Stop Giving Away Your Professional Expertise. “Actually, I get paid to do that.” I hear that every day in a client’s story. I say that every day in my own head. I’m betting you mutter it under your breath as well. And still, most people struggle with finding the words to tell yet another “prospect” that what they’re asking for isn't free. You wouldn’t call a plumber and expect him to come to your house, diagnose, and fix your problem for free.
If you’re a professional who draws on complex bodies of knowledge and experience to solve specific problems, you've probably faced this issue. Here are some ways to communicate away the situation. Stop giving it away. That answer should be based on your organization, your brand, and your comfort level. Set the expectation early on. Website, in your brochure, as a part of your “get to know us” slide show, spell out the rules. You don’t have to list prices if you don’t want to get that specific. Don’t run after them. Give it away but with intent and purpose. 25 Beautifully Illustrated Thought-Provoking Questions. 405 Flares Facebook 137 Twitter 5 Google+ 194 StumbleUpon 1 Pin It Share 68 68 405 Flares × A question that makes you think is worth asking… At the cusp of a new day, week, month, or year, most of us take a little time to reflect on our lives by looking back over the past and ahead into the future.
We ponder the successes, failures and standout events that are slowly scripting our life’s story. This process of self reflection helps us maintain a conscious awareness of where we’ve been and where we intend to go. It is pertinent to the organization and preservation of our dreams, goals and desires. Remember, these questions have no right or wrong answers. Here’s a sample of 25 recent thought questions posted on the site: Few extra questions Thank you for visiting, we hope you find our site, enjoyable, informative and educational. What are you leaving behind? I love watching contrails, those streams of white frozen exhaust that jets leave behind. It's a temporary track in the sand, and then the sun melts them and they're gone.
Go to Montana and you might see the tracks dinosaurs left a bazillion years ago. Same sort of travel, very different half-life of their passage. All day long you're emailing or tweeting or liking or meeting... and every once in a while, something tangible is produced. But is there a mark of your passage? Fifty years later, we might hear a demo tape or an outtake of something a musician scratched together while making an album. I'm fascinated by blogs like this one, which are basically public notes and coffee breaks by a brilliant designer in between her 'real' work.
What would happen if you took ten minutes of coffeebreak downtime every day and produced an online artifact instead? What if we all did that? 25 Photo-Illustrated Reminders to Help You Find Happiness. Happiness is found in the choices we make every day. It’s all about thinking good thoughts, speaking kind words, taking good actions, and enjoying the small things in life all while chasing after the big ones. Title photo by: Nazli G.
For all other photo credits please refer to ThoughtQuestions.com.