How to Stop Comparing and Despairing

by | Mar 1, 2017 | Inspiration

[This post was originally shared on www,bestkeptself.com]

There I was, innocently scrolling through my Facebook feed with unwashed tresses and wearing leggings as pants, when I saw it: a certain highly-intelligent (and drop-dead beautiful) colleague had just unabashedly announced her (laundry list) of recent accomplishments, which included everything from whipping up a fabulous dinner to booking two new clients after doubling her rates.

…Right alongside a gorgeous photo of her in all her perfectly blown-out, unicorn-colored hair glory.

For a moment,  I felt physically sick. Although I’m usually one for #collaborationovercompetition and I truly do believe there’s enough room in the universe for all of us, I still had to an urge to ugly cry.

How did she get so much done AND have time to blow-dry that fabulous hair of hers? And how is she charging so much? I’ve been doing this WAY longer than she has and I wouldn’t even THINK about asking that much! But OMG, her writing is SO amazing. Why would anyone hire me when they could just hire her? Look how many people are commenting on and “loving” her post! Ugh. I suck.

Sound familiar?

The truth is, it’s way too easy to compare yourself to other business owners, especially when you’re connected to tons of them on social media.

Just spend five minutes browsing Facebook or Instagram, and you’ll literally be exposed to thousands of images showcasing other business owners’ highlight reels – from their pristinely-decorated apartments to snapshots of their #bestdayever with their #bizbesties to dollar-by-dollar breakdowns of their most recent (sold-out, obviously) launch.

It’s enough to make any woman – especially a self-employed woman who sometimes spends all day locked in her home office in polka-dot pajamas wondering if what she’s doing has ANY impact – start doubting herself and launch deep into compare and despair mode.

But fret not, gorgeous.

While comparisonitis is an ugly ailment, it isn’t chronic.

Thank goodness.

Here are a few simple things to remember when you feel yourself slipping into comparison mode:

  • Put the blinders on, babe. My first defense against comparisonitis is to STOP LOOKING at other people’s “stuff” – especially people in my niche. It sounds so simple, but it’s actually pretty hard in practice. When consuming others ideas + content (+ Facebook celebrations) stops feeling inspiring + starts making you feel bad/unworthy/like a hot mess, do yourself a favor… just stop looking. Fast. And then, move onto the rest of these tips.
  • Remember you are unique. Yes, it’s cliche. But I think it’s pretty incredible that no one else in the entire universe sees things quite like you do. No one alive has your unique cocktail of life experiences, thoughts, emotions and dreams. Even if you happen to be in the exact same business as talented-colleague-with-the-wonderful-hair, you bring your own unique, fresh spin to everything you do. From the content you create to your client interactions, you have your own voice + style – and that’s something no one can take away from you (no matter how fabulous they are). And trust me – there’s somebody out there who needs to hear whatever message you feel called to share from YOU and in the way only YOU can share it. Remember them when you feel like you don’t know if what you have to say matters. It does.
  • But at the same time, remember you don’t have to be original all the time. Sometimes, we take the “you’re unique’ thing too far and put too much pressure on ourselves to be original. For example, maybe you get down on yourself when you notice that someone you admire just posted a poignantly-and-practically-perfect blog about the very topic you were going to write about this week. While it stings, the truth is you can’t expect to “be the first” all the time. So, if you start seeing a bunch of other people in your niche going on about a topic you could’ve sworn YOU thought of first, let it go. Remember that sometimes it’s okay to simply contribute to a conversation that’s already happening and not worry about “being the first.” What you have to say is STILL valuable!
  • Create more, consume less.  I don’t know about you, but I’m way more prone to comparisonitis when I’ve been doing a lot of consuming – like downloading tons of podcasts, or signing up for multiple webinars, or reading every email newsletter in my inbox. If you’ve been glued to your phone or laptop for days, it’s time to take a break from all that input, and start putting some beauty back out into the universe. I promise that once you actually start taking action on your OWN ideas (versus devouring others), you’ll feel a million times better about yourself – and you won’t worry nearly as much about what your colleagues are up to because you’ll feel SO good about what YOU’RE creating. Who cares if she’s got two new clients, I’m over here writing my magnum opus! Yeah!
  • Remind yourself that anything you see in her, is also in you. When I feel a twinge of jealousy about another woman’s awesomeness, I have to remind myself that anything I see in her, also exists in me. The only reason I can even acknowledge how insanely cool this colleague is is because I also possess those insanely cool qualities – although chances are right now I’m not shining them as brightly as I could. Jealousy hurts, but it also serves a purpose: It’s one way the universe shows us what we want more of in our own lives. So make sure to take notice next time you feel yourself going green with envy and figure out exactly what it is about this other person that makes your blood boil. Do you wish YOU got more done everyday? Are you annoyed that she’s launched five things in the last year and you still haven’t taken action on your one “golden idea” from three years ago? Do you secretly wish your hair looked like an Easter Egg, but you’ve been too scared to admit it? Whatever it is, once you’re aware, you can start taking small actions to bring more of those things into your own life. And voila – the jealousy and comparisonitis dissipates, just like that.

