Written by Vanessa Ugatti – Author of International Amazon Bestseller “True Worth”. Vanessa is a Coach, Trainer, Speaker, Author and also a Finalist of 2014 Venus Awards – Influential Woman of the Year.
Understanding your value in business starts with how you value yourself. This is because before you’re a business owner, you are first and foremost a human being – and so are your clients. It’s so easy to get caught up in facts, figures and processes and forget that when you provide a service, the human element is probably by far the greatest reason why your clients use you, no matter what service you offer.
It’s the old adage of people buying from people who they know, like and trust. This is borne out by my own findings too: I work with accountants, lawyers, financial advisers and consultants. The ones who are most successful are not necessarily those who are the most technically competent; it’s actually those who have the best ‘bedside manner.’ Of course, I’m not suggesting for one moment that you don’t need technical competence; you do naturally need to be at a certain level. However, the human touch is what most clients really value. If you can combine the two, you’ll be dynamite!
A great example of this is a family lawyer who I worked with. He’s a really nice guy and I can understand why clients would be comfortable working with him. However, he really didn’t understand his own value at all. He was discounting fees for no apparent reason and doing extra work without charging – two of the classic behaviours that service providers can easily fall into if they don’t work on understanding their value. One of the biggest light bulb moments he had was when I helped him understand that part of what he gives his clients is actually emotional support. By taking on their “problem”, whether it be divorce, sorting out finances or child-related, he is shouldering the burden on their behalf. He had never given that any thought whatsoever. So now, when he reflects on the value he’s creating by doing a particular piece of work for a client, he includes the emotional element in the mix.
To access a complimentary copy of True Worth, How to Charge What You’re Worth and Get It, go to: www.thetrueworthexpert.com.
Written by Vanessa Ugatti, The True Worth Expert & Author of Amazon Best-Seller, True Worth
Tel: 01202 743961
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S P Accountancy 