Last updated on August 10th, 2022
Chances are you’ve heard this mantra echo in the online space: Charge your worth.
But what exactly does that mean?
(And why does unhelpful (or just plain bad) advice catch on like 🔥 wildfire?)
Charge your worth holds court with an entrepreneurial mixed bag of “advice”:
❌ Follow your Passion! (Really?! Even if you, like, have no talent?)
❌ Go big or go home! Never give up!”(Sounds a little die-hard for me.)
❌ Fake it ‘till you Make it! (Disingenuous, much?)
At best, generic, memey advice is ambiguous and unhelpful.
At worst, it’s plain wrong.
Charge your worth?
It has a warm, effusive BFF-feel about it, doesn’t it?
BUT
Without data, facts, or a valid process at play – it’s like playing the painful pricing edition of Pin the Tail on the Donkey.
👉🏾 Who decides your worth? You? Your clients?!
❓ Do you pick a number? Any number?
😭 Is your expertise and “worth” any less if you have a light client roster? Or if you’re starting out and charging less than say, the veterans of the industry?
🥴 What if health concerns require you to work shorter hours? Does that impact your “worth”?
Want to 👀 WATCH this post instead? Grab your airbuds and listen here!
The ethical issue of commoditizing your personal worth and assigning a number to it is a problematic concept.
How do you put a number on your worth?
You can’t.
What you CAN do is decide what you want to charge for the services you provide.
I mean, after all, you don’t hear doctors, lawyers or engineers being told to charge what they’re “worth”, right?
Determining what you charge is a strategic process.
Not a whim you manifest on a day you’re feeling pumped (like a bajillion dollars).
OR on a day where your hobgoblins of the mind take the wheel – ensuring you low-ball offers, throw in an extra discount and a few coupons for good measure. 🙈
Want to raise your rates and scale your business confidently and sustainably?
Don’t charge your worth.
Instead, charge what you should be charging for the value you provide, the skills you bring to the table, the goals you help your client accomplish.
Raise your prices but with intention and in integrity with who you are.
The SIX mistakes keeping you from charging more as a launch copywriter
Let’s take a close, surgical look at what’s holding you back and the mistakes you may be making.
1. You’re a “Yes” Person
“Got it! Right away! No problem!” you say without a moment’s hesitation.
That, my friend, is a very big problem.
Saying “YES!” to every opportunity, every niche, every project and every request limits intentional growth.
It’s also going to position you as the perpetual order-taker. You’re effectively showing up as a task-focused employee, NOT a strategic partner on equal footing.
Set the stage.
From Day 1, rather than jumping in right away into implementation mode, take a step back and re-evaluate your client’s initial request.
2. You’re always available 24/7
Responsiveness is good!
But not at the expense of your health, your business or the quality of your work. Standing at attention like a caffeinated watchdog, always on guard and online, on your phone, living in social, DMs, Slack and email (regardless of what you are doing or what time it is).
👆🏼This is a recipe for burnout. 
Responsiveness has a time and a place.
You need to determine WHAT your boundaries (office hours, where you will communicate and how often) are and set your expectations accordingly.
Then…close that Slack channel down and take ownership of your boundaries.
3. You’re in manual labor mode.
There’s a reason people talk a lot about systems. Tasks are time-hogs!! 🐷
You should be intentional about what you can automate, templatize and determine what truly needs your personal touch.
This is one of the reasons why, in Ready to Sell and especially in the Chef’s Table tier, we share ALL the systems, processes and documentation we use for the launch copywriting side of our business. Use them as a springboard so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
Otherwise, call reminders, onboarding emails, invoice notifications – they’ll own you.
You can easily find yourself overwhelmed with random tasks at the 13th hour in a mad, sweaty rush to get through them so that the “real” work gets done; leaving a trail of careless errors that will make you want to cringe and hide under the duvet with a case of the shakes.
4. You have one hat…and you’re sticking to it.
I’m ALL for niching and focusing on your zone of genius, but you likely have other complementary skills and talents that would benefit your client and amp up your perceived value.
Course creators have multiple needs: blogs, videos, content creation, emails, brand strategy, to name a few.
You need to start thinking like a strategist, not just a copywriter or service provider.
Instead of staying in your lane, following the typical cookie-cutter formula, evaluate what else you can bring to the table and the scope of work you can provide.
5. You’re taking the band-aid approach
So often, course creators don’t know the root cause for the issue they are seeking help with.
Sure, they know there’s a problem and they want it fixed – pronto!
Instead of jumping to “Fix-It” mode you need to examine the bigger picture.
Consider:
- What is their goal or the main job to be done?
- What is the problem they are trying to solve?
- Where are their leads in the Customer Journey?
Unravel the narrative.
Examine more than just the surface facts.
Show up as a strategist.
6. You’ve got skill stasis.
You’re not strategically investing in your skills.
It doesn’t mean you’re not learning.
It means there’s a gap between the skills you’re collecting AND the skills that are a difference-maker for your client.
Be intentional about the skills you choose to invest in.
What will help your client AND what will help you charge more?
There’s no shortage of additional skills to add to your repertoire, but the key here is to be deliberate.
The greater your expertise, the more you can charge.
Also, sometimes you may need to find better clients.
6 simple (but strategic!) ways to increase your value
A quick recap of ways you can fix the value-minimizing mistakes that you may be making.
Remember to:
- Show up as a partner, not an order-taker. Approach projects and clients with an intentional strategy.
- Be clear about your availability and boundaries – and stick to them!
- Use automation wherever possible, so you don’t bottleneck your energy and focus.
- Diversify your services and/or skill-set. Consider what other skills or services can provide your clients.
- Be strategic. Have a clear understanding of your client’s main job to be done and make that the primary step in your client conversation.
- Be intentional about the skills you need to provide to increase your value and double down on ROI for your client.
Those who urge you to “Charge your worth” may have noble intentions to empower you to make bold choices.
But
Without examining gaps, limitations, and opportunities, you’re picking numbers out of a hat and that won’t help you make bank.
Worse? You’re equating your worth with a price tag.
You need insight so you can make an informed decision when it comes to evaluating rates, examining the service you provide, and understanding how you can increase the value you bring.
You need to examine the strategic sweet spot and confidently charge what you should be charging.
Whatever advice you choose to follow, make sure it’s not sweet-sounding fluff or a smooth-talking mantra masquerading as advice.
Those won’t help you understand what’s holding you back.
And always, always remember… your worth is far greater than the numbers on your invoice.
Show up as a partner, not an order-taker.
Approach projects and clients with an intentional strategy.