  • Brag a little. I’ve noticed I’m especially triggered by others sharing their successes when I haven’t been making a concerted effort to shout out my own accomplishments. Chances are, you’ve made plenty of major moves and had some incredible things happen to you lately, too – you’re just not posting them on social media! But what if you started to? In her book, The School of Womanly Arts, Mama Gena suggests all women brag about themselves at least once a day to boost their confidence and je ne sais quoi. I think social media is the PERFECT place to practice this ‘art.’ It might feel awkward at first, but the truth is, it is SO important to give yourself credit for what you’ve done. And like they always say, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” You, too, have quite an incredible life – and you deserve to document and celebrate it just as much as anyone else! So next time you book a new (dreamy) client, or publish a blog post that’s been hanging out in your Drafts folder for weeks or book yourself solid, go ahead + give yourself a little social media love.

 

Tell us: How do you deal with comparisonitis as a self-employed woman?

 

The ONE thing you *must* nail on your sales page

by | Dec 5, 2016 | Copylicious

Ladies, let’s get real.

Writing for the web is kinda incredible. When it’s done right, it can do insane things for you and your business (and consequently, your clients).

But there’s a not-so-glamorous truth about web writing, which is this:
Once a reader pops on your page, you have about 7 seconds (or less) to harness their attention.

Which means your headline – especially on sales pages – is kind of a big deal.

But like, how the heck do you make sure you’re crafting a haute headline that’s as succinct, snappy and sizzling as humanly possible, so you don’t lose your readers to puppies, kittens or Mannequin challenge videos? I got you. 😉

Here are a few notable things to know about headlines:
+ You don’t have to open with “pain points.” Yes, some sales pages open with what most marketers call “pain points” because psychology says humans are more motivated by fear of loss than gain. (For example, a health coach might open with a line about how awful it is to “turn down brunch dates with your babes because you can’t handle yourself in front of a plate of pancakes” rather than how amazing it will feel to “fit into an itty bitty teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini.”) But if that idea gives you the heeby jeebies, I need you to know you have another option: opening with the benefits. Speaking to what your dream client desires (rather than what she fears) might not be scientifically as effective, but it definitely works. And it’s worth a try when it comes to your audience. Play around! What does your dream client respond to?

+ Use the Rule of One: I follow something called the “Rule of One” when writing my own headlines. In non-marketing speak, that means I try to keep my headline focused on the most powerful emotional benefit of the offer, rather than trying to pack 3-5 big benefits into one sentence. Pick one benefit to highlight, and use the rest of the page to dig into the others.

+ There are like a zillion different ways to whip up headlines. Do a quick Google search and you’ll find hundreds of articles full of “proven” “magnetic” headline formulas. But one of my favorite ways to whip up a wicked headline is by looking at print mags – espesh Cosmo – for headline inspiration. No joke, Cosmo’s got headline-writing down to an art. All you have to do to ‘borrow’ their genius is to look for a headline that fans your flame – say, “4 Signs He’s the One” and make it relevant to your industry a la “4 Signs This Client is ‘The One.” It’s simple and it’s hella fun.

