I know you are worth so much more than you think you are.
How much do you charge for your product or service?
These two topics are so important to me because they get all mish-moshed for business owners.
Together, Jeffrey and I have spent a lot of time developing a way to solve this problem once and for all.
We have both have seen far too many business owners confuse the perception of personal self worth with what is the professional value of the product/service being offered.
When I see that your prices are set too low out of fear your customers may not want to pay what they could be paying, I’m not sure if I want to give you a kick in the pants or a hug.
Setting prices based on what you think or hope people will pay means setting yourself up for an emotional roller coaster of disaster.
Here is what happens when prices are set by personal self worth:
When someone says “I can’t afford it,” a business owner hears. “You’re not worth it” and “you’re not good enough.”
And this quickly opens the downward slide of thoughts: “I’m useless/worthless, I’m unlovable,
I’m a failure, I’m unwanted…” and other internal dialogues that are untrue.
If you have this internal dialogue, I want to assure you and let you know that you are worth so much more than the voices in your head say you are.
Many of us small business owners have heard a version of, “I can’t afford it.”
“I can’t afford to spend that much money on a piece of art.”
“I can’t afford to hire a writer.”
“I can’t afford a massage right now.”
“I can’t afford a coach.”
“That’s too much! Can you give me a deal?”
What do you hear?
And what do you do?
Do you do what most do—empathetically bend to accommodate and then feel subtly taken advantage of, unappreciated and undervalued?
Do you say “No” and then feel self-doubt and uncertainty as to whether you are doing the right thing?
Or do you give it away for free or almost free and tell them to “play it forward” ultimately devaluing their experience along with the great benefits you have to offer?
Earlier on in Jeffery’s healing practice, he had a few clients who would say “I can’t afford it” regarding the cost of his sessions, so he, too, understands this.
Jeffery had a mother and daughter as a client who were struggling so badly that they were almost forced to live out of their car.
He felt torn about taking money from the mother and charging his regular rates because of her situation. He sought advice from another well-established and respected practitioner/healer, asking her, “What do I do in a situation like this?”
She replied, “Don’t you dare change your prices for them. You don’t want to validate their self worth. You don’t want to enable it.”
I watched Jeffery struggle with his empathy because his business was very financially abundant.
With uncertainty, he took the advice to continue to charge his normal rates.
Jeffery noticed that the mother and daughter showed up with an incredible amount of willingness to do whatever it took to improve their lives. Throughout their work together her health improved and she was able to go back to work and provide for herself and daughter.
Because Jeffery honoured his rates, she was was able to maintain her self- worth and dignity throughout the entire experience.
What you do has value, and a fair exchange is necessary because when we give something away for free, it doesn’t have worth—for you or the person receiving it.
It might be important to share one more story on the flip side.
Jeffery had another client who would complain about his rates and ask for a packaged deal during every session. Then one day he overheard her commenting to his assistant about how she just flew to LA and got a $500 haircut from Friends phenomenon Jennifer Aniston.
Jeffery then recognized that it’s not about the prices, it’s about what people consider a priority in their lives.
After that, Jeffery stopped internally wavering on his prices and understood that what he offered had value.
Coincidentally, his clients stopped complaining about it as well.
Money is a tool used to exchange energy for experience.
If we feel we need to work for free or less than what we are, worth it does not support us or the people we are working with.
We attract what we accept and it programs our business energy to invite more of the same clients/customers into our business.
We ultimately create less abundance.
Abundance can’t walk through the door if we don’t hold the confidence that we are charging what our services are worth.
We can still volunteer and find ways to give back, but it’s critical that we first cover our own needs before sharing extra energy and abundance.
We cannot barter and energy exchange on everything—the bank likely won’t want a reiki session instead of your next payment.
Karma doesn’t pay for the roof over your head.
Here’s a simple solution:
1) Establish the professional value of the product or service you offer.
2) Create certainty in yourself that you are worth it.
3) Practice receiving.
If a friend wants to buy a ticket to your show—let them.
If someone is capable of paying your rates and services—let them.