Negative Attraction
People sense fear and desperation. If you are desperate to win, be it approval, a contract, a job, or even an argument, you’ll broadcast that desperation so loudly, even the energetically deaf and blind will see and hear it loud and clear. And most likely, they’ll run the other way. You might get out of the situation with your pride intact, but there’s an equal chance you’ll be humiliated in some way first.
As Landon Porter of the #GorillaArmyNation would say, people don’t want to do business with someone who is desperate. If they do, they’ll take advantage of that desperation to bleed you dry. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather walk away from a potential client than offer my services well below my prices which research has shown are fair and reasonable in the first place. I’m nowhere near the high end right now, but I’m darned well not going to give my services away either. In the end, I’d be resentful of the client and angry with myself for being such a poor businesswoman.
The Dreaded Imposter Syndrome
Unfortunately, most of us will, at some time or another suffer with imposter syndrome. Creative types may experience it more often as what we do is often harder to quantify. Some copywriters have a proven history of increasing sales for people with their copy, but others don’t. Yet there are endless examples of how regular, relevant, actionable copy not only attracts people to a website, but gets them to look around and see what you can do for them, especially if you’ve taken the time to put yourself out there and build a few relationships.
I’ve learned without even realizing it to exercise positive indifference with my blog posting. I put my words out there three times a week like clockwork. I share the posts on social media in pre-set accounts, re-sharing over a couple of days to specific pages and groups. Do I become despondent if I only reach a few people, or if the stats on my sites are less than world-shaking? Nope. I put the words out there, knowing people may read them today, or months from now. It’s all the same to me. In fact, there are posts I wrote months, and even years ago which still get hits today. Somehow, they continue to show up in searches.
Having the Courage to Charge What We’re Worth
A recent conversation caused me to look at how I’d been approaching my businesses. For years, I kept 
my prices for accounting not only fairly low, but on an hourly basis. A month or so ago, with the encouragement of Linda Clay and Jessa Hargrove of the #HearteltMovement, I created a price list for my accounting services. They include monthly package rates for various sizes of businesses, and include on boarding rates for setup and bringing in data from prior months. I feel very comfortable with the rates I’ve set, and recently spoke to another accountant whose rates are in line with mine.
I realized there are people who will always go for the bargain basement service providers who offer a monthly rate of less than $100, but once I established my ICA (Ideal Client Avatar) or niche, I knew they weren’t the people I work best with anyway, any more than I was comfortable writing 300 word articles for $8 a pop. Why? Because I’m not now, nor will I ever be a mere hack. I give my clients value and go the extra mile. I strive to create unique copy that truly epitomizes who they are and what they represent.
I treat my accounting clients as unique entities as well, tailoring my services to meet their specific needs; their specific level of understanding. Often, I’ll end up helping them become more savvy so they can make use of more sophisticated decision-making tools.
Establishing Pricing Standards
As I get the opportunity to quote more writing jobs, the need for solid and consistent pricing becomes equally important. I’ve been doing the research for quite a while, and go back to the drawing board with every quote. I finally realized I was wasting a lot of time covering old ground, and did what I do best. I put the effort into the front end, creating a tool I can use to save time and effort in the long run. In this case, the tool is a pricing table for writing services. Not only do I have rates for blog posts and articles based on word count, but I’ve converted pages to words to develop rates for longer projects.
Using my new tool, I was able to quickly offer a price to a lead. Though she was surprised at the price (as often happens with someone who isn’t our ICA, at least for the moment), she didn’t try to get me to lower my price, and I didn’t offer. When she told me she had someone who could do the job for less than half my price, I told her to take it if she liked their work. End of conversation. We parted on a positive note, without any desperation or price haggling involved. And I actually felt good about losing the work!
I know that sounds weird, but I’d rather walk away than argue over price. It’s belittling to both sides of the equation.
Finding Our Perfect Fit
I’ve had people offer me something at a price well out of my range. I don’t try to get them to lower the price or work with me on it. I accept I’m not their ICA right now, and that’s OK. Trying to fit someone else’s mold, or get someone to fit into ours is as pointless as trying to put a round peg into a square hole. It’s never going to seat properly. Since there are products and services of every size, shape, and color available, especially with the miracles of the Internet, why settle for something that’s only OK when you can have something that fits perfectly?
I can’t speak for others, but my business is worth having services, products, and support that fit perfectly. In some cases, I might have to get creative about it, but I won’t settle for less, and don’t expect my clients to either. If what I offer isn’t a decent, if not perfect fit, I’ll suggest they go elsewhere. I don’t want anyone hiring me simply because I’ll adjust my prices to fit their budget.
That’s not to say I won’t do what I can to offer services within their price range. They may not be able to afford my premium packages, but something smaller might fit them nicely for now.
Doing the Legwork to Create Relationships
I’m learning a lot from both the #HeartfeltMovement and #GorillaArmyNation. Not only have I kicked imposter syndrome to the curb, but I’m recognizing my worth and who I need to connect with, not to sell, but to create relationships. Sure, it’s a slower process, but through mutually beneficial conversations, more people are becoming familiar with what I offer, and how committed I am to the success of my clients. I realize there was a time and a place for me to be one of the cheapest games in town, but that time has passed. Nor will I ever put down those who need to be there now. They are needed too.
Every Service Provider Has Value
One of my biggest pet peeves, especially when I’m buying a car, or anything else for that matter, is for a salesman to talk trash about 
another company’s product. I don’t care if everything they say is true (which it seldom is). If you can’t promote the features of your own product, or service for that matter, don’t try to show me how yours is the lesser of two evils. That mindset is equally valuable for my own industry. Potential clients want to know what you can do to make their lives better, not what someone else can’t do.
Long story short, using positive indifference instead of negativity in any form, be it desperation, trash talking another company, or anything else, is the most effective and fulfilling way I’ve found to build a business and fill a pipeline with clients you love working with. More and more, I’m learning that Landon’s comparison to dating is right on the money.
About the Author
Sheri Conaway is a writer, blogger, ghostwriter, and advocate for cats. Sheri believes in the Laws 
of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income. If you’d like to have her write for you, please visit her Hire Me page for more information. You can also find her on Facebook Sheri Levenstein-Conaway Author.. And check out her new group, Putting Your Whole Heart Forward.
Be sure to watch this space for news of the upcoming release of “Life Torn Asunder: Rebuilding After Suicide”.