Oh, and just in case Cosmo isn’t exactly your jam, here are a few other “proven” headline styles to get you goin’, adapted from the (incredible) book Great Leads:

The “Painless” Lead – “Get [most desired result] without the [biggest struggle they face while trying to achieve desired result]”

The USP Lead – “[Offer] is the only [what it is] to [most desired result]”

The Fantasy Lead – Imaginative phrases like, “Imagine if [thing they want most]? ” or “What if…[thing they want most]?” or “How would life be different if [thing they want most]?”

The Fantasy Lead – Imaginative phrases like, “Imagine if [thing they want most]? ” or “What if…[thing they want most]?” or “How would life be different if [thing they want most]?”

The Big Secret Lead – “The easier way to X” or “The top-secret way one woman radically achieved [most desired result]”

The Proclamation Lead – “Did you know more than 80% of startups fail within the first three years?” or “A good – even great – sales page ISN’T all you need to sell your stuff online.”

+ Finally – just like when it comes to trying anything new – don’t expect perfection, especially the first time! I’m a big fan of writing my headlines last – after I’ve refined the page’s overall message and positioning. And then, I usually brainstorm about 10-20 okay-but-not-awesome options before I truly “nail” it. Don’t put the pressure on to get it “just right” because honestly, there’s no such thing, and you’ll be writing yourself into burnout or severe hand cramps. 🙂

And that’s it! Over to you, beauty town.

What questions do you have around creating killer headlines? 

xo, E

WHAT A BRAND MESSAGE IS (AND WHY YOU SHOULD GIVE A YOU-KNOW-WHAT)

by | Apr 12, 2016 | Copylicious

If you’ve been in online business a hot second, I know you’ve heard the term “brand message” or “core message.”

I also know your eyes glaze over when you hear it.

I understand. It’s not the sexiest term, and I’m sure there are tons of other “business-building” things you’d rather spend your time on (ahem, Periscope, vision boards, Facebook groups – does scrolling through Instagram count?…).

But I’d like to re-introduce you to the idea of messaging because the truth is, babes, your message is INSANELY important.

Now, here’s how I like to think about it: Remember when you were 13 and trying to dip out the front door in a sparkly tube top and low-cut denim shorts (and butterfly clips in your hair, natch) and your dad/mom/grandma would catch you and snarkily say something like, “Do you know what message you’re sending the boys with that outfit?” (Just me? Okay, then…)

Anyway, dad/mom/grandma was right: What you put out into the world sends a certain message, whether you mean to or not.

And it doesn’t just happen IRL. It also happens online – every time you write a blog, put up a piece of sales copy or post on Facebook.

Aaaaand until you get clear on who you are and what you actually want to say, you might be telling the world something totally confusing, off-base or downright boring. (And we can’t have that, now can we?)

So, let’s talk messaging in business.

Your message is simply a statement that drives everything you create, talk about or write about in your business.

And not-so-simply? It’s a statement that defines what you do, who you do it for, what they get out of it (aka the “transformation” you provide) and WHY you do it.

(If you just read that line like, “Ugh, transformation, really?” I understand. I know this can be a real hang-up for lots of businesses – especially product-based businesses – but trust me, every single business provides a transformation. For example, if you sell ooey gooey, gourmet caramels, you might take your customer from bored and hungry and totally over all those other basic sweets, to feeling unique, different and of course, satisfied in the stomach. See?)

A solid brand message is important because it forces you to GET SPECIFIC about what you do, who you do it for and why the hell it all matters.

Plus it makes life (and biz) a helluva lot easier.

