Some people have little difficulty attracting and maintaining higher paying clients. Others can't get to first base. Higher paying clients consume less time, exchange energy instead of zapping yours, have higher regards for your relationship, give more referrals, pay on time, and this in turn allows you to make higher profits.

When asked how I recommend raising client’s fees, I answer honestly, "It’s very difficult." Why? Let me share this story, one I'm sure you can relate to. You go to store to buy more of something you like but you don't have to have. Before you paid $10 and now its $15. You play with package and stand there rethinking your need, it’s value and also wondering if can find it cheaper elsewhere. You leave empty-handed or buy something else. If your price is higher, their reaction gets magnified.

Another angle is to increase their deal, add something to pot, something of perceived value. It can work if handled correctly. A value added item could be a client- only monthly teleclass or access to a membership-only website. An infopreneur can add client-only informational products.

To collect higher fees, you will most likely need to change demographics, your mindset, internal and external language, marketing strategy and materials.

Here is a list of ten barriers that might be interfering with attracting higher paying clients:

1. Equal stature. People take time to listen to people who are as or more important than they are. Are you at their listening level? Do you dress and act way they do? Phone interactions require mirroring their language and thinking. Can you speak their language? Or do you need to learn. Talk as equals. Learn their mindset and shift yours. If your values are too different, then find another market. If stature doesn't match, they will smell it like cabbage cooking in a kitchen. Show a similar state of authority, confidence, and posture. Walk, talk, and sit way they do. If their mannerisms are too assertive for you, either raise yours up or find another market.

2. Thoroughly know each of their challenges and what solutions you provide that answer each challenge. What problems are they experiencing? How can you make their life or business easier? People take path of least resistance. Be that path. Higher paying people are proud of their world and their decisions. They feel they deserve it, they took risk that average person doesn't take, and you need to give them that respect but also have your own.

3. Be friendly with them but don't allow them to manipulate your time or energy. Normally, higher paying professionals know how to delegate and leverage and they will use this technique to test you. Be friendly with their administrative assistants, receptionist, or other gatekeepers but don't bribe them with flowers or something to get in door. That worked years ago but trend now is tacky. And, yes, they will always report your language and behavior back to their paycheck controller.

4. The higher their status, more likely they will be visionary people. Learn how visionary people think, their viewpoints, and language. Visionaries surround themselves with people who believe in their visions. Listen to their visions and respect them. They have wherefore to make them happen. Support their visions in any way you can. Provide something that answers a step to their vision, even if it something outside scope of your service or product. Do they need a referral or can't find something, do research for them.

5. The higher you go, more they expect from your service. They expect special care and outstanding service. They know their money can buy it and they demand it. Don't deliver anything less. They know what you provide and what your competitors provide; you must know this as well.

If there are some DJ’s who are thriving with their business and you are not, there is something you can do to change that completely around where you become booked with as many gigs as you can handle.

To do this, you have to understand how to use a concept and differentiate yourself from other DJ’s.

So I need to ask you this question.

How different are you from any other DJ?

Do you provide services or products that another DJ doesn’t? Do you provide better quality? Do you have cheapest rates? Do you offer follow up services? Do you offer advice? Do you offer more solutions?

What do you offer your customer’s that is different from your competitors?

This is million-dollar question you need to be asking yourself.

A lot of dj’s don’t have any idea how they are different from their competitors. The answer is usually – ‘we offer great service and excellent sound quality’ or ‘we offer best range of music’. This is not being different from your competitor’s as this would be exactly same answer they would say.

The problem is you look same as everyone else.

If you look same as your competitors, how does your customer know whom to choose? They just choose whoever don’t they?

I will put it simple. Pretend all of your competitors and yourself were in a room and a customer opens door and has to choose only one of you. Your competitors and yourself scream out – ‘pick me, pick me’. The funny thing is you don’t get picked because customer didn’t even see you. You all ‘looked’ same.

To overcome this, you need to be unique. Stand out from crowd and be different. Be different means you are going to get noticed. But you have to go a lot further than that. You have to develop a Unique Selling Proposition (USP).

A USP is some area of your business that offers a solution to your customer’s problems. A USP is reason why a customer does business with you. It determines whether they choose you or not. Not only that it allows you to charge above your competitors without losing any customers. This way, you don’t get bogged down in a price war and lose profits.

There are several areas that could be a USP for a business:

Price

·At Electric DJ Services, we offer lowest price. Guaranteed.

·At Joe’s DJ World, we offer cheapest prices. If you find it cheaper somewhere else, we will match it and give 5% off our price

Service

·At ‘Dj Sound’, we are open longer than any other DJ from 8.00am to 11.00p everyday

·If at any time there is a blackout or power surge during our gig, we have a back up generator so that you can continue your party and dance into night without any interruption.

Value

·When you book us for any children’s party, you get a free dance video thrown in for each child to take home.