When a client needs to work with you but their money is tight

One of the members of our Learning Community was asking how to talk to a client in an all-too-common situation.

“They told me, “The work I’m doing with you is really helping, but the money is really tight. What should I do?”

“How do I answer them? The work has been incredibly helpful for them, but I don’t want to take the money. And I can’t really afford to just give my sessions away, I need to make a living, too, or I’m going to have financial problems myself.”

This can feel heart-breaking. And I’m going set aside all those tropes about “if it was really important they’d find a way to afford it” because, bleh. You know, sometimes people really do have financial struggles, and it’s not about skipping lattes.

I also want to be clear that our community member explained that this was a situation where the client *could* make it work, most likely, just that it would be more stressful than usual.

I sat with this one, because there’s a tenderness in the situation, with my client, with their client, with the broken and pain and suffering in this unjust economy where so many are hurting.

The answer lives in a truth that I lean into every day, that my clients have heard me say many times.

95% of marketing and sales problems are solved with honesty.

In this situation, I asked our Community member what was true about the situation.

“She’s doing incredible work- the healing is helping her in amazing ways. She’s really responsive, and I don’t want to see that cut short. At the same time, I feel really awkward saying that when she’s facing financial restrictions.”

“If that’s the truth, tell her that.”

“Which part?”

“Both parts. All of it. Your enthusiasm for her healing, your empathy for her financial situation, your awkwardness at mentioning your enthusiasm when she’s having money challenges.”

My client thought about it for a moment. “Won’t that undercut my credibility, saying I feel awkward?”

There are times when admitting awkwardness or uncertainty can be the wrong thing. When I was a paramedic, and I had my doubts about helping someone, I never wanted to express that. I wanted them to feel confident that I knew what I was doing, and that they were getting help. The hope I could give them through my confidence was helpful to them.

As a practitioner, doing whatever you do, you want to impart confidence to your clients. Your doubts about your own abilities should be brought to your own support system, not to your clients.

However, awkwardness, doubt, and similar feelings that don’t relate to competence in your area of expertise can be incredibly helpful in connecting with your clients, with building trust with them.

Here’s what I suggested as a version or idea of what could be said.

“Thank you for asking me! I feel really awkward saying this, because two things are true. One is that you are responding incredibly well to this work, and I wouldn’t want you to stop it for anything. It’s really helpful, and you’re going to heal and change much more quickly with this support. On the other hand, I get what financial challenges are. You’re at a point where you wouldn’t suffer tremendous harm from stopping the work, you just would move much more slowly, most likely.”

I want to support you in holding a complicated, nuanced, embracing view of reality! One that includes your belief in the power of your work, and you’re advocating people to get that help! One that includes empathy for the challenges your clients face in accessing your work. And one that also includes your awkwardness and vulnerability in holding the nuanced, complicated picture.

You don’t have to drop your belief and strength to acknowledge your clients’ challenges. And you don’t have to deny your own feelings about the situation.

As I said, 95% of marketing and sales “problems” can be solved with honesty.

Here’s my curiosity: what would you say in that situation? What words feel right to your heart? What’s your honest, embracing, nuanced, complicated truth?

With love,
Mark Silver, M.Div.
Heart of Business, Inc.
Every act of business can be an act of love.

Sovereignty is almost here:

The ability to speak these kinds of nuanced, honest truths rises from a foundation of sovereignty, the capacity to hold strength and love and gentleness even in the face of challenges.

Sovereignty is not “officially” a part of our pay-from-the-heart course The Heart of Your Business, but it is a critical piece of business success. If you register for The Heart of Your Business during May, you’ll have access to the June 4 bonus class on Sovereignty, and the recordings, and the PDF.

And the whole rest of the program! Which is worth it even without the bonus.

Jump in with us! It won’t be offered again until this time next year.

Click: The Heart of Your Business 9 week program 

And ask any questions you may have.