Once you’ve mapped out your core message, you’ll notice that…

: Content ideas crop up everywhere (and posts practically write themselves)
: You feel WAY more confident promoting your products + services
: You (finally) know how to talk about what you do in a unique way that doesn’t bore people to tears

But HOW do you discover your message? Sit tight, sweets. 😉

You’ve probably seen this formula for defining your message:
I’m a [insert what you do here] who helps [insert brief description of your dream client here] to [insert the main benefit you provide here].

BUT I BELIEVE THERE’S SOMETHING *HUGE* MISSING FROM THAT FORMULA:
Why do you do what you do?

If you want to create a truly unique (and true-to-you) message, you HAVE to articulate your reason for pursuing this particular path.

So here’s how I think this formula should ACTUALLY read: I’m a [insert what you do here] who helps [insert brief description of your dream client here] to [insert the main benefit you provide here]….because I believe [whatever you believe – your WHY].

And THIS is where it’s get juicy. Because NO two people have exactly the same backstory, life history, values or beliefs…every WHY is different.

Because here’s the deal: ANYBODY can be a writer, designer, life coach or stylist. And ANYBODY can work with women business owners, or millennials, or stay-at-home moms. And yes, ANYBODY can help your clients get similar results.

But what they CAN’T do – and the ONE THING that will set YOU apart from alllll the other entrepreneur crayons in the box – is WHY you do it.

What you BELIEVE IN is what makes your message unique.

Once you nail down WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN….that’s when the real magic happens especially in the content department. 

When you nail your message (or today’s iteration of your message – because this will evolve), you’ll NEVER have to question whether a piece of content makes sense for your business EVAH again.

All you’ll have to do is (silently, unless you want people staring) ask yourself, “Is this piece of content I’m about to create aligned with my message?”

Which means:
Can you connect what you’re about to write (or tweet, or periscope) back to what you do, who you do it for, a benefit of working with you or WHY you do what you do?

This gives you the freedom to play around in your current biz – without seeming like a total wishy-washy weirdo. (For example, I just saw one of my fave biz mentors is running a workshop on how she uses essential oils to fuel her business. Because she often talks about rituals and creating ease and space in your business, this actually makes total sense even though essential oils literally have NOTHING to do with business when you first think about it. See what I’m saying?)

Pretty sweet, right?

Sooo, let’s turn it over to you. If coming up with your message has become the bane of your existence, here are the four MAGICAL questions you need to answer right now:

  1. What do you do? (Create luxury soap? Write about pages? “Play” matchmaker?)
  2. Who do you help – specifically? (Busy and nearly-burnt-out 20-somethings? Yoga studio owners? Self-employed business peeps?)
  3. What transformation do you provide (or, what is the juiciest benefit of working with you)? (A moment of pleasure and peace amidst the chaos of day-to-day millennial life? Clearly articulate their studio’s unique vision? Find life partners who won’t get jealous over their laptops?)
  4. And why the hell do you do it? What do you believe in that drives your desire to do this particular thing? (This is the part I can’t really give an example because it’s SO personal.)

Voila! You now have a simple business message to refer to as you create content for your business.

Wanna see the finished product? Here’s mine: “I’m a message mentor + copywriter who helps young, creative womenpreneurs find their unique voice, own their message + write content that connects + converts so they start making real cash from their craft because I believe self-expression is THE KEY to a well-lived life.” (Whew!)

Now, I know that might not sound like anything revolutionary – and yours might not either.

But I want you to know that’s okay.

The message you can create using this formula IS NOT meant for client-facing copy (unless it’s freakishly good – in which case, by all means). It’s simply a blueprint for you to use on the backend to keep you focused as you create content for your business.

What should you do now? Write your message on a Post It, in a Google Doc or in your Evernote and refer to it regularly.

DON’T just keep it in the back pocket of your Paige jeans (metaphorically that is).

Make it a part of your content creation process to review this message (and tweak or refine it when the time comes) to keep you aligned…and watch business get THAT much easier. 😉

YOUR TURN, BEAUTYTOWN! //

1. Draft your message using the formula and questions above.
2. Post it in the comments for feedback from moi, totally gratis. 😉

xo, E

P.S. Are you still stuck? No worries, love. I’m thisclose to revealing a super cool thing to my list about how we can work together to infuse your message into every piece of your content. Hop on it so you don’t miss out:

Yes, please!

