So, how do you convince a bookkeeping prospect that they need and can afford your services? I actually think that you can't. The reason is that I don't think that you can convince someone who doesn't value your time, your services and your expertise to pay more money for what you offer. I think the problem that you probably have is that you're not clear on who your ideal client is, and also you are not positioning yourself as a qualified professional.
Think of it this way, let's take a look at the stores that are around us, for example. There's Walmart, and Macy's, and then there's Neiman Marcus. A Neiman Marcus customer is probably not shopping at Walmart. There is a reason why they go to Neiman-Marcus. They value a very high-end experience. A Macy's customer, on the other hand, perhaps they may go to Walmart, but they also value a different experience from what the Walmart customer values. A Walmart customer (in this example) values low prices. If they see a t-shirt on sale for $3, they're going to buy it. It doesn't matter if the t-shirt doesn't fit, they got it for $3 – and, you know what? If the t-shirt is ruined, they'll just throw it away because they can get another $3 t-shirt.
The Neiman-Marcus customer may pay $50 for a t-shirt, and while they can probably afford that t-shirt and maybe $50 is a drop in the bucket for them, the reason they're paying more for that t-shirt is because there's probably an experience surrounding the purchase of the t-shirt. Perhaps it's how they're treated at the store, or how they're made to feel when they are in the store. Maybe it's that the store is beautifully arranged, and that they received great customer service.
Would Neiman Marcus then try to get a Walmart customer to value the Neiman Marcus experience? The answer is no. Now that you hopefully understand this example, look at the types of prospective clients that you're approaching, and whether they are the right prospects for you to approach for your services. You may be trying to convince a Walmart-type customer to buy a Neiman Marcus type experience, so you're targeting the wrong client.
Another thing you need to be doing then is positioning yourself in a way that a client who would pay more for your services would value your services. That is usually a client who has a particular business need or particular desire to solve a business problem. Consequently, they're looking for someone with experience, knowledge, and certifications, who can address their biggest problem.
The type of client who will value your expertise, and value the fact that you can solve their biggest problems is the client who's going to pay more for your services, and value what you do for them. Then you don't have to try to convince them because, if you have marketed yourself correctly, you have changed your branding to communicate the fact that you have a specialization. You've communicated that you have the knowledge, the certifications, and the experience to solve their biggest problems. If you can communicate that through your marketing materials, then the ideal client who values what you do and your services, and the fact that you solve their biggest problems, will pay you for your services. They will gladly pay for your fees, and value what you do for them.
