Do We Give Away Too Much?
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It’s the third quarter of the year. I started July 1, questioning if it’s worth going beyond the agreed-upon contracts and proposals between my clients and me.
Like many coaches and consultants, we find ourselves between a rock and a hard place at times, especially when we see greatness in our clients and particular projects. As thoughtful business owners, we share ideas and strategies as we desire to see them excel and be successful. There are times where we may volunteer to give more that goes beyond the scope of the agreement, but at what point should we draw a line?
I am a giver. I’ve been that way all my life. I used to give away my lunch in elementary school to those who had none. I would give my gloves and hats away to children whose parents could not afford to buy them. I’d share my toys during circle time so that the children who didn’t have any would not feel left out. Being a giver is a way of life for me; however, when it comes to business, lately, I have begun to question my going the extra mile.
My adult son was in my office and overheard me speaking with a possible client. As he was leaving, he sent me this text message, “Mom, stop talking. You have given away a few thousand dollars of your intellectual property over the last hour.” I think we all do this from time to time, and it’s time to set some boundaries for the sake of our work.
I recently implemented ways to shift the paradigm within my own business. To my surprise, it has not been easy. I narrowed down my business evaluation to two questions.
1. As a coach and consultant, do I compromise my policies and time by giving too much? As coaches or consultants, ask yourself this question: do we risk doing too much for clients to the degree where we may feel taken advantage of or taken for granted?
2. Do we put ourselves in a position where it becomes expected of us to do things that are not included in the agreed-upon package choice?
As business owners, entrepreneurs, freelancers, and writers, there are times we must take a step back and evaluate our packages, price points, processes, and systems.
Here are my findings after 90-days of evaluating my business and interviewing a sample of business owners.
