1 Quick Tip To Authentically Raise Your Rates By 20-50%

So do you dread hearing the words, “So what do you charge?”

Across the board, solo professionals struggle with charging what they’re worth.  Why?  For one thing, mo’ney is one of the most sensitive topics out there. It’s a little odd that we can spend years getting trained in the best schools in the country, yet nobody really teaches how to set (and get) the right fees, let alone how to raise them.

“The right fees?” you might be asking.  “What the heck is that?  And sure I’d like to raise my rates, but how?  My clients can barely afford me now.”

If you’re hearing “I can’t afford it,” all too often, or constantly get asked for discounts… or your clients say things like, “Gee, that seems like an awful lot to pay for an hour of your time…” it can be all too easy to cave in and believe those statements.  But the thing is, none of it is true. And with one quick and easy tip, you can eliminate these sticky situations 90-99% of the time AND give yourself a generous raise to boot.

The tip is to focus on results – that is, the results your clients get from working with you.

If focusing on results is new to you, you’re definitely not alone.  While things are starting to shift, unfortunately, our culture has been firmly rooted in the “dollars for hours” model for well over a hundred years. Before starting our businesses, most of us entrepreneurs spent time on the job – doing what?  Trading dollars for hours.  (Notice the language there – “spending time at a job” – i.e.,  the dollars for hours model.)

So don’t be surprised if your potential clients come to your get-acquainted calls focused on time.  And when they’re focused on time, “the price for an hour-long session is X” is always too high.

Luckily, the old dollars-for-hours thing doesn’t apply when we’re talking about transformative, soul-based or healing work. Quite simply, it’s not about the time!  And by gently guiding the conversation, you can shift your client to what really matters: her transformation – i.e., the results she’ll get by working with you.

First, find out what your client really wants. Whether you’re aware of it or not, your clients never hire you without a specific outcome in mind.  Specifically, they always want one of these things (or some variation thereof)…

To make money

To save money

To save time

To save effort

Become more comfortable

Attain better health

Achieve greater cleanliness

Get rid of their pain

To be popular

Remember these from last time?  They’re the universal psychological motivators. No matter what your client shares about a particular situation, hidden (or not so hidden) inside will be one of these things.  Your first order of business is to uncover it.

Next, find out WHY it’s important to her. We all want things for a particular reason.  What’s important about what your client wants?  What will change for her when she gets it?  In order for your client to happily accept the fees that you really want, you must get to the bottom of her why.

As you’re exploring this territory, beware!  To borrow some wisdom from Mark Twain, when a man buys something, there’s the reason he tells his wife, and then there’s the real reason.   You’re looking for the real reason.

Find out the true VALUE of that result. Specifically, what’s the value of the result to your client?

For example, let’s say that you’re a web designer.  You create gorgeous websites that perfectly capture the essence of your client AND the message she has to share with the world.  What’s the value of that to your client? You can bet it’s pretty high, or she wouldn’t be coming to you.  What’s more, the site you create will generate business for her.  Not once, but over and over and over again.  Big-time value.

On top of all that, don’t underestimate the challenge of finding a great web designer who is easy to work with AND is in alignment with her values.  (When I was looking for my designer, one of the things that terrified me was the prospect of spending all kinds of time trying to find “someone.”  Not even the “right” person – just someone whom I could trust to do the job!  Sheer terror, I’m tellin’ ya.  And yes, I got lucky!)

I think you can see how this all adds up!  All of a sudden, it’s not about time.  When you focus on results, you can easily give yourself a raise of 20% or more.

Remember, the focus on results starts with YOU. Your energy and how you show up in a potential client conversation will absolutely be mirrored back to you.  If you’re not crystal clear certain of the results you create, your client will never see the value, either. You’ll both be stuck in dollars-for-hours mode… undervaluing your gifts… and you’ll both miss out on the transformation she wants and that YOU want to give.

Does “the money conversation” with potential clients leave you tongue-tied?  The Abundant Business Homestudy System contains a simple outline to help you authentically steer your clients in the direction of how you can help them, including specific questions to uncover what they really want and what it’s really worth to them. Get yours here.

- – >http://marketinggoddess.com/system.html

© 2009 Elizabeth Genco Purvis.  All Rights Reserved.

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Elizabeth Genco Purvis, “The Marketing Goddess” teaches spirited solo business owners and conscious entrepreneurs how to attract an abundance of clients, income, freedom and satisfaction in their business while staying true to their values.  Visit MarketingGoddess.com to claim your copy of “Grow Your Business With Spirit And Soul,” a 7-part audio workshop with everything you need to begin attracting more clients right away.