Here’s why you’re accepting less than you’re worth

My client had just done it again: she had accepted a project for less than her minimum. And now she was kicking herself.

It wasn’t that she was discounting her work. She was just accepting small, one-off projects, when what she REALLY wanted were longer term engagements, which were not only more revenue, but more profitable.

She asked me, “How do I stop doing this? How do I stop sabotaging myself?”

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What about you? Have you ever taken on a client that was smaller than you wanted? Paid you less than you wanted? Wanted work that was slightly different than what you really love to do?

And here’s the question: did you know you were doing it at the time? Or did you only look back later and realize? How did it feel?

If you’ve ever done this, then the list I’m about to share with you may be helpful to identify why you might have allowed that, and how you can avoid it in the future.

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I told her that there are a lot of different reasons. And while I can’t pinpoint the exact reason, or combination of reasons, it’s helpful to look at ALL the reasons and just lay them on the table.

So here’s why you’re sabotaging yourself:

(Note that a lot of these start with “you,” but they’re not meant to be accusatory.)

• You aren’t uncovering the value your prospects are truly looking for, so the conversation is focused on tactics / what you’ll do, vs. the value you provide and the outcomes to their business; this will always drive the price down.
• You’re not fluent in your pricing and the price conversation, so you aren’t having the price conversation upfront, when you could have identified whether they were a good fit budget-wise.
• The prospect can’t afford you, but you want them anyway, so you are willing to abandon your minimum.
• You don’t have enough in your sales pipeline, so you need the work, even though it’s below your minimum.
• You don’t know how to ask for what you want to be paid.
• You don’t feel worthy of being paid what you want to be paid.
• You feel eager to get a yes quickly, because if they go away or have to think about it, you might not know how to keep them engaged, so you are eager to give them a price they can quickly say yes to.
• If there’s pushback, you don’t know how to negotiate to protect your price.
• You are relying on over delivering and “doing the work” in order to sell more later, which is very consistent with the way women typically work – “If I do great work, I’ll be noticed”… rather than communicating your value and selling well

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So what can you learn from this list?

To stop sabotaging yourself, and start getting paid what you want, it’s not about fixing one thing. It’s about learning the SYSTEM of how to get clients at the price you want.

How to get the right leads. How to lead them through the sales process. How to communicate value and talk price. And how to offer a package that’s high value for them and profitable for your business.

Every part of the sales process is connected, and you have to master each step. But the good news is, you CAN master each step. Because people in SIGNED 10-week program are doing it every day.

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I’m curious what you think of these. Which of these ring true for you? Write back and let me know.

To your success,

Leah

1. Join the free Smart Gets Paid Group and connect with women entrepreneurs who are learning how to get clients too.

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2. Learn how to get new clients without feeling salesy, in 10 weeks

If getting new clients is on your to-do list, but you’re not sure where to start, I can help. You’ll learn step-by-step how to get the clients you want, without feeling salesy. And you’ll get the support you need to put learning into practice in your business.  Just reply to this email and put “Clients” in the subject line and I’ll get you the details.

 

3. Work with me privately


If you’d like to work directly with me to learn how to sell, get paid more, and get the clients you really want, just reply to this message and put “Private” in the subject line. Tell me a little about your business and what you’re struggling with when it comes to selling, and I’ll get you all the details.