Episode 206: How to Effectively Communicate the Value of Your Services

Do you struggle to communicate your value as a designer? Whether you’re just starting as a freelancer or you’re an established design business, it’s important that you approach these conversations with confidence. In today’s episode, I’m sharing how you can communicate the value behind your services, command the rates you want, and eliminate that feeling of self-doubt or insecurity you have in chatting with potential clients. How to Experience a Deeper Sense of Confidence & Communicate Your Value I know how nervous designers can get as they approach a conversation with a potential clients, especially when they struggle to talk about what they do and the value they bring. If that’s you, you’re not alone. There are a few ways you can approach those conversations with more confidence to better communicate your value! Define Your Outcome & Realign Your Expectations Assuming the expected outcome from every single conversation with a potential client is to book them, consider the following questions as you go into those conversations: How do you want to feel?How do you want to carry yourself through the conversation?How do you want them to respond to you? If you’re able to identify the outcome and the experience you want yourself and your potential clients to have, then you are better able to make informed decisions that will align with our vision. Stop Comparing Yourself We’ve all gotten caught up in the comparison game, where we have the expectations that we should be, do, and book like the other designers in the industry that we look up to. It’s important to realign your expectations when necessary so that you’re not comparing yourself to the other designers in the industry. We get stuck in believing this cycle of comparison, but the truth is—your lead isn’t talking to them. They’re talking to you. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t as great in one skillset as another designer is. You don’t need to compete with the other designers in the industry, because they aren’t you. Separate the Value of Your Work & Your Personal Value If you’ve been around her for a while, you know how passionate I am about not charging your worth—because you are priceless. The value you bring to a customer and your personal value are vastly different and we shouldn’t hold them so tightly together. Rather than focusing on charging our personal value, we’ll focus on value-based pricing, which charges for the value you’ll bring to your lead. If you are chatting with a client and know that your work can help create them a 6 figure business, you can go to them and say, ” I charge $X, and through my strategy process, design process, and your website, I’ll be giving you the assets to build a six figure business.” This gives them an understanding of the return on investment. If you’re just getting started and you don’t have the numbers just yet, there are plenty of other quantifiers for the value your work can bring a customer—strategic design, authentic brand, etc. If focusing on the value of your work, you’re boosting the confidence in your work. Highlight the Transformation Your Work Provides Now, let’s take the value or transformation that you detailed for your clients previously and these will be what you use to share about your services. Once you’ve determined what that is,