Let me clear in what I am asking so we’re on the same page. I mean do you put time, energy, and money into your own personal growth and in the growth of your business?

Why am I asking this question?

I’ve seen a trend over the years developing as a result of marketing with so many free giveaways. Offering free teleseminars, bonus gifts, intros to upcoming programs, sample sessions.. are all important ways we introduce ourselves to new people. It’s a viable marketing practice that has merit.

In a conversation with several colleagues on new business paradigms, we wondered:

1. Are we giving away too much for free? The more people give, the more people want. Without having a boundary of, “Enough is enough!” that you stick to, many people will come back for more and more and more. Each time you give more, you raise the bar of other people’s expectations that can become insatiable. What was initially offered as a gift now becomes an expectation that is often discarded as having real value.

Do you treat the things you pay for the same as the things you get for free?

2. Have we educated potential clients and customers to expect receiving high value freebies all the time just to get something for free? Personally, I stand behind creating high value in anything that has my name on it whether it is free or not. It’s also one of the ways I market my business and many people get on lists just to get something and then opt-out. I’ve been guilty of that myself. Attracting the right and perfect clients who are the right fit is the goal of everyone who is in business.

3. Do people feel a sense of entitlement to receive what others have invested years of learning and cultivating for free? A good friend of mine relayed a story of a client who told her she registers for programs and at the end of each program, she asks for her money back for a variety of reasons. This tactic allows her reap the benefits of the programs without paying for it. Copying and distributing proprietary material without permission or compensation to the owner is another form of theft. What goes around….

4. Have we become a society of takers; looking to get as much as we can for the least amount of time, energy, and money? Do you joyfully pay people for their services, products, and programs knowing that you’ll benefit in the end if you take advantage of what they have to offer? Do you always look for the discount or try to bargain the person down like a nickle and dimer? Approaching life from “what’s in it for me” is one of the surest ways to block the flow of abundance into your life.

5. How are people assessing value? By the dollar amount or by the potential of having a life-changing experience? That’s the difference between looking at things as a cost and expense or as a value and investment in themselves AND their future.

Can you relate to these questions?

Several years ago I was contemplating registering for a program that a good friend of mine told me about. I was at a turning point in my business and I had been bumping up against some emotional blocks that were rooted in old beliefs. When I calculated the total amount of airfare, hotel, and registration costs, the figure was around $3500 for the 8-day program. Let’s also add in traveling, meals, and time away from my business. My initial reaction to my friend was, “WOW that’s expensive.” because I was looking at the program as a cost and expense rather than an investment in ME, the potential healing and personal transformation, and the benefits to my business. I realized that was the largest investment I ever considered making in myself. That was eye-opening. Wasn’t I worth it?

She replied, “What is the investment clients make when they hire you to coach them individually or to register for one of your programs? Would you expect them to pay for what you have to offer if you don’t value the skills, talents, and experience others have cultivated?” Yikes. Her questions caused me to look at how I judged the value others placed on their programs and services. How could I expect potential clients to value my services if I begrudged others prosperity for their contributions?

So, I registered for the first program and went on to do two more over the next six months. Saying yes was one of the biggest and best investments I ever made in myself.

On Facebook last week here is what someone wrote in response to my invitation to one of my Compelling Conversations interviews, which is FREE:

She wrote: ”There are much too many of these teleseminars out here on FB and not one of them help! It is all about the money.”

Here is my answer: “The really good ones offer a lot of content value. Being of service to others to improve the quality of others’ lives is at the heart of most presenters I know AND we are also running a business. It’s what each person does with the information that makes the difference. The question I would ask you is, How comfortable are you in marketing your own business and asking people to pay you?”

To grow yourself, you must invest in yourself.

To build a thriving business, you must invest in growing it.

To have a great life, you must be investing in growing yourself and your business

Making wise choices in where you invest your time, energy, and money is prudent. When someone has a potentially life-changing service, product, or program that calls to your heart, invest in yourself and say YES. Do it because you are worth it and because everyone you know will benefit for the person you become.

Dr. Lorraine Cohen, President of Powerfull Living, brings more than 25 years experience in personal and business coaching, psychological counseling, and sales to thousands of spiritually minded business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders from a wide range of industries. Learn more about Lorraine’s services, success products and programs.

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