The time has come- you've been waiting for it and dreading
it at the same time. The time when you must, absolutely
must, can't avoid it.
You've got to raise your prices. You're sure about it,
100%, and it feels good when you think about it all on your
own. Except...
How DO you tell your current clients that your prices are
going up, up and away? Your belly is flip-flopping, and
your palms get cold and sweaty...
Your Psychic Clients
Here's the thing: your clients probably already know.
If your price rise feels that great to your heart, it's
probably been coming for awhile, yes? So, your clients have
just been waiting for you to tell them. For many of them,
it will actually be a relief.
The Buzzer at 6am
Sometimes a price rise helps unstick something or someone
from your business. You may have clients that have been
sticking around out of habit- you're used to working with
them, they're used to working with you. You keep working
together.
But there's no juice. There's a blaaahhhhh feeling to your
work together. Hum-drum.
The price rise is like an alarm clock going off, waking
both you and them out of a sound sleep. "Is this where we
both want to be?"
You may find that once they wake up, they no longer want to
work with you. And, it's scary at first to let your client
go. But, admit it- there is also a sense of relief. That
openness in your schedule can let someone new in, at your
new price, bringing in the fresh breeze of aliveness.
You may also find that your client may still want to work
with you, at your new price. But that the juice has come
back, because you've both woken up and have a renewed sense
of purpose to why you're working together.
Errr... but the conversation itself?
All this sounds good, in theory. And you're willing to
trust your heart. But how do you have that conversation
itself, when you tell them "Hey buddy, cough up a little
more.... er, I mean to say, my prices are going up..."
Well, here are some ideas...
Keys to Raising the Price on Them
• A time-lapse is okay.
You can raise your prices for new, incoming clients, and
keep your current clients at their current prices for
awhile. Then, once you've seen new clients come in and pay
you the new price, you'll have more confidence for the
conversation.
Then, when the timing feels right in your heart- one month,
three months, six months later- you can let them know that
you raised your prices awhile ago, but kept them at their
current rate as a courtesy. And now it's time for the price
to go up.
• Negotiation is okay, too.
If your client is especially valued to you, and/or is a
great referral source, you can have a conversation with
them about it.
Tell your client that your price is going up, but that it
doesn't feel right in your heart because of the
relationship you all have to just jump them up. Ask for a
conversation with them to find a price between the old
price and the new price that feels good to both of you.
This will only work if your heart is truly okay with a
lower price. If it is, use your heart to find out what the
new price is for this particular client, and don't go below
that.
When you're in business for more than a year, raising
prices is just a normal part of life. Your experience
changes, the type of service or product you are offering
changes, your confidence increases. Your clients know this,
and expect it from time to time.
When it's time, it's time. Stay in your heart, and let them
know. Chances are, they've been waiting for you to tell
them.
----------------------------------------------------
Mark Silver is the author of Unveiling the Heart of Your
Business: How Money, Marketing and Sales can Deepen Your
Heart, Heal the World, and Still Add to Your Bottom Line.
He has helped hundreds of small business owners around the
globe succeed in business without lousing their hearts. Get
three free chapters of the book online:
http://www.heartofbusiness.com
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