Perception of value
Everyone thinks I’m a nice guy, which is not a bad way to be perceived.
Matthew Morrison
How we value things is really interesting and what constitutes value also adds another layer to this question.
I think that you are all aware of our recent purchase of a dog in recent times and how we have invested in him and continue to invest our funds in food, travel and training (along with the various other expenses). Interestingly, a comment made by our dog trainer at both of the sessions we attended really stands out. She mentioned that the reason she charges the fee, was to ensure that all the participants valued the course AND also worked hard in between the sessions. Prior to this, she charged a lesser fee and found that the participants (and their pets) didn’t work so hard!
This concept has been running around my brain for many years as I have made the transition from public health to private practice. Where there was no fee for service from the clients to them either paying a fee or having a reimbursement from Medicare for services provided. There is always the alternative side in which the service is paid for by the funding body and the client does not always see or value this. If the client does not purchase the service, the question remains in respect to their value that the place on the service, do they feel that they have been provided “value” for the service and willing to work on their issue? This is difficult to ascertain and has many aspects that cannot be answered for each individual case.
When I look at my fee, I have to remember that this not only includes my four-year degree – but also the many professional trainings and continued professional development that I have invested in over time. The expense of all these have added up over the years and have assisted me to be the professional that stands before you today – whether face to face or via Telehealth.
I am also investigating another therapy and the extra time that this will involve, not only the face-to-face time, but also the considerable clean up time behind the scenes and how to factor this into my pricing.
Thankfully, there are a range of options available, both locally and nationally, in which clients can decide on the options that suit them best.