SUCK at setting goals? Try this…

by | Jan 26, 2016 | Business Design, Inspiration

3Sooo, as I’m writing this it’s officially 25 days into 2016. Is it just me, or does that seem totally crazy? It feels like just yesterday I was clinking my champagne glass against the (shot) glass of my one of my oldest friends to toast the new year. But alas, time flies when you’re doing remarkable work in the world. 😉

Anywho, I wanted to share a little message with you, because honestly, there’s been SO much chatter about goals! and milestones! and resolutions! and THIS YEAR IS GONNA BE YOUR YEAR!

But honestly, when it came to setting my goals for 2016…well, I just, uh, didn’t.

I don’t have an (official) income goal.
I don’t know (exactly) which products + services I’m going to launch this year.
And hell if I know when I’m actually taking a (beautiful, preferable tropical) vacation.

This isn’t really TOO crazy for me. I often like to leave a little wiggle room in my “list of goals” anyway, for unexpected surprises, opportunities + cash flow. BUT totally not setting any real tangible goals yet? It feels a little scary.

Or it would, if I hadn’t done something that might be even more beneficial for me. (Girl can’t just head out into the world without ANY plan for world domination, now can she?)

Instead of goals, I’ve decided to choose a few guiding principles – words, if you will – to nudge me along this year, and circle back to anytime I’m wondering, “Should I book this client/write this article/say yes to this invite/buy this pair of shoes?”

And I wanted to share this concept – and my specific principles just for #inspo – with you in case you, too, are a bit of a “fly-by-the-seat-of-your-sevens” kinda gal. 🙂

So what words/principles did I pick to propel me this year?

Word 1: SIMPLIFY. 
Okay, sooo I admittedly got a bit obsessed with the whole minimalism thing at the end of 2015 (as evidenced by my Pinterest boards…), after eating up Greg McKeown’s book, Essentialism in one sitting. I’m no stranger to minimalism, but what I LOVED about Greg’s book is that he doesn’t just focus on material things (we’ve ALL read, The Magic Art of Tidying Up by now, haven’t we?), but rather on simplifying our commitments. He asks all of us to answer the question,”What do you REALLY want more time for in your life?” Seriously though: What DO you? And please, don’t feel guilty if what you really crave isn’t a six figure business or a fat client docket. Maybe (like me), you want more flow + ease in your days. Maybe you want LESS commitments to LESS people but MORE QUALITY inside those commitments. Call me biased, but I honestly think in this day + age of “MORE AND BETTER AND FASTER, PLEASE!” simplifying is a great guiding word for pretty much anybody.

How I’m Practicing “Simplifying” in 2016: Less yes’s, more let-me-think-about-it’s (and actually thinking about it). Less juggling clients, and more hyper-focusing on 1-2 at a time. 

Word 2: LOVE.
To be totally honest with you, I’m slowly sashaying my way into my third year in business and just now understanding the true value of loving up whoever is around to be loved up in business. (Guess I’m not quite as gifted as my elementary school teachers thought. 😉 ) For real though: I’m an introvert and I have social anxiety disorder (and trust you’ll be hearing a lot more from me this year on how I’ve maybe not-so-gracefully handled this over the years), so spending heaps of time around/talking to others has NEVER been my thing. I prefer small, intimate groups and cozy little chats with 1 or 2 people over loud, roaring parties any day. But what I didn’t realize my first few years of business was HOW DANG TRUE the old adage about how 80% of your business will come from 20% of your people is. I went into business thinking I didn’t want anybody to “own” me or my time ever again, but the truth is, maintaining ongoing (positive!) relationships is SO necessary. If this is an area you struggle with (professionally or personally), it’s WORTH looking into + focusing on. Don’t be like me and miss out on some wonderful opportunities for friendship and collaboration because you don’t put in the effort to get to know your colleagues + clients.

