Reprinted by permission of Tory Johnson/Women for Hire.com

I don't like paying anyone by the hour, except temps, my lawyer (I have no choice) and the lovely ladies in my little nail place who give the best shoulder massages by the minute. Beyond that, committing to be billed by the clock worries me since I have no clue how little or long it takes someone to complete a task. I'd rather pay for results, not time.

When we got our beagle Marley, we knew we'd have to hire a dog walker. We chatted with several who worked for families in our building, and I'll never forget the short conversation with the woman who took care of our neighbor's dog.

She told me she charges $20 per walk, so I asked if that was for an hour. "It's for as long as I think your dog needs," she very coolly replied.

Ouch. I immediately told Peter that we weren't hiring her. She's mean, I said.

Peter's response: Uh, no, she's not mean at all. She's doing exactly what you coach thousands of women to do.

Ouch again. He was right and she got the job.

Months later as the walker and I became friendly, I asked her to explain her pricing—I was curious why she bristled when I asked about time.

"When it rains and the dogs only want to be out for 15 minutes, owners expect to pay me less," she said. "Even though I shouldn't be nicked for weather, especially since it's a lot more challenging to work when it pours."

She also said if she returned a pooch after 45 minutes, people complained. Those are the same people who don't offer compliments (or more cash) when their pup is out for 90 minutes, which is routinely the case.

The solution: she delivers results. Your dog won't pee in the house if you hire this walker, and he'll get plenty fresh air, exercise and play time too—no matter how long (or little) it takes.

Surely you must take into account how much time you'll invest to get the job done, but the client or customer need not know your formula. Sell on solutions, not the clock. You'll likely earn much more and the client won't be stunned by surprise costs. Everyone wins.

What's your pricing strategy? Tell us on my Facebook page.

Tory Johnson