The Desert of Arizona
Partly Cloudy 67 Degrees
There’s one split second period of time in the life of a service provider that is far more expensive than just about any other.
That moment is right when you are putting a specific fee number next to the services you are going to provide for a client.
You don’t want to charge too little, you don’t want to charge too much.
What usually happens is that in that split second, you bill yourself for some enormous amount of money in exchange for a feeling.
You lower your fee to a level that makes you feel comfortable.
What you miss out on learning when you do that, is anything about the true reality out in the marketplace. Worse than that, you solidify the imaginary story you’ve created for yourself about what your work is worth.
In every business exchange, there is a fee amount that “the market will bear.” When you give in to your insecurities and charge what you feel comfortable with, you sabotage your chances of ever finding out what that real number is.
The only way you figure out where that line is is to step right up to it and even over it.
Wouldn’t it stink to look back at the last year of your business life only to find out your clients would have happily paid double had you only asked?
But they didn’t pay double, because no one asked them.
So here’s something to consider trying:
The next time you’re at that point of quoting a fee number with a prospective client or a repeat client, pause and take a breath. Then ask yourself if you’re going to talk yourself into behaving based on an imaginary story you tell yourself or if you’re really going to learn something about your value in the marketplace.
The worst they can say is, “No…” And luckily, “No” never killed anyone that I’m aware of.