Are you charging enough for your services?
I'm still amazed every time I speak with a professional who is undercharging for their services. And the reality is, if I accused them of undercutting their professional colleagues, they'd be mortified. Because that's not their intention at all! Usually they are coming from the best of heart-centred places - wanting to help people. But then when I dig a little there will also be some unhealthy money attitudes that come to the surface.
Not feeling worth as much as their colleagues. Or feeling that charging more would be "greedy". Or fearing that charging a sustainable fee would kill their referrals. I've worked with enough business clients now to know that these well-meaning approaches to fees usually underpin financial stress, overwork, and burnout.
By charging appropriately, we help MORE people in the long run because our business is more likely to be sustainable.
By charging appropriately we support our profession as a whole to earn a decent income, remain solvent, and ultimately draw more people to enter into the profession.
Again, more people helped!
So the next time you're feeling lacking in confidence to charge an appropriate fee, imagine how many people are helped when our businesses remain viable.
Think of how many people are helped when more people are drawn to work in our professions.
And then think about how you'd feel if you were accused of undercutting your colleagues. Not your intention, but it has the same effect.
Think about it.
Dr Tess Crawley
Tess is an Australian clinical and forensic psychologist with over 20 years' experience in such diverse areas as community mental health, the prison system, perinatal mental health, university lecturing, and private practice.
Tess has a PhD in clinical psychology, has published one business-related book and is in the midst of writing a second. She is also a former actor, which some say explains a lot! In fact, she met her husband of 30+ years while they were involved in a Melbourne stage production of Macbeth (also explains a lot!).