Uncomfortable Asking For Money Ep: 036

Apr 10, 2021

Hi there, I’m so glad you’re here and welcome to this episode of She Coaches Coaches.

I was talking to one of my private clients this morning about “being in the flow”. That place where you KNOW you are doing the right thing, right now and you are in your lane.

I just wanted to say how incredibly thankful I am for you my listeners and for my clients, I feel so honored that you’re here listening to my words. Your time is important (it’s one of the reasons I keep my episodes less than 30 minutes – I want to help you in some area, in just enough time for you to commute to work or just enough time to prep and cook dinner). I also feel incredible thankful for those of you who are my clients, I have some of the most amazing people in my coaching business and my weeks are filled with interesting and powerful coaching conversations. I feel this so strongly right now. I’m in the right place at the right time, I’m doing the work I’m meant to be doing.

It took me years and lots of wrong turns to get here but here I am. It’s funny when I look back, I had to make all those wrong turns to make it here. So maybe those wrong turns were actually right turns after all, right? I wouldn’t be the person I am now, with the life experience and perspective if I hadn’t gotten off track. Makes you think, doesn’t it? What if every event in your life was exactly what you needed to be who you are and to bring you to this place in your life?

I’d love to hear your perspective on this and the only way I can do that is if you click through to the episode notes and leave a comment, I’m always so pleased to hear what you have to say.

Also, this past week I did a re-org on my Coaches Online Business Academy. If you’re not familiar with this, it’s my free resource library that I’ve set up to give coaches a “one stop” where you can find all kinds of useful information and guidance to get started as a coach. Anyway, I’ve made it clearer, added some more resources and reorganized it so that it’s easier and more intuitive for you to go in, find what you need help with more easily and quickly.

That being said, If you haven’t signed up then you should and if you’ve already got your free member log on you go back in and check it out.

Ok that’s it for updates now let’s dive into today’s episode.

Charging Money For Your Coaching

Today we’re talking about money, specifically charging for coaching.

Here are some common thoughts I hear every day. My clients often say:

I love coaching but I just feel so uncomfortable asking for money for coaching.
Or how do I ask for money?
Or I feel awkward charging for coaching because I enjoy it so much.

They may say they feel:

Awkward
Guilt
Embarrassed
Uncomfortable

Does any of this sound familiar? Good you’re not alone. So, here’s what we’re going to do next.

Let’s approach this in a few ways:

First, some of the reasons why you might feel this way.

Next, we’ll talk about the value of coaching.

And finally, we’ll talk about an easy way for you to have a new perspective.

Just so you know, this is not the episode where we talk how much you should charge or what your rates or packages should be. It’s also not the episode where I remind you that you are worthy of charging for your service. We’re not talking about your value as a coach nor your worth as a human. In my books that is an absolute given!

This is simply about the exchange of coaching with you for money.

For some, this is all sorts of uncomfortable:

It’s uncomfortable:

Asking for money
Talking about money
Charging to do something you love.
Receiving money

Let’s start with some of the reasons why you might feel this way.

Money is taboo.

Money is one of the big taboos in our society, and it’s time for us all to get a little bit more comfortable talking about it. We might be uncomfortable because we have too much, or too little or we have “too much” debt – I think we somehow equate it with our worth. But it’s not, it’s money and money will never define your value as a human.

Just being aware that it’s an off-limit topic will help you. Awareness is the start of everything.

Next, your coaching services are a business, you may be a beginner in business, and it might be a tiny business, but it’s a business none the less. Once you have a paying client, that’s it you’re a business owner.

And businesses charge money for their service. But if you’re like most coaches in my circle you’ve been an employee for years and the only time you speak about your pay is once (at most) twice per year if you’re negotiating your starting pay or discussing a bonus structure or performance raise for the year. As a business owner we talk about money, otherwise you would have a hobby or a charity.

Of course, you can have a charity or a hobby if that’s what you want. It’s your choice, no one else’s. But my guess, since you’re still here listening you want a business, you just never thought about it in this way.

Finally, maybe you think that since “you’re a newbie” coach you’re not very good at coaching. Have you set up some kind of imaginary bar that you need to reach before you’re “good enough” to charge for coaching?

Just so you know there are coaches who charge $10 and hour and those who charge $10,000 an hour and there is a client for every exchange.

What is the value of coaching?

Is coaching helpful? What is it about coaching that is worthwhile?

I bet you already have some thoughts on this, let me share some of mine too.

