How Do You Know Your Clients Cant Pay More?

"My clients can't afford higher rates."

When more than 330 business owners and self-employed professionals checked off reasons why their income was not going through the roof, this statement was chosen more often than any other.

If you're tempted to agree that what clients can afford limits you, let me first ask: are you certain of that? You can't make a leap from what people say about this to whether or not they can find the money if sufficiently convinced that it's important.

Years ago, someone starting up a new business called me for a consultation and told me he could pay no more than such and such. It turned out that the most convenient place for our meeting was his house, which I could not help noticing had the size and glitziness of a small mansion, with a market value of at least three-quarters of a million dollars. What he named as his paltry budget reflected what he felt advice on this matter was worth, not what he had to spend. By pointing out how much getting his business onto a sound footing was worth to him and how much in wasted expenditures I could save him, I'd have been able to reshape his thinking on what it was reasonable to spend.

Another time a client launching a catchy new product wanted to know what kind of publicity services I could offer her for a couple of hundred dollars. I didn't hear from her again for quite a while, at which time she told me she'd hired a traditional PR firm, paying a retainer and fees of more than a thousand dollars a month. I'd gotten the impression that she didn't have that kind of money to invest, and I was very wrong.

At the other end of the spectrum, more than once I've been startled to learn that a client who paid relatively high rates without complaint was having trouble scraping money together for rent.

In truth, until you confidently raise your rates, it's impossible to know who will go along and who will not. This is particularly so when you do great work and educate clients on the value they receive.

Remember too that when you raise your rates, you can lose some clients and still make higher profits overall from those you retain.

In addition, you can earn more from each customer without raising your rates by selling them additional products and services. In this situation, they're paying you more but don't feel they are.

Finally, if you're in one of those rare situations where clients truly don't have money, consider whether this is the audience you most enjoy serving or whether you think you're only worthy of working with them. In the former case, it's still often possible to find outside entities, such as corporate sponsors, to support your work.

Sometimes what feels like an absolute limit to your earnings only means you have not yet enjoyed a freewheeling, creative brainstorming session!

Marcia Yudkin is head mentor for MarketingforMore.com and the author of 6 Steps to Free Publicity and 10 other books. As an author, marketing consultant and coach, she has spent 22 years successfully turning words into money. By going to http://www.marketingformore.com/survey.htm , you can read the full results of her survey and download a free report, "Charge More & Get It," that expands on four other common self-sabotaging beliefs about money.

---

When Business Cards Arent Enough: Unusual, Unexpected, and Uncommon Networking Tips

There comes a time in every small businessperson's life when... Read More

Marketing vs Selling - Why Theres A Difference

Marketing is something that we do to let people know... Read More

7 Ways a Copywriter Can Help Your Business Succeed

Think you can't afford to hire a copywriter? Think again.... Read More

Eight Advantages of Fundraising Letters Over Other Methods

1. Personal Fundraising letters are about as personal as you... Read More

Systems - Marketing Your Business Successfully

Business Systems that work for anyone, are a fundamental necessity... Read More

Three Alternative Methods On Getting Quality Testimonials with Bonus

Here are three alternatives to increase your testimonial numbers or... Read More

The Words That Sell

What You Say, Who You Say It To, How you... Read More

The 30 Incredible Ways To Sell Your Products Now and Sell More

How to sell more and sell quickly online for your... Read More

Service Marketers; How?s Your Packaging?

When a shopper picks up a product in a store,... Read More

Developing a Contact List- Part One

One of the most essential things to successful networking is... Read More

Keeping your Business Card visible

Famous quotes that keep you thinking.Have you ever listened to... Read More

The Marshall Plan -- Or, Customer Aftercare: How To Spend Less & Sell More

My wife likes to shop at the local Safeway. Is... Read More

Quick Postcard Design Tips

TIP #1: Avoid the "Too Much Information" Syndrome... Read More

Target Your Share of the 50-Plus Market

It's quite apparent that Americans are living... Read More

Key Marketing Strategy - You Need To Stay Visible!

If you want to get consistent results from your marketing,... Read More

Postcards ? Picture Perfect Promotion

There is a simple but almost mystical law which governs... Read More

Direct Mail Marketing Done Correctly, Cannot Fail

So how do you do it?Direct mail marketing. When it... Read More

A Quick Guide To Finding Reciprocal Links

Trading reciprocal links is one of the best ways to... Read More

Get Personal: Letters vs. Direct Mail

One of the reasons direct mail works is the personal... Read More

Reach Thousands of Your Prospects, Absolutely Free

I'm big on getting maximum marketing exposure at the lowest... Read More

Your Elevator Speech ? Have You Updated Yours Recently?

Do you have an elevator speech? Does it get people's... Read More

Marketing 101: The Power of Marketing

When you hear the word "marketing" what comes to mind?... Read More

Trade Show Videos Need to be Planned

A few months ago, we attended the recent Austech 2005... Read More

Quick and Instant Marketing Soup

Everything happens Quickly and Instantly on the Internet. In the... Read More

The Dare-To-Be-Different In Marketing Checklist

There is a big payoff in being different. When you... Read More

Top 5 Kick Butt Marketing Requirements

Cinch your success with 8-second leaders! Step into the saddle... Read More

Its Not All about the Cleavage! Or is It?

Times are a changin'! More women today work outside the... Read More

Ten Reasons Why Most Yellow Page Ads Fail -And Yours Does Not Have to

Grant Directory users are ready to buy Yellow Pages have... Read More

The Magic of Keep-in-Touch Marketing

Yesterday I received a phone call from an acquaintance that... Read More

10 Important Steps to Mail Order Success

There are a number of difficulties a beginning entrepreneur may... Read More

Take a Leap! How To Take Your Business To New Heights

Take a moment to reflect on the current reality of... Read More

What is a Marketing Plan Anyway?

Building a business that grows steadily in size and profits... Read More

How to Manage Your Marketing Mix

Here's the deal: advertisement is not marketing. It's like saying... Read More