How I’m Practicing “Love” In 2016: Reaching out instead of shutting down when things go bonkers. Attempting to mend old, burnt bridges with a whole lotta love. Reading up on intimacy issues, and anxiety issues, and doing my best to heal all of the above. Actively seeking out (and contacting) people I admire. Oh, and focusing way more on this blog than reaching out to randos on whatever social media platform is the new craze this week. 😉 

Word 3: AUTOMATE.
My last guiding word of the year is automate, and while that sounds kinda, um, tech-y, it’s actually a really fascinating thing. I’ve been learning a LOT about sales funnels lately, which sound SO un-sexy, but turns out they’re actually just super fun (and simple) ways to automate your sales processes. Okay, that still doesn’t sound sexy, but the things sales funnels can do for you? TOTALLY SEXY. I’m talking: Less time on “discovery calls” that don’t pan out. Less feast or famine and freaking out over where the next dollar’s coming from. And more consistent leads and prospects in your (gorgeous, mahogany, French) doors. 🙂 Who doesn’t want all that?

How I’m Practicing Automation in 2016: Implementing several sexy sales funnels in my own business to help people get to know me better. (I’m also working on a service to help you write the copy to do the same!) Getting my finances automated (finally!) – I’m talking automatically paying bills and saving for all sorts of adventures (I’m already using a fun little program called Digit that squirrels away tiny pockets of money you’ll never even miss – so rad!). And finally, having my VA handle pretty much any + everything I can’t or don’t want to. It’s not entirely automatic, but I’d love to know that I can take that tropical vacation this year and my business won’t totally shutdown because of it. 🙂

And that’s it, loves! Three big ass words to guide me (and my decision-making) for all of 2016. BOOM.

Moral of my story? Don’t sweat it if you’re still unsure what your goals should be for 2016. You can always tear a page out of my playbook and try to think in terms of guiding principles for the year, and make your goals from there.

To a much simpler, automated + relationship-filled new year…if that’s what you’re into. 😉

 

E

P.S. If you do something similar, I’d love to hear what your guiding words are. Just leave a comment + let me know. 🙂

P.P.S. Speaking of what’s gonna happen in 2016, I was recently featured in a fun article about marketing predictions for 2016 alongside some kick ass entrepreneurs like Kimra Luna + Denise Duffield-Thomas. You can check out what I and 32 other luminaries had to say about the future of marketing right here. (Spoiler alert: It’s lookin’ pretty bright!)

Don’t Be a Knockoff Brand (aka the dangers of premium pricing)

by | Jun 20, 2015 | Business Design

chargepremiumprices

LET ME JUST OPEN WITH THIS: I LOVE premium things.

I’m that girl. You know, the one who will gleefully dole out $30 a pop for a tube of Dior mascara. The girl who won’t bat a (Dior-coated) eyelash droppin’ a couple hundo on a hot Kate Spade bag. And the girl who will always – well, almost always – say, “Top shelf, please.”

I think premium is delicious. Premium makes me feel, well, like a freakin’ badass. And I swear, premium makes me a better human being because when I’m rocking (or experiencing) something premium, I’m happier, more confident and overall, more “together.” And when I feel that way? I create bigger and better stuff…leading to more money….leading to more premium experiences. It’s an awesome spiral, really.

But premium also comes with a price…and I don’t just mean the one on the tag.

There’s a lotta chatter in the online sphere (especially for women entrepreneurs) about “charging what you’re worth” and “busting your money blocks” and really GOING FOR it in the price department. Now, don’t get it twisted: I believe there’s a lot of merit to this concept. I don’t think anybody should work for pennies. HELL to the NO.

I believe in abundance and that the universe will always deliver (on a silver platter) what we need, no matter what.

But I still don’t think that every. single. business. should charge premium prices.

QUICK STORY:
When I raised my prices a few months back, some MAJOR shifts happened in my business. Shifts I wasn’t expecting (it was “only” a $200 price raise, after all) and shifts that frankly, I wasn’t prepared for.

And so what happened after? Was kiiiinda sucky.

