Is Your Right Price Too High for the People You Most Want to Help?

You know the price you want to charge for your service or product. But, you worry. You worry that some people won't be able to pay.

More than that, you worry about issues of social and economic justice. You worry whether the price that feels good to your heart is somehow 'wrong' or off-the-scale of morality. Especially when the people you are helping don't seem to have too much, or are non-profit clients.

How do you reckon between the price that feels good to your heart, and that really supports you and your business, versus your perception of what people can pay?

What IS your right price?

Your right price goes beyond the dollar amount. There is a resonance to the price that is intuitive. It just-feels-right.

Honoring what your heart feels to be your right price is profound. Because the question isn't about whether it's your right price. And it's not a matter of either your right price, or social and economic justice. The question is... what is the question?

Who is responsible for people who need help?

This can be a real sticky wicket. We want to help, but where is that desire to help coming from? Do you fear that if you don't help them they'll never get help? Do you fear that if you don't help them then you are somehow unworthy?

Or is the desire to help coming from a sense of inspiration and connection in your heart?

When we jump into helping people with a sense of trying to save them, or save ourselves, we can't see the truth of the situation. That fear we feel obscures our vision, and we can't really see who it is we're trying to help.

Remember that everything comes from Source. Source is where the help comes from. The help you provide is merely an expression of that help. You are not the Source of the help.

When you deny your heart's Right Price in favor of trying to 'save' people out in the world, then you are taking on God's job. You are saying that you are responsible to save the world, or at least the part of the world you are looking at.

That's a big job. It's exhausting, depleting, and ultimately futile. You can't save all of those people.

You mean just let all of those people suffer?

Uh, no. That's not what I'm saying. We need to be active participants in the world. We need to engage and give where we are asked to give. We can't just accumulate- we need to give, too.

However, if your focus is entirely on the giving side of the equation... from what empty barrel are you giving?

Spiritually- you need to receive before you can give. Your heart needs to be full before you can act powerfully in the world.

Guess what- the same principle applies to your business. Only if your business receives what it needs can it act in a generous manner.

Are you getting my drift? Your Right Price is not something you can argue with. Your impulse to help is right on, but let's disconnect it from the question of your Right Price.

How? Well, if you're willing to first say Yes to your Right Price, then I have a few ideas to share.

Keys to Giving the Help

• Sometimes adversity brings out the best.

Let's say your right price is too high for a client who wants to work with you. It's possible that the client then rises to the occasion. What does that mean?

It means the price wakes them up in some way. It may wake them up to say: "Yes, actually I do need to give this problem a higher priority. I need to focus more attention on it, and I'm willing to pay -- or to work towards being able to pay."

It may also wake them up: "Wow, your course costs so much money! At first I was angry about it, that you would charge so much, but now, actually, I'm grateful. The timing of the course was just wrong in my life, and I was wanting to take it just because I didn't want to miss anything. I'll catch it the next time, when my finances, and my schedule, are in a better place."

In other words, your Right Price may mean someone can't hire you -- and it may be in their best interest not to hire you right now. Or, it may mean that they find themselves surprised and willing to pay your right price -- and happy about it.

• To be generous, it's good to be rich.

This is a spiritual teaching of the heart, but it also applies in the material realm. If you have clients who pay your true Right Price, you may find yourself with the spaciousness to give to others at a reduced rate or pro-bono... without feeling like you are depleting yourself.

It will be a true giving from the generosity of what you have, not going into energetic, spiritual, or economic debt in order to give.

• Put yourself in service.

We all want to be in service. If you are truly being called in your heart to help, go volunteer with an organization. Engage with your community. Serve on a board of directors, or at a soup kitchen. Offer what you can to those around you.

Just know that you don't have to starve your business in order to help people in need.

Remember: there are over 6 billion people on the planet. You can't save even a fraction of them. But, if you listen to your heart, and receive what is wanting to come to you, you can be in a full and generous place to help in many ways.

Follow Mark Silver on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MarkHeartofBiz

Comments

[SingingBird]

Mr Silver....thank you for writing about a topic that definitely needs to be addressed. I couldn't agree with you more. I am the co-founder of a start up e-commerce business (we launch next month). When my business partner and I decided to start the company, one of our driving forces was to make an impact on many different levels....both in the products & services we offer and in our charitable donations.

As a business we are on both sides of the coin....the side where our infrastructure partners understand we are a start-up and provide a fair price for services, help create good will by not charging us to the penny and providing flexible terms. On the flip side, we also realize that we cannot provide a sustainable line of funding for non-profits unless *we* are on solid ground. For us, it is about balancing both sides.

As for our infrastructure partners, rest assured they have our loyalty....as we grow, we hope to be an engine for their growth. On the flip side of that....we also look forward to the day the value of our non-profit donations grow.

