Have you ever been afraid to start charging for your work?

Afraid to launch your product for fear that you’re not “good enough” or not “credible enough” to ask people for money in exchange for your service?

I feel you. But here’s the truth: that’s simply an excuse.

Charging has nothing to do with being the “best”. It has everything to do with adding value.

We All Suffer From Imposter Syndrome

At some point we’ve all asked ourselves the question “Who am I to start this business?” or “Who am I to charge this amount for my product or service?”

We’re all insecure to some degree. Afraid that we’ll be “found out” as just an imposter.

What if discover that you’re just a normal person and not some “expert” or “master craftsman”?

This is why we can become so obsessed with credentials. We need something to validate us (in our own eyes if we’re being honest) so we can feel good about charging for our product or service.

But the truth is people don’t really care about credibility markers.

They don’t pay for credentials, rather they pay for value.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that by letting your insecurity and fear hold you back from starting a business or launching a product, you are actually harming your potential client or customer.

Stop focusing on credentials and “being the best” and start focusing on serving people today.

I’m no exception to this fear.

When I started The Recording Revolution there were already some fantastic resources out there in my niche. Trade magazines, YouTube channels, and websites that were killing it and had lots of expertise and credibility.

I was a nobody.

Just a musician and audio engineer who made records for bands and artists as well as my own music.

But I knew that I had knowledge that could help people. Maybe not everyone, but the right people.

So I started my blog and business anyway.

Even though my early videos looked horrendous! They still helped people.

And a funny thing happens after years of getting people results and adding immense value day in and day out – your insecurity disappears.

Today, my YouTube channel is bigger than all the “top dogs” in my niche – the ones that I look up to and who have all the credibility. Pretty cool huh.

So let’s break down three things that people pay for so you can focus on those, rather than trying to be “the best”.

People Pay For What They Can’t Do Themselves

Put simply if you can do something for someone that they can’t do on their own, they’ll pay you for it.

If you can get someone from point A to point B, that’s valuable.

For example, when I needed a logo for this site I hired a designer. Logos aren’t something I’m really good at. I can’t do it myself.

So I hired someone who can. But I don’t care if they are the best designer in the world. I don’t even care if they’ve worked really big brands.

All I care about is results. Can they design me a good logo?

In just a few minutes of looking over their portfolio on Fiverr I could tell if I liked their work or not.

I did, so I hired them – even if they are a “nobody” in the industry.

Simply because they did something for me that I couldn’t do myself.

Your product or service doesn’t have to be the best out there, it simply needs to deliver what it promises.

Right now I want you to write down two things that you’ve helped people with in the past.

What are two times that you’ve helped someone (a friend or family member let’s say) do something that they couldn’t do themselves?

These might be clues as to what product or service you could offer the marketplace.

People Pay For What They Don’t Want To Do Themselves

For as long as I can remember I’ve cut my own grass.

Even after moving to Florida (where it’s as hot as the surface of the sun in dead of summer) I continued to mow my own lawn.

But after a few years I grew tired of sweating through my clothes week after week, and losing an hour+ every single Saturday.

So what did I do? I hired someone to do it for me.

That’s right – I pay someone to do something that I can do perfectly fine on my own. Simply because it frees up my time and energy.

And guess what? Down here in Florida, there are like a MILLION lawn care companies and they always have an abundance of clients.

They are offering value by doing something other people don’t want to do themselves.

In your business, you could do JUST as good of job as your client but the value is you doing it FOR them!

Stack Value By Enhancing The Experience

People also pay for great experiences.

If you can stack the value in your product or service to create a better user experience, people will be happy to pay.

A good example of this is with restaurants.

A restaurant might have decent food, not great but good, but be able to stack the value by adding an amazing atmosphere and ambience + exquisite customer service and attention to detail thus creating an overall high end experience

If there is live music, hip lighting, cool decor, doting servers, and a killer view the overall value of the restaurant is high even if the core product (the food) is just OK.

What about you?

If you have a good product or service, what are two ways you can stack the value and enhance the customer experience?

Don’t Punish The Market

Something that entrepreneur and blogger Ramit Sethi talks about is not punishing the market.

What he means is don’t hold back what you have to offer. Your product or service is valuable, whether you are insecure about it or not.

You have something great to offer the world but giving in to Imposter Syndrome will not only punish you (no money) but it will punish your potential customer because you won’t serve them something valuable.

Don’t know what you COULD offer the marketplace? No clue what product or service you could create?

Download my free training called Get Paid To Do What You Love and learn the three steps you can take to pivot into the work and business you were meant for – and how to get paid handsomely for it!