subject: Abundance Mindset; Value Yourself And Your Customers Will Follow [print this page] If I had a dollar for every time I heard a business owner talk about lowering their prices to get more business, I'd be a rich man. That's a well-worn phrase, but then the situation is all too common. It is popular practice to see other businesses as competition, and to resort to big advertising expenses and/or price dropping to attract customers. Not only is this less effective than it seems, but it tells of a mindset based in poverty and lack. The results set the stage for ongoing struggle, while a simple shift in mindset could create a very different and rewarding experience. Let me tell you how.
I'm going to tell you a little story about my own experience. About 15 years ago I made the decision to start doing computer work; service and repair to be exact. I had just moved to an entirely new state and therefore I had no local network of business contacts or any reputation to speak of. So I began putting the word out to friends that I was doing computer work, and set my rates really low to attract customers (take note of the word 'attract'). Slowly, work started to come in and I was doing everything I could to cater to customers; going way out of my way to pickup and dropoff, giving lots of extra time without charging and spending hours on the phone after the fact. Customer service is one thing, but this was way beyond. Then one day I got a call from a friend who was also in the computer field and he told me of a man who had come to him for some computer service, but he was too busy to help the man out so asked if I wanted to take the work. I of course said 'yes' and got the man's number. What happened next was a turning point: I called the guy and what he really wanted was just some phone support...or so it started. After talking with him for almost a half hour I had determined that it was going to take a lot more time to get his issues resolved, so I told him such and what my hourly rate was. I couldn't believe my ears as I listened to him stammer a little, then basically tell me that he didn't want to have to pay anyone for computer work and he'd figure it out on his own. Something wasn't right with my situation...I didn't like the way my business was going and I definitely didn't like what I was attracting (there's that word again!). Then, after telling my story to a friend, came the final nail in the business coffin when she said to me, "You're worth more than that." That struck a chord; something in me was going to change.
What I began to learn at that point was that I was under-valuing myself; the level and quality of work that I was doing was worth way more, but I cut my price down in order to get customers. Oh, I got customers alright, but I attracted customers who also under-valued me as evidenced by their attitude toward me and their questioning of my charges. I was learning more about something called 'the law of attraction' and how I was attracting things that matched how I saw and felt about myself...essentially reflecting me right back to me. From this I realized that I wanted to begin valuing myself differently and also to begin choosing relationships with clients that embodied mutual respect, mutual value and clear communication. I was choosing this because I wanted to hold myself in that same light.
This was now the point where fear and trust issues rose to the surface, as I was afraid I was going to loose customers and business by making these choices. It seemed counter-intuitive...why in the HELL would I want to do this? Well, because at this point in my life I had already learned a lot about myself and creating what I really wanted, and knew that in spite of the fear...I had to trust. I had to trust that I was making good decisions for myself, and that the customers would follow.
So I started out by doubling, then tripling my prices. I lost some customers, but what I noticed is I lost the ones that I really didn't like...the crabs, the nickle-and-dimers. The customers that stayed with me didn't have a problem with the price hikes. In fact, they complimented me on making a good business decision and raising my prices 'to what the other guys are charging'. I went about two months without any new customers coming in, and my trust was being tested BIG TIME. I had bills, rent to pay, needed gas for my vehicle and oh yes, FOOD. In the sometimes overwhelming wash of this stress, I held to my guns. Then, it started happening; slowly at first, but I started to acquire new customers that payed what I asked, smiled, offered food and drink while I was working and respected my time off. I LOVED these customers! Some of these customers are still my customers to this very day. This was just the beginning, but a beginning nonetheless of what became a new way of holding myself in the business world.
Over the years I became comfortable in the knowing that--what I had to offer in the type of work I did was nothing special; it was who I was that attracted the customers I had. I stopped advertising years ago and I still have to turn down work because the word-of-mouth business I get from my customers is so steady. Sometimes I fire a customer when I feel that the mutual respect and value is not there, and each time I do...another great customer takes their place. Sometimes I will make a service call and not charge my customer, or take a service call on sunday night, but now I do this because I want to and feel like giving my customer a little gift. My customers appreciate these little gestures greatly and it comes back to me ten fold. I feel so grateful that I found the strength and wisdom 15 years ago to make a change that needed to happen if I was going to create the life I wanted.
So that's my story. Sure, there's a lot more detail to go into, but I've touched on the important points. Take a stand for your own value and your customers will follow. When you loose customers--and you will--find the trust that new customers will come in who appreciate what you do and the value of it. Don't worry about what the 'other' businesses are doing, just do what you do best and the people that are attracted to that will be your customers. Trust that you will always have everything you need. There's a natural attraction to those who holds themselves in an air of confidence built on self-value, respect and communication. This is what I call, 'Abundance mindset'.
