Are You Getting What You're Worth?

It’s not uncommon as an entrepreneur to get stopped when it comes to charging what you’re worth. There’s always a time during the meeting with the prospect that the prospect will ask you “How much are your fees?” For many entrepreneurs, this is where you freeze. You may have thoughts like “What if I charge too much, will I lose them?” Or, “I better lower my fee so they’ll hire me.” And, then they hire you. Instead of being happy they hired you, you’re disappointed because you didn’t charge what you’re worth.

If you're not making the money you really want to make, or you're struggling with what to charge for fear the client will think you're too expensive, you may be stopped by your beliefs and thoughts about money.

I was working with a client who froze every time the prospect asked her what her fees were. She was afraid the prospect would think her fees were too high and not hire her. So, instead of stating her fees, she would quickly discount. Time and time again, she left feeling frustrated and disappointed with the amount of money she was making.

Our thoughts and beliefs about money shape our actions. Limited beliefs create limited finances.

If you believe you have to work hard to make money, you probably won't have an easy time getting rich. Many of those beliefs come from our family, what we've been taught, what we've read, and what we've been raised to believe.

Some common negative beliefs about money are reflected in expressions such as:
• Filthy rich
• It takes money to make money
• Money is the root of all evil
• Money can't buy you love
• You can't take it with you
• The best things in life are free
• Money isn't everything

All the statements you heard about money when you were young remain in your subconscious mind. You've heard them over and over again, so your mind is programmed to believe it is true. It's no surprise that you relate to money as something negative and put a limit on how much money can come into your life.

Do any of the following statements seem true to you?
• People with money have an easier time making more money.
• I cannot invest in myself until I have more money coming in.
• People with lots of money are ruthless and untrustworthy.
• The more money I make, the more I worry that I'll lose it.
• When I charge a higher fee, I feel guilty that I don't deserve it.

All of these statements are symptoms of a scarcity mindset. Most of us have experienced some of these thoughts to some degree.

The thoughts in your subconscious mind determine your thinking. Your thinking determines your actions, which then determines the results. Just as you have put those thoughts into your subconscious mind, you can change your thinking.

There are 5 steps to changing your thinking about money:
1. Aware: Write down all the statements you've heard about money, wealth, and rich people. Go as far back as you can remember and write down every thought that comes to your mind.

2. Understand: Write down how these statements have affected your life. Begin to understand how these statements came from others, what you learned, and what you read. These statements are not who you are.

3. Choose: Now you see that you have a choice. You don't have to accept the limiting beliefs and thoughts you have about money. As you come to realize these beliefs came from others and are not necessarily true, you can choose to create new thoughts that empower you. You're now on your way to attracting what you're worth!

4. Visualize: See an abundance of money coming into your life. Close your eyes and visualize how much money you want to make, how much to increase your fees, and how much you know you're worth.

5. Action: Take the new thoughts you've created and write them down. Read them aloud each day to yourself and say them to others. Make this a daily habit. The more you say these thoughts over and over again, the more real they will become for you.

Before you can make more money, you need to believe you can do that. When you change your thinking, money will start coming to you easily and effortlessly.
If you would like to use this article on your website, or for your own ezine, not a problem; however, there's one thing you MUST include: Rochelle Togo-Figa, The Breakthrough Strategist, is the creator of the Inner Game of Sales System™, a proven step-by-step sales process that combines mindset practices with proven sales strategies to help you close more sales, sign on more clients and make more money with ease and velocity. To sign up for her free sales articles and teleclasses on closing more sales, visit www.SalesBreakthroughs.com.