Monday, November 2, 2009

Perspective: Songs are to be Sung

I don't know about you, but it bothers me
(and has for a while) when people charge
what seems like insane prices for things
because, they say, there is a perception
that if something is expensive, it is of
better value. They also say that it has
to do with your own perception of value.

Whether or not these things are perceived
truths, doesn't mean that they need to stay
that way. I watched a video with a
hypnotist who says that if a hypnotist is
inexpensive they're no good. Someone
watching that could very well buy into it,
as it fits in with the first thing I
mentioned above.

However, I can tell you that it just so
happens that I am a dang good hypnotist,
and have worked for free, and discounted
rates on more than one occasion. Why?
Because I believe if someone wants and
needs help they should be able to get it.

I have had clients who have gone to hypnotists
in person who charge more than I do, and have
been unable to be hypnotized. They come to me,
and not only are hypnotized (and often on the
phone), but get results.

I ask you to consider the model that we have
been living in. It is the same model that has
a very high unemployment rate at the moment,
and people in significant credit problems.

I just had a friend tell me that maybe I should
charge $300 for a Letter of Love, maybe people
would buy it. I offered the Letters over the
weekend for whatever people would be willing to
pay for one, with it being a minimum of $1.00.

Not one person took me up on it. I have been
told that maybe people don't understand what they
are, and yet anyone who has visited the page has
felt the value of what they seem to offer.

I also had someone once buy one (granted an
atypical case) without even knowing what she
had bought (she had used her intuition, which
was rewarded when she received her personalized
message).

In addition, I offer a FULL MONEY BACK Guarantee.
If it doesn't fit, you get your money back. And
yet, not one person asked for one.

It is befuddling to me. I realize that there will
be those with marketing caps on that will say
something about how I market it, or don't, or who
my audience is, and so on...however, I firmly
believe that when we allow ourselves to act on
something (even when - and especially when - we
don't understand it) we are usually rewarded.

There will be others who will say find out what
people want, and give it to them. In my experience,
these letters are what people want, they're just not
packaged in the way that they might expect.

There is a part of me that wants to desperately
disprove what all of these "gurus" are saying. There
is a part of me that believes that if we live in a way
that is true to ourselves, it paves the way for things
better than money can buy...even though money may
indeed exchange hands.

The whole recent Sedona, AZ incident, to me, is in
some way "proof" of that. So many have questioned, given
the available details, why the cost was as high as it was.

I believe that there are things that I can do that can
help people. Some would call them "gifts." I don't
really like the term because it feels like an elevation
and I don't believe I am any different than you or anyone
else. What I believe is different (perhaps) are my
passions and my focus. When you are passionate and
focused it would seem to me that you would be pretty darn
good at what you do, and it might just seem like a "gift"
to someone who is passionate and focused in another
direction.

Many who have experienced my works have expressed
appreciation for them. Because I have not used them as
a ploy to get you to buy anything, they are given freely
and with Love.

However, I do need to make a living, and at the moment I
am struggling. I have been struggling all year to find
a way to present myself in a way to the world that is
helpful to anyone who might be touched in some way by
what I do.

I have taken different approaches, however two that I
have declined to take are the ones that seem to be
manipulative (do you realize how much you are
manipulated?) and the outrageous, high price.

What I have failed to do is to convey to you, and anyone
listening, is the value there is in your getting to know
me as a Life Coach and Certified Hypnotist.

The fact is what you get is YOU. How do you convey
something so unique to every individual and circumstance?
Apparently with great difficulty.

I have lots of questions about things, and have many
unanswered questions. not the least of which is how to
convey to you that I believe that if we put our collective
heads together we might just find that we can help not only
ourselves, but others.

In general, the world is hurting, and in specific, I am
hurting because there is an expression of me that is not
finding its outlet.

I'd like to ask you two things:
1. What do you need in your life?
2. How can I help to make that happen?

