I LOVE helping clients make more money in less time. No one is looking to work more, or to add complexity to their business.
On the contrary, I see an ever-increasing desire for greater simplicity, freedom, and lifestyle. We’re talkin’ ease and flow. Raising the value of what you offer is one doorway to creating this particular version of Heaven on Earth.
So where do you start in doing that? Here are seven key leverage points to look at in your own business to make this shift possible. I’ve adjusted these in my own business, and with clients in their businesses, with quick and effective results:
1. Plug into your passion. First and foremost, it’s all about your energy. Passionate people are magnetic. Why are you in your business in the first place? How connected are you to your “why”? Seriously, check this out. You can amp up your wattage on this one alone and be able to charge more for what you do because people will want to be near you and bask in your vibe.
2. Work only with your ideal clients. Seriously, fire the duds. I’ve written about this before (and undoubtedly will again). Working with clients who aren’t a good fit drains you, dampens your passion, and lowers your magnetism and appeal.
Not only that, your ideal clients are the ones who LOVE working with you because you’re so well-matched to each other. They are happy to pay you a higher fee because you’ve got the specific combination of passion, experience and skills that are just right for them. There’s only one of you, and they “get“ you. Do what it takes to get specific and narrow about who your ideal clients are. It will translate directly to what the market will bear in terms of your fees.
3. Stick to what you’re best at. Find a way to stop doing the stuff you don’t like to do. Stay true to your “special sauce.” Become a highly refined specialist who works on what inspires you most rather than a dull jack of all trades. Again, you’ll feel happier, have more energy, and be more magnetic. You’ll also become far more skilled more quickly since you’ll be honing your craft more of the time. People pay more for that.
4. Tell a compelling story. The more effectively you communicate who you are, who you serve, the problem you solve, and the results you deliver, the more people will be able to connect with you and see if you’re what they’re looking for. That translates to being able to charge more for what you do. Make the effort to learn the fundamentals of effective marketing and copywriting to up-level your ability to represent yourself well. Consider investing in someone who’s best at that to help shortcut the process for you.
5. Restructure your offerings. Still charging by the single session or by the hour? Create one or more packages that provide high value outcomes, pronto! Know your ideal clients and the most pressing results they want. Then design offerings that deliver those results through a series of sessions or combination of elements in the package that get them where they want to go. You’ll detach yourself from the dollars-for-hours model and be able to charge a premium for that bigger result. (You’ll also be attracting a more committed client this way, which adds fulfillment for you.)
6. Collect and review praise. There’s nothing better to help boost your confidence in the value of what you offer than to hear it from the people who have hired you and are thrilled with their results. Review testimonials you’ve received from satisfied clients. If you haven’t been collecting them, you must start! It’s great for your mindset and really owning how good you are at what you do. It also helps potential clients say yes to you (and your fees) when they see what others have said about working with you. Make sure you put those on your marketing materials and website.
7. Raise your prices! Just do it. Own what’s awesome about you. Bask in the glow of what your clients have said about you. Really take it in and feel it. If you don’t believe in the value of what you do, others won’t either. Have a look at the challenges your typical client was having before they started working with you, and the new experience they get to have instead because of working with you. The gap between those is the value you offer, and very frequently extends beyond just the reason they came to you.
Example of this: Are you a genius at helping clients heal chronic back pain? Not only do you help them release the pain, you also help them resume exercise or sports they love, pick up and hold grandchildren when they couldn’t do that before, and travel again. There’s huge value to them in all those things. Make sure you’re accounting for these expanded benefits when setting your rates.
So now, looking at your current prices in light of this review, is it time for an up-level?
Photo: Andrew Coutts
About Lisa Berkovitz
