Stop telling people to "charge what they're worth."
And if someone has told you that before, then you might want to reconsider...
Because here's what happens when you do:
You turn into a commodity.
Let me show you why this "feel-good" advice is destroying your profit margins.
When you price based on "worth," you're playing a losing game:
• You tie pricing to self-esteem
• You ignore market dynamics
• You miss profit opportunities
• You compete on the wrong metrics
True, you get to decide what you charge, but you do not get to decide what you're worth.
Tesla doesn't price based on manufacturing costs.
Apple doesn't price based on engineering hours.
Netflix doesn't price based on production budgets.
They all price based on market positioning and value perception.
So why are you still counting your hours or charging based on what you feel like you're worth?
Your service is worth what people will pay for it.
Plain and simple.
And different people will pay different amounts in different circumstances.
The Real Way to Price:
• Start with the problem you solve
• Calculate the cost of NOT solving it
• Measure the speed of your solution
• Factor in the transformation
• Position against alternatives
• Then multiply by convenience
For example:
If you save a business $100,000, do you really think your "worth" is $75/hour?
If you help someone avoid a divorce, is your "worth" really $200/session?
If you 10x someone's email list, does your "worth" have anything to do with your years of experience?
No.
Your price isn't about you. It's about them.
It's about transformation.
It's about speed.
It's about certainty.
It's about convenience.
THE BREAKTHROUGH FORMULA:
Price = Problem Cost × Speed × Certainty × Convenience
Not:
Price = Your Self-Worth + Your Bills + Your Time
Want to know why some people charge 10x more than others in the same industry?
They stopped pricing like employees and started pricing like strategists.
Your move: Stop asking "What am I worth?"
Start asking "What is this transformation worth to my ideal client?"
That's how you build a premium business.
Everything else is just making yourself feel better about staying small.