On Friday night Mr H and I were at a local art centre for their First Friday event. This is a night where artists open their studios to show their work and meet potential clients.
We were looking for some artwork for our new(ish) home and after visiting over 20 different studios, nothing was really grabbing us. Until we wandered into one of the last rooms, up on the 4th floor, tucked away in the corner of the building.
The room was dark and on the walls hung paintings of what looked like one particular man. However, when we asked the artist who the man was, he said that it was actually many different people – sadhus, whirling dervishes and a Buddhist monk. They were stunning.
One picture in particular grabbed Mr H. It was a painting of an Indian Sadhu and he couldn’t take his eyes off it.
We were chatting with the artist and as there were no prices on his work, Mr H asked if he had a price list.
‘No, I really should think about getting one of those…’, he joked. He was being cute. We laughed. And I thought, surely he’ll give us at least a ballpark figure sometime soon.
But no. Mr H continued to admire the painting, asking questions, saying how much he liked it and how it would look great in our house.
Still the artist didn’t offer us a price. He didn’t invite us to make an offer. He gave us no clue as to what the next steps might be. And after a few more minutes of talking, we left the studio with no idea whether he wanted $100, $1000 or $10,000 for that painting.
Mr H took his card and emailed him the next morning. But we haven’t received a response yet.
So, even though this artist was at an event which is specifically to share his work with potential clients, he missed the opportunity to make a sale. In fact, he made it virtually impossible for us to buy this painting which we really loved. We were ready to take it home that evening.
And I’m sharing this with you, as this is something I see time and time again amongst women who are trying to start or grow a business doing something they love. Healers, photographers, coaches, therapists, channellers, writers, musicians – all making it super-difficult for their potential clients to buy from them, feeling awkward about making offers, being unclear and apologetic about their prices and not being compellingly visible.
And I get it. Because I used to be the same. When I first started my coaching and hypnotherapy practice, I felt HUGE discomfort asking for money in exchange for helping my clients.
But what I’ve realised over the years is that when we avoid making offers and asking to be paid, we actually frustrate the very people we could be helping, inspiring and giving pleasure to.
Living unbound doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice financial abundance. You can have both.
Whatever particular brand of magic you bring to the world, people want to pay you for it. Really.
So make it easy for them. Here’s how:
Be clear on your pricing and choose prices that feel good for you, rather than trying to second-guess what your potential clients might be willing to pay. Want help with this? If you haven’t got my free UNBOUND pricing guide, click here to discover the 7 questions you need to ask before setting your prices.
Talk about what you do and make regular offers. If you’re on my email list, you’ll notice that I make some kind of offer in most of the emails I send. This is not be spammy, which your Inner Good Girl will try and convince you it is. I make regular offers, so that when you’re ready to work with me, it’s easy for you to see how you can do this and take the next step.
Invite potential clients into conversations with you. When you have an actual conversation with your potential clients, not only do they get a chance to find out more about you and how you work, but you get to hear all about their challenges, the kind of language they use when describing them and a deeper sense of how you can help them. It’s a win-win, whether they choose to work with you or not.
Attend to your money shadow. Mr H pointed out that maybe the artist had some kind of block about selling the painting to us? Great point! Maybe he felt shame about asking for money for his work? Perhaps he felt like it was selling out, or that money is bad in some way? One of the principles of living unbound is the alchemy of shadow integration. And the truth is we can all carry a huge amount of unconscious ‘stuff’ about money and our ability to receive it. If you have shame, fear or any other kind of resistance to being paid for what you do, then this will get in the way of attracting potential clients. You need to bring this unconscious programming, your money ‘stuff’, out of the shadows and into the light in order to create abundance in your business. (This is a key part of what I teach in UNBOUND you).
So, be honest, are there any ways that you’re making it difficult for potential clients to buy from you right now? If there are, then don’t be hard on yourself. This is a process and it’s part of the challenges of living unbound. The key is to notice your blindspots and keep knocking down any barriers to receiving.
The world needs more unbound women to be doing what they love and sharing their gifts with the rest of us. So don’t let any discomfort or self-doubt stop you. 
And if you’d like to find out more about how you can work with me to uncover and shift any blocks, so you can create your TRULY unbound life and business, click here to schedule a free exploratory conversation.
