Value is more expensive than price. -Toba Beta
Working in a creative industry such as beauty, there is an ongoing dialogue that never seems to end about not working for “free”, of value, of price, and with that, I continue to see so much misunderstanding of both value and price.
And while I have written on this topic often, here is my latest take on understanding value, price and worth. Because it’s not about getting paid, this is about delivering insane value. There is a BIG difference. Revenue is the result of a job well done.
In our hyper connected and social world, we have an opportunity to do a ton of important and valuable stuff, “for free”. We can write blogs, create videos, share tips, send newsletters with lots of cool info, answer questions on social platforms, do LIVE chats, etc. All super awesome, highly valuable stuff, we do for “free” aka not getting paid.
If we are just starting out, and nobody knows who the heck we are or what value we bring to the table, there are several strategic decisions we can make about working for “free”. Remember, these are strategic decisions and also an investment in building relationships, community, value and potentially a ton of traffic, online and off. Just think, every time you post a blog, hair tip, step by step or formula, that is working for “free”.
If people keep asking you to work for free or discount your prices, instead of getting mad at the people, you may want to consider the following…
1. You are connecting with the wrong people. And this means your marketing plan is off or you simply don’t yet understand or have not clearly defined your target market.
2. You have not effectively communicated your value.
3. You have not set healthy boundaries, people will push, it’s your job to push back, with love of course.
4. You are not comfortable with having courageous conversations.
5. You do not see your worth.
6. Your work is not as awesome as you think it is.
If you set your price, and people won’t pay it, all of the above statements may be true, plus one very important thing; you could be overpriced. I know, a little blow to the ego, but its possible. Pricing is both an art and a science. As I shared here and here and here, if you care to learn more, for “free”.
Lastly, for an industry that screams about not working for free, at least 1 time per day, usually more, those same people ask me to work for free. And the awesome news is, I do have a ton of content available to those people, which is free*.
This weekly blog, The Weekly Dose of Awesome newsletter, my #QandAwesome show, Awesome A Day morning text messages & Wednesday Wisdom LIVE Chats, my daily posts on social platforms, all of it, is 100% available to anyone who chooses to consume it.
*If I was to charge for all of those things I choose to do to create value for my community, it would be thousands of dollars each month. Yes, thousands!
What I sell is experience, knowledge, context + results. I create stuff of value. I am an artist. Just like you. So when you call, text or email me and want to pick my brain about your brand strategy, ideas, team challenges, social platforms, website, problem client, or whatever, you are asking me to work for free. Hmmmmm.
I pay for all my professional services. Why? I respect the businesses & artists who provide them. My haircuts, colors, waxing, facials, nails, graphic designer, web programmer, accountant, #teamawesome at Passion Squared. And I pay with joy, love + gratitude for having fellow artists and humans in my life that know way more than I do about their area of focus & experience.
So next time you text, call or email me asking for help, be prepared to get an invoice…created and sent with love, gratitude and respect. And in turn, I will always pay for my haircut.
Love + Awesomeness-
Nina