At its simplest level a coach holds space for the client and listens to them. Just that.

Consider this most basic version – holding space and listening (not even saying anything at all) and if for example, your client is a busy Mom. She spends her life, always doing everything for everyone else and she never has time to even catch her breath before she’s off and running again. How valuable is it to spend time with a coach where they’re focussed on you, your life, what you want in life? Where she can talk about her dreams and goals, her worries and fears without being judged. It’s not the same as talking to a friend, they already know you, and have pre-conceived ideas about who you are, the mistakes you’ve made and what you’re capable of.

But to just be seen and heard. it satisfies our most basic human need. To matter.

Then as you look at what coaching helps with – it changes the client’s perspective on their life, helps them decide what they want more of and less of and then supports them to make those changes and create a fulfilling life.

What is the value of creating the life you desire? Of being supported while you’re making changes. Having a coach ask you pointed and powerful questions to help you find your way while treating you with compassion and a holding you accountable.

Imagine the value of having that in your life. No wonder coaching is becoming so popular, who wouldn’t want that experience?

Finally, here’s one way for you to shift your perspective

People pay money for things they want. Of course, we spend on things we need too and pay our bills and you might argue that I don’t really want those bills but stick with me here.

We spend money on the things we want. It’s normal.

Try this:

Go to the grocery store and look at all the people, all the customers. They walk in the door, grab a cart or a hand basket, and put their list in their basket. They push that cart around and start looking at things. They may look at the fruit and consider, do I want oranges, nectarines, mangoes? Do I want the organic bananas or the regular bananas? Watch them.

They look, they choose, and they put it in their cart.

They go all around the store and buy things they want. Then they go to the checkout. Their items get scanned and weighed, put in bags and then they pay for it.

They saw it, they wanted it and they bought it.

It’s normal, common every day. We see things we decide we want things and then we buy things.

Coaching is no different.

Your coaching services, your coaching package or program are no different. It’s normal for people to buy what they want. It’s just as normal for them to buy a gorgeous coat, a car, organic fruits and veggies as it is to buy your coaching solution.

Charging for coaching is a normal, everyday transaction.

Here’s another way for you to shift your perspective so you can begin to see how easily we pay for the things we want. It’s completely normal to pay for coaching. Just like it’s normal to pay for a math tutor, a therapist, a personal trainer, botox, a manicure.

Do this, go onto amazon.com. In the search bar type “weird stuff”. Yes, that’s the search term. “weird stuff”

When I did this, there are over 4,000 items that are classified as “weird stuff”.

Here’s what I see:

A rechargeable toilet bowl night light. It comes with multiple coloured lights….it has 2756 reviews…. that means far more than 3000 people have bought that.

There’s a burrito blanket. Yes, that’s a fuzzy blanket that looks like a burrito…it has 13261 5-star reviews.

A lot of people wanted a burrito blanket and bought it.

Those shoppers saw these things, wanted them, and bought them.

They paid for what they wanted.

Now all you have to do is realize that there are many many people who want what coaching will help them get. They want to be heard and seen, they want help to reach their goals more easily and faster. Or they have a problem that they are desperate to solve. they’ve tried everything on their own and don’t know what to do next.

If they can find you and they realize you can help them…. they will gladly pay you to transform their life forever.

Of course, they will want to exchange money for your coaching solution.

Hey, I so appreciate that you’re here as part of my community and I hope you’re applying this stuff too. I want to hear from you, click through to the episode notes and leave me a comment tell me the kinds of things you want to learn more about.

I’m always looking to help you best and that means creating episodes that speak to exactly where you are at.

Of course, you can do all of this (become a coach, create clients, build a thriving business) on your own using the information I share with you in these episodes.

Many of you are great do-it-yourselfers and I’m happy to support you too so keep listening and remember to subscribe.

And if you want more help, maybe you want to work more closely with me. I’m here. My clients are go-getters, and many of them wanted to become a coach for weeks, months or even years before they got started. I’m sure you’re eager to dive in and you know that your time is now.

So, if that sounds like you and you want to make faster progress, you’re eager to get your first paying clients and get my help along the way. Let’s set up a time for us to talk. When you click the link to book a call, I ask you a few questions. Take the time to answer them thoroughly so we can use our strategy session in the best way possible. When I know where you’re coming from, then I can show up the best to help you, and it’s easier for us to decide if we’re ready to work together.

Alright, that’s it for today. I’m so appreciative that you spent this time with me.

I’ll be back to talk with you next week.

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