A Tip from Jackie: Worth Every Penny

“How can I charge what I should to all the people who need me but cannot afford me?,” you may ask. I have many things to say about that. First, if people want your work and it is really important to them, they will find a way to pay for it. You may offer payment terms but do not give your work away. You can offer group sessions that do not cost so much or you can do work on line that does not cost so much. Or you can find ways to offer copies or reproductions of your work if people cannot afford to buy the original. Or you can budget to do some pro bono work and give your work away – to a very limited degree. There are many ways to sell work at a reduced rate without actually lowering your prices. Here is what I am warning you about: do not get yourself in the situation where people give you a referral that goes something like, “Hire Jackie–you can get a deal.” Such a referral will bring out second-rate clients and second-rate work and projects. Instead, you want the referral that says, “Hire Jackie–she is spendy, but it’s worth every penny.”