You’ve been in business now for a while and you KNOW you have more to offer.
Wisdom. Knowledge. Experience. Strategy. <– All of these are in HIGH demand and you would love to officially bring them to the table.
So how do you charge more for your expertise?
Here are 3 tips to make the shift:
#1 – Pick ONE THING
Many of us – myself included – are great at doing many things. And we may create a lot of success in the early days at being able to do ‘everything’ for our clients. (And they will love you for it!)
But if you are known to do ‘everything’ then you are known for nothing in particular.
The first step in being able to charge more for your expertise is to pick THE ONE THING you want to be known for. The one thing that you want people to say “So you need help with X? You need to contact … She’s the best!”
It can be challenging to narrow it down at first – especially if you have many things you love to do! – but narrowing your focus will allow you to be seen as the EXPERT in that area and allow you to build off that specific platform.
#2 – Charge for the RESULT and not the time it takes to do the work
One of the biggest shifts I work on with my clients is making the shift from charging by-the-hour or by-the-session for what they do (retainers, etc) to charging for the deliverable or result they help to create.
Time is our most important asset, and yet it’s the thing we get paid the least for. Why? Because it forces people to value us based on how long it takes to do the work – and they will naturally always measure us on how quick or slow we appear to be. And if you work quickly and are efficient, you end up making less money than someone who is slower… doesn’t make sense!
When you charge based on the RESULT you bring certainty and commitment to the table – the client knows exactly what they are getting, what they will pay and you are committed to making it happen no matter how long it takes. <– That’s the key!
CERTAINTY is worth more than time – it opens up the door to charge more for your services (often double, triple or more of what you would make hourly for the same thing. Oooooo yea)
#3 – Be a DECISION MAKER for your clients
“Tell me what you need and I’ll get it done for you” is no longer enough. Being good at what you do is no longer enough.
“Let me help you determine what needs to be done and the best strategy to get there” is what we want these days. We don’t have time to learn it all and figure it out on our own anymore – there is too much to do! Too much to know!
Someone who is willing to engage at a deeper level and make decisions FOR US that lead towards the objective <– THIS is something you can be paid top dollar for.
Making a shift in one – or all – of these areas can increase your value in the marketplace immeasurably, which gives you the freedom to start charging more for what you already have between your ears.
The world needs your expertise. #bringiton
Tina