Uh-oh...it happened again, didn't it? Your prospective
client hinted that they
may not say "yes"
to your offer so you offered a discount...again!
Discounting your fees is a tell-tale sign of one
thing—doubt. It also instantly tells me that you're probably
focused on features instead of results.
When we doubt our fees we are negotiating within
ourselves. Our internal conversation centers around the fear that
we may lose the client, that they may not see the value of what we're
offering, that they might think "who are
we
to charge that much?!", what would others think of us for charging
more...the list goes on.
Under the surface, our fears point straight back
to ourselves. Our willingness to quickly discount our fees really
says that we're not holding ourselves as more valuable than the money.
Here's the pivotal point:
When
you see the results
of what you create as being
more valuable
than the money you charge, then charging more becomes easy because
you know that what you're providing is worth so much more than any
dollar amount.
Just last week I had a client tell me that her discounting
days are over. Her new-found resolve was quickly put to the test when
a new client of hers questioned her fees. Instead of caving in, my
client stood up proud and tall and confidently stuck to her price,
plus reminded her new client of the results she was going to achieve
with her service. The question of discounting quickly and easily disappeared.
Is there
ever a time to
offer a discount? Probably not. Remember, you can always do pro-bono
work or give scholarships to selected individuals.
You can also minimize even being asked for a discount
by making sure your packages are abundant with goodies your clients
value and appreciate (but that don't take up much, if any, of your
time).
Remember, while you may love to buy things
off
the sale rack, do you really want to be ON the sale rack?
