Money is often the last thing women want to talk about – which can be a bit of a problem when you need to get paid so that you can eat, pay your bills etc, let alone have a life.
Asking clients for your fee or just telling them what your fee is can be a struggle for many women. They find themselves instantly discounting, afraid that they may scare away a potential new client. They say, ‘it’s not about the money’, but then consequently find that it is constantly about money. Struggling to pay bills, to provide for their families and just live a “normal” life.
To argue the point, I often refer to trades and professions such as plumbers, doctor and lawyers. They are using their talents and qualifications to offer a service. You wouldn’t even contemplate not paying them. So why shouldn’t you be paid for your services?
The fact is that people just don’t value your services when you offer them for free or at a low price. A massage therapist once told me she offered someone a free massage because she assumed this person was unable to pay for her service. When the “freebie” client arrived, she started talking about how she had just recently PAID for a massage! She hadn’t valued the “free” service offered, simply because it was free. So she went off and paid someone else, as well as taking up the free offer.
You just never know.
When you are discounting your services for any reason you are doing yourself a disservice. You are putting this person ahead of yourself and your family. You are saying that, ‘I am not valuable. What I offer is not of great worth to you. I don’t believe in myself or what I am offering.’
If this is the case, how can you expect a client to value you and your services? When the client truly values you, then they will truly get and appreciate the transformation they are seeking from your work. So discounting or not charging is also doing them a disservice.
If any of this resonates with you then you have a money leak that could be costing you your business and preventing you from making a bigger impact on the world. Being clear on your true value will help you to be more in control and plug those leaks.
So how can you really understand what you’re worth? Try this simple exercise:
- Write a list of all your qualifications and skills.
- What are all the benefits of the services that you offer?
- What gets to happen for your clients when they work with you?
How does this impact their life, their health, their relationships, their business/career and their dreams and ambitions?
- What happens for potential clients who don’t work with you?
How does this impact their life, their health, their relationships, their business/career and their dreams and ambitions?
- When you’re done working through that you will see just how valuable you are and how much difference you truly make in people’s lives. Be confident in your value and charge what you are worth.