You Get What You Pay For
In these days of the cost-of-living crisis, with costs across the board going up, business people must continue to remember their worth.
From painters and decorators to digital marketing experts; those with skills, tools and experience must maintain confidence in the value of their work and charge accordingly to continue to not only survive, but thrive in the new world.
Below is an example of a conversation which is so powerful that we wanted to share it with you in the hope that it provides you with some additional confidence in why your fees are what they are, and why your service is so valuable to your client.
CUSTOMER: “How much will it cost to do this job?”
CONTRACTOR: “£2,800”
CUSTOMER: “That’s WAY too expensive for this job!!”
CONTRACTOR: “How much do YOU think it would cost?”
CUSTOMER: “No more than £800 – MAX!! It’s a simple job!”
CONTRACTOR: “I can’t prioritize my time for so little.”
CUSTOMER: “People in your line of work are so greedy.”
CONTRACTOR: “Sorry you feel that way. Why not do it yourself?”
CUSTOMER: “But… but… I don’t know how to do any of this.”
CONTRACTOR: “For £900, I’ll teach you EXACTLY how to get this job done. Then you can spend £800 to do the job, and you’ll still be saving £1,100 – PLUS… you’ll get the knowledge and experience for the next time you want to do a job yourself.”
CUSTOMER: “Deal! Let’s do it.”
CONTRACTOR: To get started, you’ll need tools. So you’ll have to buy a welder, a grinder, a chop saw, a drill press, a welding hood, gloves and a few other things.”
CUSTOMER: “But I don’t have all this equipment and I can’t buy all these for one job.”
CONTRACTOR: “Well then, for another £300 more I’ll let you rent my tools… and you’ll still be saving £800.”
CUSTOMER: “That’s cutting into my savings. But I’ll rent your tools.”
CONTRACTOR: “Okay! I’ll be back on Saturday and we can start.”
CUSTOMER: “Wait. I can’t on Saturday. I only have time today.”
CONTRACTOR: “Sorry, I only give lessons on Saturday because I have to prioritise my time and my tools have to be at other jobs with other customers all week long.
CUSTOMER: “Okay!! I’ll sacrifice my family plans on Saturday.”
CONTRACTOR: “Yeah… me too. Oh… and I forgot… to do your job yourself, you also have to pay for the materials. Everything is in high demand right now, so your best bet is to get your truck and load up at 6am before everyone else gets there.”
CUSTOMER: “6am? On a Saturday? That’s way too early for me. And also… I don’t have a truck.”
CONTRACTOR: “I guess you’ll have to rent one. Do you have a couple of strong men to help you load and unload everything?”
CUSTOMER: “Ummm… ya know… I’ve been thinking. It’s probably best if YOU get this job done. I’d rather pay someone to get it done correctly than go through all the hassle.
CONTRACTOR: “Smart move. Sign this, and please get out of the way so I can work.”
The reality is this; when you pay for a job to be carried out for you, and especially handcrafted, skilled work, you pay not only for the material used, but you are also paying for:
- Knowledge
- Experience
- Tools
- Services
- Time
- Punctuality
- Accountability
- Professionalism
- Accuracy
- Labour
- Sacrifices
- Safety and Security
- Payment of tax obligations
No one should denigrate a professional’s work by judging them based on their prices – ESPECIALLY when they don’t know all the elements involved or costs necessary to carry out the work.
You can’t be mad when skilled people actually KNOW their own worth because often they have worked and trained for years to achieve the level of ability and knowledge to be able to do what they do.
Be smart; trust a reputable professional, and never forget that you ALWAYS get what you pay for.