What Are Your Services Worth?

Articles, Selling

The other day a colleague posted on FaceBook that he was raising the price of his opinion from 2 cents to 8 cents. While not quite the current value of an ounce of pure gold, I would call this a “good start” (smile). Just what are your services really worth? And, in many cases, the value of your opinion should be worth the same amount.

Some 20 plus years ago I decided to get into the consulting business. This would include seminars and workshops. Not having been in this business before, and lacking certain credentials including a four-year degree, I decided that $25.00 per hour was a great place to start. Who could pass up a deal like that? Just about everybody. While my contemporaries were charging a minimum of $50.00 or more per hour and were busier than all get out, here I was offering “bargain basement” rates and was going nowhere. I raised my rates to $50.00 per hour and business improved substantially. At $75.00 per hour, it improved even more. I had learned some important lessons ….

  • Others perceive that what you charge for your services are what you perceive your services are worth.
  • Folks are willing to pay more for products and services that they deem to be a better “value”.
  • People more often than not do understand that “you get what you pay for”.

Flash forward to 2010 and I am now about to re-enter the training and consulting market and what am I seeing? Free seminars, free workshops, try our product for free. Free this and free that. Everything for free. Hell, I only look like a non-profit. I have bills to pay like everyone else. When I see “Free”, I think ….

  • There’s no such thing is a “free lunch”.
  • If I go there, somebody will attempt to drop the hammer on me to buy something at some point. I’m also not so sure how painful that process might be.
  • They know what their services are worth.

I tried the “Free Workshop” route 20 years ago. Of course, I also tried to sell folks something as a part of that workshop and … they got pissed. What did they expect? They expected something for nothing? Well, in retrospect, that’s what I told them they were getting so I should not have been the one who was surprised. Mind you, I have no problem with offering additional services but only after delivering excellent value for monies paid. I had learned another valuable lesson.

I also love it when folks offer you massive discounts straight out of the gate before you have even stated your sincere desire to invest in their product or service. They wonder why I don’t buy right then and there. Fact is, I still haven’t decided if I really want your trinket but I already do know what you will be willing to sell it to me for should I ever come to that decision. I’m all for offering great deals when appropriate,  but only when the time is right and that time is during closing and only after my client has stated a desire to buy. Others may disagree with this attitude but it has worked well for me.

Going forward, my plan is to work my tail off demonstrating to our clients that they will get excellent value for their investment with us. There is no charge for that. After which … Hey, I have bills to pay. No free lunch here. You will get what you pay for. So what are your services worth?

Thanks for visiting!

Craig

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Craig M. Jamieson

Craig M. Jamieson

Managing Member at Adaptive Business Services
Craig M. Jamieson is a lifelong B2B salesperson, manager, owner, and a networking enthusiast. Adaptive Business Services provides solutions related to the sales professional. We are a Nimble CRM Solution Partner. Craig also conducts training and workshops primarily in social selling and communication skills. Craig is also the author of "The Small Business' Guide to Social CRM", now available on Amazon!
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