Eric Deeran argues for three clients paying $5,000 a month over fifteen paying $1,000 per video. Retainers give you steady income, fewer relationships to manage, and attract better customers. The math is simple: same revenue, way less work.
Having less clients pay you more is always better than more clients paying you less. Because if you wanted to hit $15,000 a month, you would just need 3 clients paying you 5k a month. But if you were charging $1,000 a video, then that would take you 15 clients to hit that same amount of money. And so would you rather have three clients or 15 clients? Obvious answer is going to be three. And when you get them on a retainer, they pay you every single month as opposed to just they do one video with you and then they stop paying you. And that's why retainers are so important. And charging higher rates is more important as well, because a you get a better customer and b you make more money and c you have to take on less clients.
