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Do you sometimes “forget” that not everyone knows what you know and not everyone has the skills that you have? It could be costing you a lot of money in your practice.  Here’s what I mean…

My last “real job” was as a systems administrator for a dot-com in Manhattan.  In the tech field, I was quite the rare bird.  My past employers loved me for my superpowers of clear communication between the “tech weenies” (as my mother affectionately called us) and the rest of the company.

I have a knack for taking something complicated and breaking it down into very simple pieces so that anyone can understand it. Nonetheless, sometimes I’d forget who I was talking to.  And the person would look at me and say “Huh?”

“Oh, whoops,” I’d reply, with a sheepish smile.  “I forgot that not everyone knows this stuff.”

To me, all those wires and shiny boxes were “old hat.”  The inner working of computers was so ingrained in my knowledge that it was all too easy to assume that everyone else knew it, too.

But I paid BIG TIME to become a tech expert. (I have a masters in computer science from New York University, and years of training and experience.)  And I’m willing to bet that YOU have paid to learn (make that EARN) your expertise, too.  You’ve paid for training in your modality, profession or specialty, and you’ve paid in “sweat equity”: hours of practice, hours of work with clients, costly mistakes and course correction.  Even if you’re just getting started, I bet it’s safe to say that you’ve invested much more time and money on your specialty than those who seek you out.

Why is it so important to remember that you’re the expert here? Quite simply, when you start to think of what you do as commonplace, or even if you just forget that you know more about what you do than 99% of the population, you lose sight of the value you provide.  And value is everything.

All transactions in your business are a value exchange. Your clients come to you because you serve them with a solution to a problem.  That makes you very valuable.  But your clients will only work with you if they truly recognize and understand that value.  When you “forget” how valuable you are, both you and your clients miss out.

Clear communication of your value is your job alone. When you under-value what you know, whether by forgetting that “not everyone knows this” (like I did) or by a lack of self-confidence, there is no way that you are going to be able to communicate your value to others.

And that means fewer clients.  Lower fees.  Compromising.  Feeling resentful and dissatisfied.

At that last real job, I couldn’t understand why certain mucky-mucks in the company never said thank you, never respected my time, and – of course! – rarely offered up raises.  I carried around a lot of resentment, and I was almost always unhappy.  I didn’t realize that it was up to me to make them see what a great thing they had going on with me on their team.

Personally, I think the feeling lousy is the worst part.  It doesn’t feel good to haggle over your fees.  It’s insulting.  Have you ever found yourself saying, “I’m worth more than this!!”?

You ARE worth more – much more. The first step is to know it: to own the value of your work, deep in the core of your being.  Acknowledge and fully embrace what you really do for others.  From there, you can communicate that value with confidence and grace.

Your Turn:

If your potential clients are questioning your fees, price-shopping or are displaying disinterest far too soon, how you present the value of your work could be the problem.  Here are some ways to clearly communicate value:

• Know the problems you’ll help your clients solve and be able to communicate HOW you’ll help them do it
• Know the BENEFITS of what you do and offer
• Be able to answer the question that is always on their minds: “What’s in it for me?”
• Self-confidence is too big an issue to go into here, but if that’s a problem for you, seek out resources to help.  A lack of self-confidence is a huge value-killer.

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“But what if I hate selling myself?”

You’re not alone. So many of us, from all professions and all walks of life, sabotage our success this way.

(In the copywriting field, where I built my first business, it’s kind of a joke. Getting over the “marketing yourself thing” is like a rite of passage for new copywriters. The irony, of course, is that we’re the marketing experts!)

Hating sales is human nature. People don’t like to be told what to do, and they HATE to be sold. “Selling yourself” feels weird at best and downright uncomfortable at worst. So you shy away from it, and it’s no surprise when you don’t exactly have clients beating down your door.

But what if I told you there’s more to marketing, a hidden key that can unlock a treasure chest of jewels – plenty for you, plenty for the entire world, too – and that it lies just slightly beyond that un-comfort zone?

What I’m about to tell you is the truth about marketing. I know that’s a big statement. But keep reading and see if you don’t agree with me.

First, let’s talk about value. Your time is valuable. Your training is valuable. The tools you have, the conferences you attend, the paper and ink and cloth and crystal and all the energy you pour into this passion… your passion for your craft and your passion to serve others… is valuable.

What you bring to the table is very valuable. What you DO for your clients is very valuable.

And that leads me to a question…

When you have something valuable to offer and share, isn’t it right and reasonable that you make your best effort to get it out there to those who will benefit?

(My personal view goes a step farther, actually. I say you have a responsibility to connect with the people who need you. It may not be your view, and that’s ok. But I just wanted to share that with you.)

Marketing is about not letting your light hide under a bushel, where it’s not doing a lick of good. Marketing is about getting what you have into the hands of those who really need it most.

Note I did NOT say “anyone.” No matter what, your services aren’t right for everyone. Figuring out exactly WHO you serve is the second step to booking more sessions, helping more people, and ultimately increasing your income.

What’s the first step, you ask? Embrace marketing.

One of my fellow copywriters, Chris Haddad, sums up the essence of marketing with the following:

“Marketing Is The Art Of Making A Promise And Keeping It”

I love this! There’s so much integrity in that statement.

When you market yourself, here’s what you’re really saying: “I have something valuable to share with you. Here’s how you can get it.”