Last week I got a call from an old acquaintance I’ll call Jasmine. She was getting frustrated with her high-paying but tedious job and wanted to become a life coach.
“What makes you think you’d like being a coach?” I asked.
“Well, I’ve been coaching my friends,” she said with a laugh. “It’s fun and they say I’m really good.”
“I’ve heard this before,” I wanted to say. Instead, I pointed out that sharing ideas with a few friends is not at all like working with strangers who pay money for your services. Once money changes hands, the whole dynamic shifts.
When I first began coaching, another coach urged me to gain experience by offering free coaching to a few clients. Actually, I learned very little. Once you charge fees, clients bring you greater challenges and even greater expectations. And clients who pay full fare differ from those who respond to “free coaching” offers.
This shift also happens when you’re the client. Several months ago I attended a free teleclass sponsored by “Griselda.” I followed up with a complimentary email, saying it was one of the best I had attended on the subject. Given the classes I’ve attended, it didn’t take much to be one of the best. And I forgot the whole thing.
Last week I was astounded to see my words quoted in a marketing pitch for Griselda’s new three-hour, sixty-dollar, live seminar, to be held in a major urban location. I promptly emailed Griselda, pointing out that I had never paid her a dime, much less invested three hours plus travel time to learn her lessons.
“It’s basically the same material,” Griselda wrote back. “I don’t understand your concern but I’ll remove your name if you insist.”
“Yes please!” I replied promptly.
If I had paid sixty bucks for Griselda’s class, I might have had the same reaction: “Great value! One of the best.”
On the other hand, I might have thought, “One of the best of the free — but mediocre for the price.”
I’ll never know.
Griselda explained that she was charging money because she often heard, “Your free class was so good I didn’t need anything else. I took your advice and made a pile of money!”
I can empathize. I’ve worked with clients who walked away after a free fifteen-minute call, problem solved, never to return. Would they have been equally satisfied if they’d paid the going rate for an hour? We’ll never know.
However, I encourage both paying clients and freebie-seekers to understand the underlying principle: Money changes any relationship. That’s why going to a friend’s house for dinner differs from visiting a restaurant. Guests don’t send their food back and restaurants rarely offer free seconds. Your choice!
Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant. Your Next Move Ezine: Read one each week and watch your choices grow!
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