Episode 83: 4 Bold Steps to Communicating Your Prices without Apology

Welcome to Episode #83 of The Daily Interaction Show. Whether you are a full-time business owner, entrepreneur, planning to become one or are a hobbyist, you have something to offer the world, it could be an idea, a product, a service, a program, a course, a package, your whatever, in exchange for money. Today, I […]

Welcome to Episode #83 of The Daily Interaction Show. Whether you are a full-time business owner, entrepreneur, planning to become one or are a hobbyist, you have something to offer the world, it could be an idea, a product, a service, a program, a course, a package, your whatever, in exchange for money. Today, I talk to you about how to do just that without apology and shame and without feeling awkward and weird about saying your prices to prospective clients. Ready?

Did you guys miss me? This girl is back from her African Safari and ready to get back into the game. Much fun as it was, I must say that I missed my work!! Now that has got to be the most twisted logic you have ever heard but alas, it can happen when you are in love with your work.

I want to thank my amazing superstar corporate-turned-rockstar-entrepreneur client, Bruce Rodgers at Studio139 Software, for the topic today. Bruce was telling me about his inner conflicts and struggles with pricing his services. Specifically about communicating those prices to his potential clients. And Bruce is not the only person to struggle with this one by a long shot. So thanks to his wonderful suggestion, I want to dedicate this whole episode to sharing steps in communicating your offers and prices without apology, without guilt, without insecurity.

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First let’s talk about WHY on earth we freeze up and feel so insecure when we have to utter those words, those dollars, those prices. Why do we feel we need to immediately give them a discount or prove that it’s worth it?

Because we tell ourselves these stories that are not true. We tell ourselves that the person cannot afford it, that we are not worth this monetary sum in exchange for our services or that they will laugh at our price. The stories are generally a perpetual lie. Stop telling yourself these stories.

Here are the 4 major steps to help you communicate your offers and prices without apology and with true confidence:

1. Set your prices high enough to where you are glad to over-deliver without being resentful. Examples of when calls go over, clients email too much and take up more of your time. Generally, you are pricing yourself too low especially if you are new to business.

2. Share your prices on your website. This has a three-fold benefit. First, you don’t have to say it on the phone if you don’t want to or write it out on email. You simply refer them to the site and recommend a certain package. Second, you filter those who totally cannot afford it. Talk about Kane vs. Port suggestions on displaying $. Third, you are being totally transparent and customers/clients appreciate this. They don’t want to ask how much either. Not anymore than you want to say how much.

3. Say your offer without apology. The worst thing you can do is price yourself what you deem to be too high and then apologize or try to convince the customer you are worth it. Never convince. Clearly outline what they get but don’t convince they should. There is a difference between persuading them to buy your stuff or focusing on why this is something good for them – results for them etc. Apology kills the spirit of transaction.

4. Have a system for collecting payment without feeling awkward about it. Sometimes you will get clients or customers that just make the whole process painful. Your job is to filter those out from the very start. Payment should be a non-issue. Do you ever go to Nordstrom and ask if they can make you a special offer? No! You’d look like a fool. Well, then don’t entertain customers or clients who do that. Respect yourself enough and take yourself and your business seriously enough to treat it as an objective matter-of-fact logistical matter to handle.

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