A public service announcement for anyone who is in a business where they charge by the hour, and their clients.
I know that asking people to pay large amounts – my service starts at $99 – for scheduling an appointment can present a cognitive barrier.
On the other hand, people buy high end products over the Internet all the time.
The thing is, when you buy a product, i.e. some object that is shipped to you, in many cases you have the option to return it. You receive the object, but if you don’t like it, the company gets its object back, and can resell the object, so they lose very little, and neither do you, although you probably have to pay for shipping.
This “try before you buy” approach leaves many service professionals at a disadvantage in the marketplace. Yet, we fill an important role. You can’t get your hair dyed or your house painted by an object purchased online. They just haven’t invented robots that good yet!
It’s true, you may not know enough to trust you will get good value for your money. That’s why reviews, testimonials, and checking out your service professional’s products (i.e. books, videos, or images of their prior work (like tattoos, home repairs, etc) is a great idea! Do your research before making that appointment.
In my specific field, there are many self-help resources that are available, and, depending on your learning style, you can get a lot out of a book or video instruction. However, the human element that is valuable is getting the immediate application of that knowledge to your specific circumstances, whereas books, by necessity, leave it up to you to have the self-insight and ability to apply the work.
I always prefer my clients get as much of my work in advance as they can, through reading the books, watching the videos, etc. This saves you (the client) money because I don’t have to teach everything live in the real-time that you’re paying for. I’m not interested in making a buck off your time with me in session, I’m eager for you to achieve the results so I can help more people, faster!
And I want you to get those results and start Living the Life You Love so you will be happy and (hopefully) tell your friends about what I can do, sending more clients my way. Rinse and repeat.
On the other hand, when you are making an appointment with a professional, you are, in essence, buying their expertise for a given amount of time. Now, of course they retain their knowledge if you opt not to show up, or cancel at the last minute. But… they have lost that time forever. They can’t resell an hour that has passed.
So I encourage all service providers to bill their time in advance, and I hope that all clients can respect their professional’s time. It is a valuable commodity that is limited to a few hours each day, and can never be returned or resold.
With love,
Nadine
PS: My new book, Secret Weapons of Mass Orgasm: The Science of Sex & The Artistry of Love is now available, giving you a deeper insight into my work than ever before. Get it today!
PPS: I have several ideas for the next book and class series; either an Entrepreneurship how-to, or a book on health consciousness, beauty and fitness. Shoot me an email and let me know which one you are more interested in!