I certainly hope I can play this over again because I’m getting so many gems I can’t quite take it all in right now. – Sabrina
This has been incredibly valuable. Thank you for this gift. – Gail
Thanks, Sam! This is very helpful for designing my new adventure over the next couple of months. Perfect timing! – Shelley
The problem is that it’s like you’re trying to sell a diamond necklace at the thrift store.
The people at the thrift store won’t buy it, and the people who WILL buy it aren’t at the thrift store.
Raise your prices and the right people will start to find you.
HINT: in fact, those “right people” are right in front of you. Those good folks who can and will pay higher prices are ALREADY in your tribe – they are just waiting for you to offer something at a price-point that makes sense to them.
Honey, you are not your client.
You do not have the same problem that your client has.
For example, you may not have just bought a big condo in Miami and be desperate to fill up those big blank walls with some challenging new art that will WOW your friends.
Or you may not be invited to attend a black-tie holiday party and not be able to find a plus-size dress that doesn’t make you look like a cheap chandelier…
Or maybe you have never spent a sleepless night wondering if you’ll ever find the love of your life.
But your clients do. They don’t just want to buy big art and a custom evening gown and relationship/dating coaching — they NEED to.
So, of course you wouldn’t pay to solve a problem that you don’t have. But think about a problem that you DO have — would you invest top dollar to get help solving that problem once and for all?
Yep. I bet you would.
If you’ve got this thought in your head, then first of all, that’s just plain old discrimination, and you should take a good, long, compassionate look at your assumptions.
(And I’m guessing what you really mean is that you don’t want to work with ANY snotty people, which is fine – don’t. There are plenty of warm, sensitive, well-off people in the world. Just as there are plenty of snotty broke ones.)
Secondly, just because someone pays a premium price for a thing doesn’t mean they are rich.
It means they VALUE the thing, and have prioritized it in their life.
And that’s great news for you — you want to work with people who value what you do.
Read it and then let me know what you think, OK?
I’m curious to know how all this lands with you….
P.S. I am a friend, a Big Fan and an affiliate for Bill, but honestly I think his work is so great I would share it with you no matter what.
And if you have a friend who is caught in the undercharging/underearning/overdelivering cycle, please share “Mystery Solved: Where To REALLY Find High Paying Clients” by Bill Baren with him or her, or use the social sharing buttons. Thanks! – S.
Sometimes it is simply your own stubbornness and stuck thinking that are holding you back.
This exercise asks you to be completely frank with yourself — asking some tough questions in a kindly voice to help you break through some of those nasty internal barrier success.
Writing down the answers to these questions encourages you to give voice to the monsters under the bed, disarming them once and for all.
There are lots and lots of people spending lots and lots of money on all kinds of things all the time.
It may not be in your wallet right this second, but it’s out there and it’s not that hard to get.
When you are relaxed, you are calmer, more creative and better at seeing solutions.
On the other hand, notice how the perspective, “There’s not enough” causes tension, retraction and anxiety.
In this and in all things, stick with the perspective that causes you to be more relaxed, productive and prosperous.
The symptoms of Getting-Ready-to-Get-Ready syndrome include feeling like you can’t possibly move forward until you lose ten pounds, get a degree, receive permission, know the right people, have enough money, get more experience, pay your dues, or obtain the right equipment.
The trick to defeating Getting-Ready-to-Get-Ready syndrome is doing fifteen minutes of research. (And yes, this can be one of your fifteen-minute daily tasks.)
If you assume that you need to do something before you can do the thing you really want to do, please check that assumption — especially if the source of your information is your own mind. Google it, ask around, and, most important, ask someone who’s already done the thing you really want to do.
There was the photographer who was convinced she couldn’t market herself until she had digitally optimized all her photos for her website, which would have meant weeks if not months of painstaking work. I asked her if she had one photo that she thought of as iconic, and when she said yes, I urged her to place just that one on her site. She was up and running twenty minutes later.
