Asking for Money
Is £1200 per hour too little?
The Consistency
For all my working life, I’ve always drawn a salary, regardless of the work, successes and failures I’ve experienced, my salary has always been the same. No bonuses, no deductions (apart from the usual Tax and NI contributions), my salary has been consistent.
A few years ago, before Covid, I was put in touch with an Australian Organisation, in fact, the organisation was worldwide but it was the Australian branch that got in touch about delivering a one hour workshop around mental health. If memory serves me it was AstraZeneca, the worldwide biopharmaceutical organisation.
My friend and co-author Andrew White who also puts out the Leading Our Own Way Substack, introduced me to the lady who was responsible for inspiring their team.
Over the next few months, we talked, I met the leadership team, and we finalised plans for me to deliver a one hour online workshop for that organisation.
Now, while I was working full time, my organisation brought in online speakers and my first thought was “oh, not for me. They are just ticking a box so I’ll probably not attend”.
Now I’m on the other side of the fence, I was apprehensive, but eager to share my expertise with the people. I was hoping there weren’t too many people with my approach when faced with this option!
Prior to the event and the exchange of money, I and the leadership team talked about the format and we agreed it would be a workshop format. I’d provide some insights, split people into rooms, then deliver some exercises for the staff to complete. I’d created a Powerpoint that the leadership team would help with, and it would run smoothly and efficiently.
All agreed.
Through the negotiations, I started high, knowing they may ask if I could do it for a little less, which I agreed to. £1200 was the investment they made.
On the day in question, I talked with the leader about when to move the Powerpoint forward.
The Reality:
When the call went live, I was focused and locked in. The leader was moving the Powerpoint along as I spoke and we had some engagement of around 40 people until I made the announcement we would be splitting into Rooms for discussions.
Almost immediately we lost 20 people!
“Wow!” I was thinking. People must not like this activity! They are taking my approach to attending online events!
For those who remained, I had some great conversations and listened to their concerns and helped them make plans.
After the call ended, one of the leaders informed me it wasn’t unusual to get a huge drop off.
Hold on!
When we we planning the event and I suggested this strategy, that would have been a good time to raise the point that when a presenter splits people into rooms, there would be a drop off.
Lesson Learned!
I have yet to deliver another online information session, but when I do, I will remove the unnecessary factors such as splitting into rooms and the Powerpoint and simply impart my knowledge around the topic of Reframing.
Investment
For those of my readers who aren’t quite ready to invest £1500 into hiring me for an hour to deliver an online workshop around the idea that Reframing can change your fortunes around, I’ve created a workbook for a little less. Well for a lot less. In fact, the value in this workbook is far more than the actual price of £19.
Check it out below:
Life presents us with opportunities and at times, we won’t make the most of those opportunities, and things may not go to plan.
However, when you reframe your expectations, any sense of disappointment, failure or crisis, are quickly replaced with curiosity, enlightenment and a drive to continue to make small adjustments to improve.
Have you found yourself experiencing an outcome or result you felt you didn’t deserve and what did you tell yourself? Let me know.