What's your worth
What's your worth?!?
Priceless?
Or some amount no one could ever afford?
Society has implanted those responses into many of us. However, our actions deduct and deduct from this imaginary number that we hold ourselves to.
Sometimes we accept things we truly don't deserve because we don't want others to be hurt (upset) *insert any rationalization that works*
When I started doing online coaching my rates were low. Reasonable but low. These rates weren't tied to my self-esteem self-love or self-worth. Nope. They were just prices.
I didn't think people would pay any more than that. Want to know why I thought that?!?
Because I wouldn't pay any more than that. At that time anyway. Plus others charged similar.
“The rules in life and business aren’t applicable to all. One does not fit all”
My time and my knowledge were extremely discounted.
The clients I attracted were okay. Some were awesome and others I dreaded the day and the times of our appointments.
Cheap prices attract cheap people.
People who weren't willing to do the work.
Of course they didn't outright say it, but week after week it was another excuse.
For the record: I don't do well with excuses. Let's just be honest. I rather you tell me, "I thought it was dumb and I didn't do it." We can work through that. But excuses...nope..I don't have time.
Have you ever lowered your expectations for someone or something?!? How was the experience?!? Did you regret it?
We have all settled. Don't even fix your pretty face to shake your head "not me," we all have.
I used to date this guy. Let's call him Ray. We met through mutual friends. Initially, I ignored him and played on my phone or talked to everyone but him. I wasn’t interested. I knew his type: charismatic, funny, but always had a new piece of eye candy (beautiful breathtaking women) on his arm. Women loved Ray and his charisma. He got along really well with everyone. Ray was okay, he was cute, but not fine. Everyone loved Ray.
You know the checklist women have of all the things they want a man to have?
Ray may have had 0.002 qualities on my list.
He was charming, funny, and nice.
Some where along the line I settled and gave him my number. I continually told him we couldn't date. I don't remember how long I kept telling him this because we clearly were dating. We were always spending time together.
He was nice & fun.
This man drove me crazy. He was clingy and annoying. When I couldn’t deal anymore I broke things off.
It was bad, like stalkerish always looking over my shoulder police protective order bad.
But Ray was nice and fun...he just didn’t respect my values. And somewhere along the line, I gave him the silent authority by settling.
I settled and had to deal with unnecessary drama.
Moving forward.
Earlier this year I worked with a branding coach and I paid her $250 for 30 minutes. Let me type that again...$250 for 30 minutes. I know you're thinking girl it wouldn't be me. I was thinking that too.
When I tell you those 30 minutes made a dynamic shift in my business, that $250 was nothing. Now I do 15 minute free sessions and I know many women receive extreme value from them, but it's free so any value will be received.
I had anxiety before meeting with this coach. And when I say anxiety, I mean I wanted to email her and cancel every day until my appointment that was scheduled two weeks out because she only did her laser sessions on Mondays.
Our session came and in 30 minutes as expected she rocked my world.
I was already in the process of rebranding (from general life coaching to biz coaching & lifestyle design). So her process and insight were icing on the cake.
Even with all that, I still paid $250 for 30 minutes.
Not even an hour.
I thought who did she think she was?!?
Then I realized..she knows exactly who she is. She knows how long she wants to work with a client, she knows how much her time and value are worth, and she knows she can deliver on the value.
I started offering 15 min free sessions. (Remember I didn't want to work with just anyone that hit that paypal link anymore).
I'm not for everyone. And Neither are you. So don't take things so personal some times. You know the times when you feel rejected. Be thankful in advance.
“Rejection is God’s protection.”
Those 15 minute sessions changed everything. No more emails asking about my services (& all the info was already on the work with me page). People had me on the phone and the chemistry was there or it wasn't. Those sessions leveraged who I worked with and how I worked.
Every month I set how many free sessions I would offer and had people to complete an application to be considered. 15 minutes we talked and we worked through whatever they wanted based upon the application. No strings attached. I didn't even pitch.
Wanna know why?!?
I knew my worth and then they did too. I gave them my all in 15 minutes.
Those free sessions turned into client after client.
I completely changed my monthly program. Where I used to work with people for 3 months to where they wanted to be. Now it's an Action Jackson packed month of WORK! I increased my monthly rate. If anyone tried to haggle me and they took advantage of the 15 minute call I'd take $100 off.
Magic happened.
I filled every spot that I had one month. Cool. Then another month. And then I had an overflow.
It actually scared me. Like what the?!?
Mindset is something else.
I am booked through September (registration for October will be up mid September) for my unadvertised monthly program and at the new monthly rate. Less time, more money, and more fun. Magical.
Pricing is something that will always be something personal, just as our worth. I can see you being mistreated and I can KNOW you deserve more and better. It means nothing, if you don’t agree & act on it.
I stopped just accepting crumbs because I wanted to help everyone. I can't help everyone even though I always try.
So as I've been doing the werk weds series. I've seen so many women that I want to win! I'm silently screaming BOO you got this!!! I got your back! Yet I see flaws in their branding, strategies, websites, and pricing. I want to email them and say hey boo fix XYZ and watch the transition. But I can't.
So what I did decide to do is:
Offer a scholarship to work with me for $5 in August for one person. And that $5 will be donated to Divas, Inc. #payingitforward. The scholarship will be live August 5th and will continue each month until 2014 expires.
Live. Love. Action
1. Regardless if you’re in biz or just wanting the best life…where are you giving discounts to others?
2. How do you feel afterwards?
3. Do something this week for yourself to make a deposit into you.