Lara was a highly intuitive performer who was feeling a pull toward embarking on a second career as a life coach, but she was feeling discouraged by the two years and several thousand dollars that certification would take.
When I pointed out that she already knew enough to at least get started with a few clients, she brightened right up.
Last I heard, she was running high-end retreats once a month in Beverly Hills — further proof that if you can deliver outstanding results, nobody really cares about your credentials.
And finally, there are the countless men and women who’ve told me that they can’t possibly get started on X, Y, or Z until they lose weight.
You can find a lover, sell your art, star in your show, and earn your fortune with the body you have right now. And it’s entirely possible that you will become so busy and happy working on your project that your body will self-adjust and become closer to your version of perfect.
After all, there’s nothing like joy to create health.
Taking a big step in the direction of your dreams seems like it should be easy, right?
After all – isn’t this what you’ve always wanted?
So then why do I get emails like this:
Hi Sam —
I just wanted to put it out there that I am feeling rather nervous and scared about coming to The Big Yes.
The old feelings of ‘lack’ and ‘scarcity’ and ‘putting everyone else’s needs ahead of my own’ keep popping up. Initiating changes has stirred things up – money considerations, etc. are causing doubts and guilt. Yikes!
Stuff at work is unsettled, some family stuff has come up…. (I could go on and on, but I won’t).
Any thoughts or words of wisdom to share?
M.
Yep. Me, too.
So I wrote back:
Dear M —
YES! YES! YES!
HOORAY for you for noticing the old patterns that keep you stuck!
Because, honey — that’s it. And know that this is ALL you need to move forward: the knowledge that all that old crap — all those doubts and fears — are just an express elevator to hell.
Learn to welcome the discomfort.
It means you are trying something new.
It means you are growing.
It means you are just ONE DEGREE away from being exactly where you want to be.
The pressure is too much.
The money-thing seems so real. (SO real!)
The family thing flares up.
The monsters under the bed somehow double in population and – hey – who gave my Mom’s voice the megaphone???
Take it from me, babe – it’s all an illusion.
The money thing is an illusion (you know it will work out. it always does.)
The family thing is an illusion (you know they will be just fine no matter what and you staying stuck doesn’t help them one bit)
The monster thing is an illusion (you’ve known that forever)
So…deep breath.
Welcome to your future.
Time for some comforting reading (Harry Potter, anyone? Annie Lamott?), extra kleenex, get a lot of sleep and maybe buy a cute new outfit or get your hair done.
Call a supportive friend.
Journal.
Be here now.
You can do it!!!
Think of this as stage fright: you’re about to start starring in your own life.
It’s perfectly natural to have jitters.
And still — the show must go on.
(Can you imagine if you stopped the show now, just because you got scared? The audience sent away…the sets torn down…the chorus girls taking off their make-up…. it’s too sad to even contemplate. You MUST go on!)
HOORAY for you!
And HOORAY for you reaching out and admitting the TRUTH!
I can’t WAIT to see what happens next.
xoxooxoxo
Sam.
And if you’re interested in YOUR future, then please join me for a LIVE encore of one of the most popular free webinars I’ve ever done:
The Real Reason You’re Not Making Money from Your Creativity (it’s not what you think)
Wednesday, May 14
5pm PT/8pm ET/1am GMT
(check your timezone here: www.TimeZoneCheck.com)
We’ll send you the link ahead of time – all you need is a computer and good, fast internet connection.
The recording will be available afterwards, but there’s a very special offer that’s going to be made, and you’ll want to be there live. I’m not trying to be all hype-y, I’m just saying that I think you’ll be mad at yourself if you miss this opportunity.
If you have any questions, thoughts or comments please email us at Leonore@TheOrganizedArtistCompany.com or give us a call at (805) 881-3699.
Thank you so much for being a part of my circle….
And please do tell me how it goes for you, OK? I’m always interested to hear about your projects.
You inspire me.
