client?
Start with your network. Offer a free or discounted audit to a business owner you know. Use that to build trust and show ROI by delivering one or two small automations. This is your foot in the door.

The best first pricing model: Fixed project pricing.
Why? Because it derisks the deal for the client. They know exactly what they’re paying, and you get a clear deliverable. Yes, you might underscope and undercharge at first, but that’s the price of learning.

How to set your price:
Estimate the time it’ll take you to build the solution (or pay someone to). Multiply by 1.5x or 2x (because you will underestimate). Set your hourly rate, $50–$100/hour is fine to start. You can charge up front, or 50% up front and 50% on delivery.

Biggest mistake:
Underscoping. You think a project will take a week, it takes a month, and you’re working for peanuts. The fix? Always ask, “What’s the shortest, simplest path to value?” Don’t try to build the whole system at once. Start with the smallest piece that delivers real value.

Example:
A client says, “Can you build an agent that qualifies leads, scores them, does follow-ups, and adds in a voice agent?”

Don’t quote $7K for the whole thing. Instead, ask, “Would an automatic lead research tool that updates the CRM already be helpful?”

If yes, quote $1,200, deliver it in a week, and build trust. That’s how you get your first retainer client.

Stage 2: Moving to Retainers and Scaling Up

Once you’ve delivered a few projects and built trust, the real money is in retainers. There are two types:

1. Build Retainer (the gold standard):
You dedicate a set number of hours per month to continuously build and maintain automations for the client. This is how you get to $10K–$15K/month with just a handful of clients.

Pitch it as, “I’ll dedicate one or two days a week to your business, building and maintaining automations as needed.”

Offer a 20% discount on your hourly rate to incentivize the retainer.

2. Support Retainer:
If the client only needs maintenance, offer a small package of hours (5–10/month) for updates, bug fixes, and minor tweaks. Make it clear this doesn’t include new builds.

How to pitch the retainer:
“I only work with clients on a retainer basis because I know real impact comes from long-term partnership. We can start with a project to prove value, but the goal is to make this a long-term priority.”

Why clients love retainers:

• Less friction, no back-and-forth proposals

• Faster delivery

• Guaranteed availability

• Discounted rate

How to price:
Start with your hourly rate, multiply by the number of hours per month, and offer a discount for the retainer. As you get more clients, raise your rate.

Stage 3: Scaling to a Team or Productized Solution

When you’re ready to scale past $10K–$15K/month, you have two options:

• Build a custom consultancy with a team

• Productize your solution and sell it at scale (easy with a niche focus!)

Custom Agency Pricing:
Move to time-and-materials pricing.

• Scope the project with a technical team and create a product requirements document (PRD).

• Estimate hours for each task, set your developer rate, and add a margin (50–60% is standard).

• Add a buffer (10–35%) for unforeseen issues.

• Charge 25–50% up front, the rest on delivery.

Why not fixed pricing?
With a team, fixed pricing can kill your margins if you underscope. Time-and-materials gives you flexibility and protects your profit.

Productized Solution Pricing:
Now you’re charging based on value, not cost.

• For outcome-based pricing, charge a percentage of the value delivered (e.g., 25% of annual savings).

• For asset-based pricing, charge per deliverable (e.g., per blog post, per meeting booked).

• For support retainers, charge a flat monthly fee for updates and support.

The key:
As you scale, your pricing should move from cost-based to value-based. The more value you deliver, the more you can charge.

How to Avoid the Biggest Pricing Mistakes

• Don’t try to build the whole system at once. Start with the smallest, most valuable piece.

• Don’t underscope. Always multiply your time estimate by 1.5x or 2x.

• Don’t be afraid to start with a free or discounted project if it gets you a case study and a foot in the door.

• Don’t stick with fixed pricing as you scale. Move to time-and-materials or value-based pricing.

• Don’t forget to pitch the retainer. That’s where the real money and stability are.

Final Thoughts: The Real Secret to Pricing Implementations

Pricing isn’t about getting it perfect on day one. It’s about learning by doing, building trust, and moving from small wins to big retainers.

Start small, deliver value, and let your pricing grow with your confidence and your results. The consultants who win are the ones who aren’t afraid to get in the game, make mistakes, and keep moving forward.

If you want help scoping, pricing, or closing your first implementation, book a call with me. I’ll walk you through the process, help you avoid the landmines, and get you to $10K/month and beyond.

See you next week,

– Andrew

P.S. Ready to build your own Vibe Consulting business? Book a 1:1 strategy call here to see if you're a good fit for my personal coaching program.