Happy Halloween! It’s the time of year when we dress up, watch scary movies, and tell stories of all those things that go bump in the night. But what about that thing that makes the register go cha-ching? I’m talking cash money, babes.
I know, buzzkill, right? But if you run a business, your cash flow is the lifeblood of your business. It’s the thing that helps us attract new customers, create better products, support our employees, and sustain operations during slow times. Money is not the root of all evil; it is a tool we use to take care of things in life. So why are so many people afraid of asking for it?
The way we act with money comes from something deep inside, likely your first experiences with money. For some, this may be a poverty mindset, feelings of guilt, or even limits we place on ourselves unconsciously. If you are uncomfortable with money, your customers can sense it. And if you don’t believe in what you are charging, why would they pay it?
Several years ago, I worked with a property management company that was upgrading a selection of apartments and raising rents on those units. The new units were gorgeous but came with a significant price difference compared to the standard apartments. One of the high performers really started to struggle with selling the new units. When we worked through this, I learned that he felt uncomfortable because he personally could not afford what he was selling and therefore felt uncomfortable asking other people to pay it. This limit he had placed in the selling process was from his own beliefs about affordability, and it was killing his confidence in asking for the close. He could not see how his mindset about money was impacting his ability to make money, and he was stuck in a self-fulfilling prophecy!
Being uncomfortable about money is not good for business. But I’ve got your back with some tough love talk and three steps to help you move from being a “people pleaser” to a courageous entrepreneur.
The first step is to recognize your money fear. Have the courage to look it in the face…you can’t address what you don’t acknowledge. Being uncomfortable asking for money is not uncommon but, you didn’t land on my page because you are ordinary. Your badass spirit is begging you to aim higher!
</