Next, I invite you to pick up the phone, and call me
(just click the phone icon below).

Let's talk. Let's create. Let's shake things up.
Let's stop accepting anything that doesn't work for us,
and creating a world in which we get to be all that we
can be.

I am also asking you to pass this along to others if you
feel like there is a valuable message here. I am fairly
certain that you appreciate when the song in you is
sung. If you would like some help to have your song sung, I would love to help. At the same time, you will help me sing mine, and in the process together perhaps we can help others to sing theirs.


Thank you for listening.

5 comments:

Andy Crash Kelly said...

Value. I've written may blog posts on value. Cost, service, etc. As simple as it sounds, it's not easy but you already know this. You're here for a reason. Find your "why".. aim for it.. and it happens. Run toward the fears has always helped me in tough times. Whatever we focus on, grows. Personally, I love your "donation" approach. It allows the user/benefactor to decide the value... and you and I will talk about this more soon. I don't want to take all your space here. Yours, Crash

the famous nemo said...

you know I get the same thing with my art, I am always being told to put my prices higher, but I want everyone to have a chance to own a piece before the price do get too high, they go up 10% every 6 months

Sarah Saldana said...

It's actually funny that you asked for my opinion or ideas, views on this matter... Because just yesterday I had a discussion with my best friend about how much to charge for my services clercial services that is.

Here's the deal i am a quick typist i type about 72 words per min. and I have a friend who needed me to run his twitter account because he is starting out and he has a new business he is going to be running and he needed some leads and followers etc. so i took on the challenge of finding him a 1000 followers and i have up until the end of november to help him gain that. OH ME OH MY i thought it was going to be easy and fast and quick but people are afraid to just click and follow even if they are referrals.. which is understandable.

But then i started to help him and it became more of a chore than something fun to do but because i have time to do this and im home with grandma its ok, as far as i see. So my best friend and i had a discussion about how come your not charging, and i said because he's a friend of the family.. and my best friend advised me of a saying' "DONT LET THE COW OUT OF THE BARN" he said he has done it many times.. he owns a business he's a mechanic and he says that everything is a negotiation, and he helped me to see that some people like to take advantage of others. even if not done intentionally.

He went on to say this is how you negotiate and offered me some valid information and vital things to say that would help me.

Because my friend wanted to pay me from the begining but by me saying oh yeah ill do it for free, there i let the "cow out of the barn"

i guess you have to go on the idea of how much you value yourself and what you have to offer.. if you dont take any value in what you are conveying then you are going to charge less and if you believe in yourself well then you will charge a fair amount, but at the same time.. if you value yourself then that value will reflect on what you are selling or trying to convey.

basically dont let the cow out of the barn my opinion is to figure out your own value and go on that.

jp said...

I agree 100% with what Sarah said, and could not put it any more plainly.

Elizabeth Alraune said...

Crash, Nemo, Sarah and JP, thanks for your thoughts. My post was more than "just" about fees and money.

I have absolutely zero problem with the IDEA of charging LOTS for what I do, and think it would be worth every penny. I just don't think it necessary.

In addition, when people want help, sometimes they are unable to afford it, and I want to be accessible to them.

With things as they currently are, it would seem to me that more money is not likely to the answer...look at where the quest for more money has gotten "us" as a society. (I wonder if perhaps there is a different question to ask).

I have yet to figure out what the answer is, but I am not sure it's the one that has been "given." Just because I would CHOOSE to do something for no cost, or a lower fee doesn't mean that I don't value what I do - or myself. There can be those who will take advantage, given the opportunity, however, I think it all depends on where you come from.

I am also happy to trade services, or work out other options whenever needed and it works to do so, and within those arrangements value is exchanged.

I know there's more to this picture, I just don't know yet what it is. The one thing I am certain about is that I do not believe there is one "the" answer for everyone, everywhere, although the one I come up with for myself may just fit to some degree for others in a similar place.

Thanks for stopping by.