Charging

You’re Not Charging Enough

Garth Beyer

I get asked a lot if a price someone is charging is enough.

“Should the app just be free?” “How much should the admissions ticket be, I was thinking $10.” “I really want to work with this client, should I lower my price?”

More often than not, I get a “Oh… Really?” response when I tell them they’re not charging enough. That is, until I explain why they’re not charging enough.

When I worked with my dad in his painting and remodeling business, I learned there were often jobs he had to bid for. Did he lower his price to compete with other bids? Or did he keep it high, reflective of the quality of work he would produce?

It was more of a question about the fan base he wanted, not how much money he would make. Often times he would bid a higher price to decipher whether the business was a raving fan or not. (Better to work for a fan, a friend than someone who feels they’re in a position to constantly criticize.)

Imagine Dragons can charge $300+ a ticket because they don’t need to allow critics in their concert. The price you charge is the first gateway to deciding what audience you’ll attract. Quite simply, a low price exposes you and your art to people who may not be avid fans. Is that what you want?

Free can help you in some ways. Free can attract the mass. But free won’t get you where you want to go in the world of your craft.

 

Stay Positive & So, Yes, You’re Not Charging Enough

 

People first.

Garth Beyer

Work second.

Why is this so complicated for professionals, marketers and other artists to understand?

People first not only in the sense of what you create for them, but in being an idol, a teacher and a respected professional.

Work for the sake of work or money will only get one so far. Work for the sake of doing what you’re passionate about and inspiring/teaching others who share that same passion – now that is remarkable.

There will always be people in your work life that seek what you have for free that will ask for free lessons or to shadow you. The easy move is to  charge them and give nothing for free. The much harder move is to be human and take each request on a case-by-case basis.

You’ll make more people happy and keep your profession alive that way.

By the way, being the only one in your profession really doesn’t make you that special. And if you’re going to have competition, it might be better to have close ties with them to begin with.

 

Stay Positive & So, Are You A Mentor Or Not?