I didn’t realize it until a few years ago.
When I figured it out, I wanted to call every client I ever had and apologize. I was just sick about it.
You see, I discovered that I had been cheating my clients for years. I was robbing them and I didn’t even know.
Thankfully, they didn’t know it either.
Here’s what happened…
I’ve been in some form of sales for over twenty years.
Some of my time was spent working for others and much of it was spent as an entrepreneur.
When in a selling situation, I used to get really nervous.
I was so afraid my prospect was going to say “no” that I did everything I could to set up the sale so they had zero objections.
I got rid of the objections before they even raised them
Sometimes I underpriced things.
Sometimes I didn’t offer the best product in my lineup because of the price.
Sometimes I kept the scope of a project small so I could feel more comfortable about the outcomes.
And every time I did one of those things, I robbed my clients of my best.
When I was underpriced, it meant I was always bootstrapping.
That meant I was continually worried about cash flow.
I couldn’t deliver my best service if I was more worried about paying the rent than over-delivering for my customer.
If I didn’t offer my best product, regardless of price, I was shortchanging my client.
What if they wanted and needed the best I had but I didn’t show it to them?
Yep, that’s cheating
And how many times did I not offer a bigger, longer-term engagement that could have transformed and not just helped a customer?
I might as well have just reached into their future cash register and helped myself to the cash.
Are there times when you shortchange your customers by not offering the very best you have?
Are you cheating their future by not charging enough?
It’s hard to admit, but it happens every day. I see it everywhere.
The next time you’re sitting across the table from a prospect, make sure you give them 100% of your best.
And when they buy, make sure they understand everything else you can deliver for them.
I’m not saying deliver a brain dump of every product and service at once.
But, over time, you have an obligation to tell them what else you can help them accomplish.
It’s the honest thing to do.