What do you charge the most for in your business?
Listen to the podcast… or read on for the article
Something hit me like a ton of bricks over the head on one of David Neagle’s Recession Rescue calls a few weeks back. His co-coach on this particular call was Suzanne Evans of HelpMorePeople.com.
What Suzanne said on the call was this:
“That which is easiest for us is what we should charge the most for.”
When she said that I literally stopped in my tracks… because I have been pretty much doing the exact opposite!
It wasn’t something that I was consciously thinking of, but when I look back over the years I’ve seen myself charging for my services based on “this is pretty easy for me to do, so I’ll charge X.” And so I would charge a lesser amount than I theoretically could have because it was EASY for me to do… and because I was raised with the belief that in order to make money it takes hard work – which is something I’m recovering from… 
I know for me – and I think this is true for many of us – I suffer from ‘I can’t see the forest for the trees’ syndrome. It’s easy to think that the things that come easily to me and that I do naturally would be the same for others. And yet I’ve been learning over the years that simply isn’t true.
Has this ever happened to you? You do something for a client, and they come back and say “wow, I don’t know how you did that! thanks!!!”… and in the back of your mind you are thinking “what’s the big deal? it was easy… anyone could have done it.”
When that happens stop yourself right there and take a breath… you may have just tapped into your own brilliance and not even realized it! What comes easiest to us is quite often our gifts… what we have to offer to the world and be of service.
Our own gifts are quite often invisible to us unless we purposely look for them. If you aren’t clear on what your gifts are ask someone – a client, a colleague or a friend. I remember a few years back when one of my coaches gave me the task of emailing a few people to ask “what do you consider to be my best talent? what am I really good at?”… and the answers were quite illuminating, as again… most of them were things that were really easy to me.
Our gifts, that which come easy to us, are truly the best way to serve the world… and I understand now that yes, we should be charging the most for those things!
I challenge you this week – take inventory of your gifts, and consider how your gifts apply to what you are offering in your business. In my case I’ve come to recognize that I haven’t even been offering some of my best gifts in my business… and am making some changes to reflect that. Perhaps you will uncover some gems in your own biz?
Comments, thoughts?
Great points Tina, I plan on doing an inventory of my gifts. But what do you suggest for those of us that charge one flat rate for ALL our services? Or does this really not apply to that circumstance?
Great to hear from you Yoana – hope all is well.
I don’t know what your flat rate applies to, but if it applies to what your biggest gifts are I would want to ask you… are you charging enough?
We are actually doing a really cool call re: compensation on October 20th – be sure to join us as I think that call might give you some new ideas re: how to charge for your services. http://www.compensationconversation.com
Boy, this is timely. Just this week someone brought a proposal to me. Being a not-for-profit, he was hoping I would do it for ‘fun’. I have quoted him a special price, but told him if I were ‘on the clock’ the meetings would have less blarney time. However, the point that I am good at what he wants; better than the volunteers (no free lunch) just hit me, too. Does he take volunteer scraps or ‘engaged’ knowledge for a price that will increase his net? He will have to decide, but I for sure have decided from my position. Your article has made me more solid and determined to stand on my position.
Tina,
As brilliant as I am, sometimes my vision is as small as a pea! Thank you for you’re honest open writing on this topic, I have always taken what comes easiest to me as being the least valuable thing I have to offer.
Perhaps that is a reflection of how I percieve my worth – YIKES! That does resonate as true in my mind, and and untruth that changes NOW as I read you’re article!
As of today, my fee for online research goes UP! After 24 years of doing it, and hundreds of millionaires behind me as clients, I guess it IS time isn’t it!
Thanks again – thanks a lot!
Warm wishes, and great respect!
Donna
here here JudyAnn and Donna!! (or is it hear hear, I can never remember)
love that you are sticking to your guns JudyAnn, if this particular person can’t pay your rates then keep that space open and available for someone who can.
this also reminds me that people will only pay what we ask for – so if we don’t value ourselves and what we do enough to ask for higher rates then we’ll never get them. totally get that worth thing Donna, part of what i’ve been studying myself lately as well…
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