Balance, it's a beautiful thing!

[Pavane]

I do not understand the use of the term "neoliberalism" here. From what I see, our sorry economy is a direct result of neocon/republican policies. There has been NOTHING liberal about them.

[jozap]

Here is how it works in my company, of 2 people.

We charge a flat fee per month. However, if you are in the military and in Iraq we charge half. If what the market will bear for the cost of your property (rental property) is going down I will cut my fee somewhat. I always must be aware of what the overhead is per each property I manage.

On the other hand, there is a gas surcharge if the cost of a gallon of gas is over $3.50. This is one of my major expenses and the charge is fair for everyone.

I don't need to get rich. I don't need to work for flakey clients. I want to pay my bills, go out to lunch once a week someplace nice and have a vacation every now and then. My company structure and my life are pretty simple.

[sheila]

or you can use a sliding scale, as has been done for ages. a young, indie, or down-on-their-luck client comes along and is motivated, has potential, but can't quite swing it? cut them some slack. a bigwig rolls around, or a long-term client has improved their circumstances (possibly due to your contributions)? hit 'em up for a piece of the pie. that way you can "average" your "right price" while still helping people.

it is a little odd to suggest that our charitable outlets be at soup kitchens or unrelated fields when many of us have the exact skill sets to get struggling underdogs on their feet. my clients would much rather have a few hours of my help at a discounted rate than see my name on a charity's letterhead, and frankly, i'd rather do what i love for people i believe in than sit in a badly-lit board room with a bunch of bored, ineffectual control freaks whose only route to power is in volunteering, and bickering over the color of the invitations to the silent auction.

but there are many ways to give, i suppose. to each their own.

[Mark Silver - Huffpost Blogger]

First of all, thank you! I"m glad you're not holding back your reactions to the article. And perhaps I should put it a little in context.

The people I am speaking to generally are, like myself, running a micro-business. Meaning that it's just one person, or maybe a small handful of people involved in the business. Most of the clients I work with have a similar ethics as mine: they want to do good in the world, they want to make a difference.

And, when it comes to charging a price for their services that allows them a living wage, to just pay the mortgage, they struggle with that, thinking their price should be lower so everyone can afford it. Unfortunately, this sense of caring can destroy any hopes that your business can be around for the longterm.

I was wanting to share the lesson I've had that if you impoverish yourself just giving away your services, you aren't in the position to help anyone. You don't need to charge the sky's the limit to have a thriving business, and yet you do need to take care of yourself.

I hope this context helps you to understand where I'm coming from.

[KillTheMessenger]

???

What the hell was this about? Midlife crisis? Are you afraid God will punish you for being a badass business person in the past?

???

Here is a little example form the real world: my company has a profit margin of roughly 50%. Our products cost about half of those of our competitors who have 10-15% profit margins. We are happy. Our customers are happy. Our competitors suck. It's that simple. If you can't get to that spot, all it means is that you are not doing it right.

[Mark Silver - Huffpost Blogger]

I'm glad your company has such a healthy profit margin. I bet with that extra profit your company can not only take care of the people who are working for it, but can contribute back to the world in many meaningful ways.

Are you familiar with Peggie Pelosi's book Corporate Karma?

[KillTheMessenger]

We are a privately owned company, all our employees have health care (white and blue collar workers) and a 401K, nobody (as far as I know) works overtime, ever, unless they want to. I happen to know that the wife of the owner is very active in humanitarian causes but I can't tell you how that measures up financially with large corporations. That's none of my business and I don't really care. I wouldn't be surprised if their contributions to society are quite large.

Being from Germany I don't really see corporate welfare as such a big deal. If we want to make the world a better place we can simply tax corporate earnings higher and invest the money in education, health care, housing etc.. That's how most every other developed country does it and that's why every other developed country has universal health insurance for everyone. The US is the poorly managed exception, it is not the rule. Trying to sell the wrong solutions to someone who has seen how it's done right is kind of a waste of time.

[Chavez08]

With all due respect, Mark. The "paint a humanitarian face on unchecked-­Capitalism­" and "tricke-do­wn-a-littl­e" mentality of the business elite is a joke.

With the exception of those, like you, in the "haves" category, the entire planet feels enslaved, raped and powerless to the Neoliberal machine that creates 1% winners and 99% losers.

Keynes economics worked for almost everyone but the business elite had to have more, more, more. The Keynes model was thrown out and marginalized because of greed and power lust. The business cronies couldn't stomach seeing working class people have opportunities to have homes, vacations, retirement, healthcare...you felt we were un-worthy because we weren't as creatve at hoarding and monitarily clever as you and your buddies.

