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Creative_People_ _Stop_Charging_By_the_Hour_&_Make_More_Money
| Creative People - Stop Charging By the Hour & Make More Money
One of the biggest challenges with a creative business is
getting paid what you are worth. The root of the problem isn't
that the client doesn't have the money and it isn't that the
client isn't willing to pay you what you are worth. The root of
the problem is how you are charging and how you are creating
value in the mind of the client.
First, you must create a business based on value pricing and not
hourly pricing. The number one worst way to charge (and most
creative businesses are charging this way) is by the hour.
Frankly, it shouldn’t matter how long it takes you to solve the
client’s problems or provide your service, it should matter that
the client is getting what he needs and what he wants. If you’re
creating value and you’re giving them value, they’ll pay you for
that value. They shouldn’t be paying you for your time. If
you’re being paid for your time you’re essentially setting the
ceiling to how much money you can make because you can only work
so many hours. Therefore, you must determine, specifically what
your value is to the customer, not how many hours you will work
for that customer. To do this, ask yourself the following
questions:
How do you impact that customer or potential client?
What do you provide to them that will help them and helps solve
their problems? How will solving these problems impact the
customer? Is it a problem with high impact or low impact? What
is important to the customer? Why is it important to the
customer? How important is it?
Have they had experiences working with someone in your type of
business before? If so, was it a good or back experience? Why?
Exactly what happened?
Why is the client coming to you for this issue?
What is the client's definition of success with this project?
Ask him to describe specific ways he will know he made the right
choice in hiring you.
By getting the answers to these questions - not guessing what
the client will say, but actually getting the client to answer
these questions - you will have the information you need to
create VALUE in the mind of the client. If they perceive your
work to be valuable, they will be thrilled to pay you. If they
do not perceive your work to be of value, they won't pay you no
matter how low you go on the pricing scale.
It's all in the mind of the client. Get in their head and
understand specifically what they want and, even more
specifically, why they want it. Once you do that, getting paid
what you are worth is a piece of cake!
About the author:
Kirstin Carey is the author of "Starving Artist No More: Hearty
Business Strategies for Creative Folks." Since most creative
people hate sales, contracts, and discussing money Kirstin
consults them on the business side of creativity so they make
more money, get better clients, and still love what they do. She
put together a resource of proven strategies to help creative
types get the business help they need. Go to
http://www.MyCreativeBiz.com.
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