What started out as a Facebook group post (which I almost deleted twice) is now a blog post. I received so many positive responses to the post that I just had to share it here on the blog.
I have to tell you about one of my pet peeves! If you can relate, please comment below.
First off, I am not perfect. There is always room for opportunity in everything I/we do. Second, I am all about everyone jumping in and giving it (whatever they are interested in) a shot. We are all just trying to figure it out, right?
It kills me though to see people charging others a crazy amount of money for their product or service when it’s not even that good…and they know it! But they continue to overcharge because they’re all about the money, not serving the people. You know what I’m talking about right?
Encountering these products often causes you to check yourself. You might find yourself wondering if you’re charging enough for what you bring to the table. You think, “If so and so can get away with selling what they got, can I do the same thing?” lol.
I share this to motivate you to see the value in what you do and to pay attention to what others are putting out there (to a certain extent).
This past week, motivation with a shot of confidence and a hint of validation had been swirling around in my head (no, I was not drinking a Starbucks holiday drink, but it does sound good, right? I will only take 5% of Starbucks sales on that, here’s my PayPal link, thank you! 😉 lol ).
I finally am feeling more comfortable with my pricing and where I want to take it in 2017, a struggle I’ve been dealing with and one that most startups/small businesses deal with, for most of 2016. I was always making excuses and giving discounts on top of my already low prices. Ex. Last week I met with a local small business lawyer (that free consult I mentioned in a previous post and on social media from Score.org). The lawyer charges $400/hour. We all know lawyers are “expensive,” right? But look at what they bring to the table.
Lawyers provide insight and knowledge around a complex topic. They do the work we often times can not wrap our heads around even if we try. So while I am not a lawyer, I look at what they do vs what I do and I can make comparisons, I can see the value I bring to the table which means I need to charge more. Not to mention there is this weird thing about prices and if you are too low people don’t even think you’re worth it and of course same goes for if you are too high. It’s a constant juggling act. Charging more does not mean I’m being greedy – it means, I value what I do, I know what I can offer and that I love working with my clients. I want to keep serving you – teaching you and working together to get to that next step. It’s what I live for! I can not afford to go back to a regular 9 to 5.
[bctt tweet=”Charging more does not mean I’m being greedy – it means, I value what I do, I know what I can offer & that I love working with my clients.” username=”Ed_Troxell”]
It’s because of that (among other things) that I am now more comfortable with my pricing. Sure I might not get a ton of sales/clients all at once but that’s ok. I am not trying to have everyone and their mother as a client. I do, however, want to help as many people as possible because I feel like it is my duty to share the talent and knowledge with which I have been blessed with. Those who see the value I bring to the table will reach out when the time is right. At the end of the day, it’s not really about the money (sure we all need to watch what we spend and want a good deal) it’s about the service, how we feel, the problem it will solve and the connection we have with the other person or product.
To wrap up, it’s OK to be uncomfortable and to feel stuck when it comes to your prices as long as you are doing your research and taking notes. You will figure it out, it just might take longer than you want it to. That doesn’t mean you should devalue what you bring to the table or worse, stop trying. Know your worth and once you are confident in it others will be too! Keep working towards your goals and don’t let anyone stop you. Instead, let them help you 😉
Now that you have your cup of motivation go grab a shot of confidence and add a hint of validation because we be killing it in 2017! ?