I plan to get fair wages and bargaining power back. I'm not going to kiss some robber-barons ass for a handout. I'm opting to change this system so that it reflects American values as opposed to those of a handful of Robber Barons and Wallstreet leeches who a burdon to society...and there are alot more out there who think like I do.

You can keep your warm smile and your handful of crumbs, a new "People's Democracy" is coming and balance will be restored between labor and management.

You can bet your summer home on it.

[Mark Silver - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi Chavez08- thank you. I want to make it clear that I am in no way supporting unchecked capitalism. And, I know I can't even imagine the level of privilege I have just by living in the US and owning a small business, however humble.

I also agree that having more, more, more... that's a lust that can never be satisfied. The unfortunate is what I alluded to in my comment above- that many people who share your and my values about social and economic justice, and who are self-employed, try to make up for the difference all on their own, by lowering their prices below survival level.

I don't believe you can equate a self-employed massage therapist, or consultant, or bookkeeper who is trying to keep food on the table with a multi-national corporation with hundreds of millions in cash reserves. My message was written for the former.

That's the problem with a lot of business writing- it can't be one-size-fits-all. What applies to corporations often does not apply at all to the micro or personal business owner.

As a former lead shop steward with SEIU who led a successful organizing effort to get our boss removed for extremely bad management skills (painful!) I agree that there needs to be a much more equitable relationship created between workers and owners- and it's not necessarily going to happen completely voluntarily. Although there are some great examples of change in the world.

[Chavez08]

I apologize for the rant.

I am keeping my head barely above water but my comments reflect my rage and fear about what is happening to my family and the people/communities around me.

I grew up with with, what was, the common knowledge of "If you work hard, play by the rules and do good by your neighbors, you'll do OK!"

Since Neoliberalism, that deal has been replaced with "Thanks for all the hard work and your health, - now train your replacement and pack your bags!" I feel this economic system rewards the cunning, apathetic, greedy and condemns those who are productive and want to do what's right.

We always here about the "Free Market" though most lucrative industries are alsready controlled by monopolies. It's like saying "Let's have a football game" but you find out it's 1/2 time and you're opponent has been running up and field the first half. How can't this system encourage crime and social violence?

We had a balance in Capitalism. Many argue those so-called "Socialist" safegards saved Capitalism from itself. The establishment in this country removed them without offering substantive debate, just Straussian deception..

The Federalist policies of Republicans and "Blue Dog" Democrats are those of a Class War on the people who built this great country and I am doing everything I can to fight for my people.

Again, sorry for the knives.

[Cathexis]

"There are over 6 billion people on the planet. You can't save even a fraction of them."

Reminds me of a story I heard ...

An older man was walking along a beach, one morning, after a frightful storm had passed. The beach was littered with starfish that had washed up on shore, so he had to step carefully among the dying creatures.

He spotted a young boy, who was walking along the shore and dutifully picking up starfish, throwing them back into the water.

"Boy!" the older man scoffed, "Don't you see that what you're doing is futile? There must be tens of thousands of starfish that have been washed up! You can't possibly save them all! Don't you see that what you're doing doesn't make a difference?"

The boy paused and pondered the older man's wise admonition. Then he bent, scooped up another starfish, and threw it into the sea.

"It made a difference to that one," he said.

[Mark Silver - Huffpost Blogger]

Cathexis- please accept my apology- that was sloppy writing. I very much agree with the story you added here. Since my writing was aimed at people who own microbusinesses, personal-sized businesses, the point I was trying to make was that when you're just self-employed or have a little-bit­ty-busines­s, you can't try to carry all the wrongs of the world on your shoulder.

If you can allow yourself to be nourished first, then you can have the strength and resources to help the many starfish around you. Even if it seems like an insignificant fraction compared to the world population, it does make a difference. I just don't want small business owners to drown themselves in the attempt.

Thanks for posting this.

[Cathexis]

Not at all, Mr Silver. I just have a knee-jerk reaction when I see certain phrases, even if they weren't put forth offensively.

Actually, I can see your point. And I have to say, you're brave to tackle such a topic, which (as I suspect your discovering, with Comments) can be a real minefield, depending on how each reader filters it.

"Pricing" for a Humanitarian is an interesting conundrum. I get a little of that on two fronts -- at my (soulless Corporation) job and because my wife owns a modest townhouse she had before we married, which we now rent out.

We recently wrestled with "Where to put the rent." Similar properties in the neighborhood go for a few hundred more than we charge. I have a soft spot, remembering the effects of rents when I was first starting out, so many years ago. If I can make some young couple's (or person's) life a little easier with a low rent, I find that attractive.

Conversely, we're behind in saving for retirement. We have expenses. The job market is never truly secure. And we have had some tenants who have trashed the place, in the past -- a situation that seems to be less common when the rent is higher.

Weighing self-interest with "what is right, by others" is, indeed, a slippery path to take on. You make good points.