I’m going to let you in on a secret – THE secret to charging $10,000.
I was terrified to charge $10,000 because I was terrified of two things.
- The client would get angry and I’d be seen as a bad person – judgement
- I’d lose the client and I wouldn’t make any money – failure
I think when you’re living paycheque to paycheque, or that awful “feast and famine” cycle of only having money the day after a client pays you, you desperately fear losing clients and losing money.
Which is fair, it’s totally understandable.
Because there are TWO significant moments in charging $10,000.
The first, is when you first tell a client that the price is a five figure sum. That feeling is scary and fraught with emotions and fears.
And, some clients will pay and others won’t.
But there’s a second milestone when it comes to charging $10,000.
That second milestone is when you say the price, confidently and clearly, without fear of rejection, failure or judgement.
Because – and this is important – it doesn’t matter if they buy.
So the first time I charged a client $10,000, I actually charged them closer to $20,000. My previous hightest price I think was $3000?
And when I closed them, I was sweating bullets because a) I really needed the money and b) rejection is humiliating.
In this case, they did buy. But that fear never really left me.
And it was a blended fear of rejection, failure and judgement.
I think I’m a naturally competitive person, which really means, that I have self doubts about the value I offer to the world outside of ranked accomplishments and number based achievements.
Sounds a bit cold, but it’s probably true.
And so losing a client, be it a $10,000 or $20,000 or more client, isn’t just about the fact that I need the money.
I also don’t like someone deciding that they don’t need the value I offer.
And that fear never seemed to leave me.
Until, one day. I discovered something incredible.
I remember it like it was yesterday. Because, funnily enough, it kind of was yesterday.
The first time I mentioned the price without fear, was when I pitched a consulting program to a lead and I basically just said: “It’s $24,000 for the year.”
They were a bit taken aback – it’s a big chunk of money – but I only realised that I had no fear because I had something they didn’t.
I knew, that if they didn’t buy, I still had all our expenses and costs and overheads, and even profits taken care of.
Because I had built recurring revenue into the business.
It really is that simple.
Every month, I have thousands up thousands of dollars paid into my account from all the subscriptions, recurring payments and memberships that I’ve sold and set up.
Big ticket $25,000 projects are good fun – but I pick and choose them now, because my business is based on cashflow, not lump sums.
