Yesterday in the Hands-On Transformation group on Facebook, we were talking about what happens when a client says “I can’t afford it.” One member of the group mentioned her experience with a client who seems unwilling to pay the regular fee to work with her. The client is always asking about discounts—as if there were “seasonal specials” she could take advantage of.
Stop trying to be like every other practitioner!
This is one of the reasons why it’s so important to set yourself apart from other practitioners—even from colleagues who practice the same modality.
I know far too many practitioners whose fees are as low as possible… if you feel like you’re one of them, you can’t afford to be regarded as a commodity, where a session with you is interchangeable with a session with any other practitioner of any other modality whose practice is within driving range of yours.
I know far too many practitioners whose fees are as low as possible… if you feel like you’re one of them, you can’t afford to be regarded as a commodity, where a session with you is interchangeable with a session with any other practitioner of any other modality whose practice is within driving range of yours.
Commodities are everywhere
Here’s how it plays out with a real commodity… cauliflower. I’m a big fan, and all summer, I’ve been paying been between $3 and $4 for it. Yesterday, I did a double-take right there in the produce aisle when I saw that it was $0.99!
Naturally, I bought two. 🙂
Next week the price will be up again and some people will decide not to buy it. Me? Because I like it so much, I’ll continue to buy it until the price goes over $4. (That’s another thing—did you know that everyone has a point at which “Don’t even think about it—it’s too expensive!” drowns out “But… but… I really like it! Hey! Put that back in the cart!”?)
Do I care whether the label says “Springhill Farm” or “Pleasant Valley Produce”? Nope. Cauliflower is pretty much cauliflower.
Make “Zero Competition” your goal
You really don’t want to be seen that way. It’s not good to be interchangeable with anybody. Aside from impacting your bank account, it diminishes the inherent value of your work—and your modality— and it can create tension among colleagues instead of promoting community.
Not to mention that if you spend long enough thinking about yourself on the shelf next to the cauliflower, your self-esteem will take a hit, too.
Seriously.
On the other hand, when what you offer is unique, people cannot get it from anyone but you. That means you literally have no competition… not even from the people who taught in your training program! Just imagine what that would feel like…
Get ready for your gremlins!
To be honest, most practitioners are going to encounter their gremlins when they start out on the path to “Zero Competition.”
Gremlins are usually loud and they’ll be quick to point out the downside of setting yourself apart… saying really unhelpful stuff like “You’re a fraud,” or “You aren’t worth that much,” or “Who do you think you are, anyway?”
I know you’ve got gremlins—because we all do. Do they act up when you start thinking about charging what you’re worth, being seen as unique and offering your work without competition? What do they say? How are they getting in your way?
In the end, making this kind of shift in your practice is possible because you decide to become the person who is capable of having the practice you want… not just because you’ve got experience in your modality, but because you’ve dealt with what’s holding you back. That’s what a transformational leader does.
Now I’ll be the first to say that sometimes it’s nice if the other person takes the first step… so I’m inviting you to have a talk with me about where you’re headed, what you want when you get there, and what it will take to make it real. If it seems like I can help you, I’ll let you know. It’s completely free and you can request it right here.
Sound helpful? It’s not an exaggeration to say that nearly every practitioner I’ve talked to in a free call has told me it was clarifying and helped sort their overwhelm. That includes the people I’ve advised not to work with me!
People tell me that even the questions I ask on the application for the call help them understand more about what they want!
If all this makes you think maybe a free call with me could help you, I hope you’ll let me know soon!
Too many of my clients have waited until they were already at Rock Bottom before taking action. If you follow the trajectory you’re on into the future and see that Rock Bottom is your destination in a year or two, let’s talk now so you can bypass it and get on the path to Zero Competition!
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I support hands-on practitioners in becoming transformational leaders who have no competition. If you want to get the most from knowing me, subscribe below and I’ll be in touch in your inbox!