I raised my prices, but I didn’t “raise” anything else. I was now charging people MORE, but I was still running my business at the same frenetic pace. I was still overbooking and over-promising. I was still doling out half-assed assignments to my (sweet and patient) VA without having a clear client management structure in place. I was still binging on The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to numb out the fact that I was ALWAYS. BEHIND.

Obvs, I dove into every fresh client relationship with the very best intentions, like I always do. But I was drowning in work (and let’s be real, wine) and up to my neck in responsibilities (which doesn’t sound like a lot considering I’m only 4’10″…but I promise, IT WAS).

And not in just any work and responsibilities – but in work that was supposed to be premium, for clients who were PAYING premium.

And let me tell you:

PREMIUM CLIENTS EXPECT PREMIUM RESULTS.

The ladies who are cool with shelling out $1299 on a website are NOT the same ladies barraging through the dollar bin at Target, or hitting up T.J. Maxx over Nordstrom’s.

Unfortch, because this was my first time dabbling in premium pricing…I had NO idea what I was in for.

My (more) premium prices not only put more pressure on me as a writer to deliver, THEY also SIGNIFICANTLY raised the stakes for my clients, too.

In my case, this didn’t just meaning delivering on-point copy. It meant providing an amazing experience from beginning to end.

And given the sheer volume of clients I was trying to serve at the time, I simply wasn’t able to do that last bit to the best of my ability. Sure, the final product was delicious and luscious and awesome-as-always – but the journey there was bumpy and jagged and awkward. (Luckily, I’ve sparkled up my act quite a bit since then, although I know there’s always more room for improvement.)

But here’s what I want you to know, so you can avoid doing what I did:

Premium pricing comes with its own unique set of challenges – and it’s not a decision to be taken likely.

Business coaches who tell you to charge premium know what they’re talking about. But a lot of them are they are leaving out a significant part of the conversation: Raising your prices might mean MAJOR CHANGES in both the way your business operates and the way your clients perceive you – and what they expect from you.

If you want people to make a big investment in you and avoid looking like a knockoff brand, you’ve gotta consider A FEW  KEY THINGS:

:: DO YOU HAVE A STELLAR SERVICE/OFFER TO BACK UP YOUR PRICE? // Is your offer something your clients actually want? (Have you surveyed them? No? Get on it, girl!)
:: ARE YOU PREPARED TO UPGRADE YOUR CLIENT EXPERIENCE (INCLUDING SETTING UP ELEGANT SYSTEMS AND/OR HIRING A VA) SO YOUR CUSTOMERS FEEL TAKEN CARE OF FROM START-TO-FINISH? //  Are you willing to sit down and evaluate your processes and systems and shell out that cash to uplevel them if necessary?
:: ARE YOU CONFIDENT YOU/YOUR PRODUCT CAN PRODUCE HIGH-QUALITY RESULTS FOR YOUR CLIENTS? // If you’re a service-based biz owner, do you actually have the experience and acumen and smarts to charge what you’re charging? Are you creating original products and services? Are you actually doing what YOU are MEANT TO BE DOING in this world? 
:: LAST BUT NOT LEAST; DO YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO BE A PREMIUM BRAND FOR THE LONG HAUL? // Do your prices “feel” right – or are you being influenced by outside sources (like biz coaches, gurus in your space and/or a lust for a new pair of Manolos)? And are you willing to give up what you might need to give up  – be it time, money, resources – in order to get what you want (i.e. your position as a premium brand)?

If you can answer all the above questions honestly, you’ll know IMMEDIATELY whether premium prices are right for you and your business. If they are – hell yes! And if not? I want you to know it is OK to NOT charge premium prices at all – or to wait until you’re ready. You can still make a LOVELY living selling your stuff at affordable prices. Businesses are out there doing it everyday.

 In short, this is my lesson: If you can’t or don’t want to deliver Gucci quality, don’t charge Gucci prices.

‘Cause – don’t act like you don’t know – nobody likes a knockoff. 🙂

 

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