We will be discussing this on our "Tarot Today Radio" episode, Saturday - August 21st ...Please Join Us! thetarotguild.com/events/radio08212021
Iren Gataullina has a great Post on our Facebook Group about underselling ourselves, so I wrote this article to give my comments on the topic! You can visit the original Post here: Stop Underselling Yourselves
Awesome Post Iren! 😎💜 ...This is what we have been telling our Members of "The Guild" for over 16 years now! I used to tell our Members to see what Therapists in your area are charging, on average.
Of course now a days, and especially since COVID, most of us are seeing the majority of our Client remotely, so we aren't constrained by what is being charged in our local area anymore.....
When I started in Tarot, decades back, about $1 per minute was the norm ($60 for an hour Reading), and has since gone up to about $2 (or more) per minute. This is the average and "bare minimum"! ...If you are charging $40 for a Reading, your are WAY under-charging folks!
Remember, this is an "Energy Exchange"! ...Even if you are a new Reader, you have a LOT of personal "life experience", AND you are providing your Clients your most valuable resource: "Your Time"!
...Not to mention the thousands of dollars invested in Tarot Decks, books, spread cloths, bags, boxes, your website, hosting, telecommunications, advertising, business cards, courses, certification, professional membership, and other paraphernalia!
Often, with new students, I have them tell me what they think they would charge (or are charging) for a Reading ....Then I tell them to DOUBLE IT! (NOTE: I am asking per Reading, not per minute.)
Another way to "calculate" what you should be charging is to look at your over-all financial needs. If you are a full-time Professional Reader, and need to make $50,000 per year to meet your expenses, then divide that by 12 (months in the year), and you'll see you need $4166 per month.
Now, how many clients do you want to work with per month? ....Let's say 25, as an example. Divide $4166 by 25. You'll see you need to be charging $166 per client.
If you were charging $50 for a Reading, you'd have to see 83 clients to earn the same $4166!! ...This is how Readers get "burned out", as Iren was saying in her Post!
In addition to avoiding burnout, charging what your services are really worth means higher quality clientele! You don't get the "tire kickers", or the people just wanting to get a Reading out of "curiosity".
This is also why I don't recommend charging "per minute". Even at $5 per minute, it only invites the curious to ask for a five-minute Reading and pay you just $25....
Another thing to look at is "specializing".... "Niching" to a specific type of client, with a specific "issue". Being a "Generalist" as a Reader is the same as in any other field: Hypnotherapist, Reiki Practitioner, Psychotherapist, etc., etc....
Those that "specialize" are seen as "The Expert", the "go-to-person" for that "issue" / "problem"! This also allows you to target your marketing to a particular client, and Focuses (narrows down) what the content you put out, on blogs / social media / YouTube, should be about........
Also consider that you are doing a disservice to you Clients by undercharging! ...They won't Value and take to heart what you are telling them in a Reading, if you are charging $40-$50!
When figuring out your pricing, look at the Real Value you are providing, and NOT what other Readers are charging. Don't even think in terms of "per Reading" or per minute"..... How about charging "per outcome"!?
Let's say you work with a client, and as a result the client is able to add $100,000 in revenue to their business! What is the really WORTH!? A business consultant would charge a client $10,000 for that kind of result!
....Or, perhaps, you are the go-to "Relationship / Romance Reader"! ...I help my clients reconnect with the lost love of their life! ....or, I help my clients save their marriage! ...........what's THAT "worth"!
Let's face it.... Tarot has come a long way! ....It's gone from a "party trick", or a "curiosity" (fortune telling), to more like Life Coaching.
Clients are looking for us to be a Life Coach or a cheaper and less threatening alternative to a "Therapist"!
While we can't replace a licensed health professional, our time, skills, knowledge and experience are at least worth what a $300-per-hour Therapist or Life Coach is charging!
.....By the way, speaking of Coaching, at "The Guild" we highly recommend Tarot Professionals take a Life Coaching Course and get Certified as a Coach! Here's a great option: https://thetarotguild.com/coach
You can add these valuable skills to your "Tarot Toolkit" and create more "value" for your Clients, which also means higher rates!
You can also join The Tarot Guild as Professional Member, and Get your CTR Certification! Be sure to check to out our Sizzlin' Summer Sale going on right now!
Remember, in addition to undervaluing yourself, if you aren't charging what your services are really worth, you are undervaluing our whole industry, as well...!!
Bright Blessings,
Dax Carlisle, DD, CTM
~ Founder & President - The Tarot Guild
Dax.TheTarotGuild.com
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