Embrace Your Expertise and Charge for Value NOT Time with Sharon Robustelli | Ep #719
Do you price your agency services based on time spent or based on value delivered? Your fees should reflect the expertise you bring to solving your client's challenges, not how long it takes. If you still consider time your most valuable metric, it may be time to reassess the true value you offer. Our featured guest started her career in PR and ventured to start an agency after becoming disillusioned with corporate decision-making; often neglecting the best interests of both teams and clients. She set out to build an agency that would get the job done while not losing sight of their values. Tune in to learn how she learned to appreciate the value she brought to clients and how that changed the way she prices her services and structured her offer.
Sharon Robustelli is the founder of Ten3 Public Relations, an agency with a mission to elevate female founders and help them raise their authority in their industries. She shares her journey from starting in entertainment PR to eventually founding her own agency and figuring out the struggle between value and time.
In this episode, we’ll discuss:
Figuring out the pricing struggle between value and time.
A surefire foot-in-the-door strategy.
Fueling creativity and innovation for your agency team.
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E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service.
Turning Frustration into Motivation and Innovation
Injustice can serve as a powerful catalyst for change and achievement. This is what inspired Sharon to establish her agency "out of spite." With a degree in public relations—an increasingly rare credential—she embarked on her career in entertainment PR. After a decade of mastering this segment of the industry, Sharon began to explore opportunities for a strategic pivot. This transition ultimately led her to consumer PR, igniting a passion that continues to drive her work today.
As she climbed the ranks in the agency world, Sharon reached a point where she was exposed to the inner workings of decision-making at a higher level. This experience opened her eyes to the bureaucracy, internal politics, and priorities that were not always in alignment with what was best for the team and the clients. She felt disillusioned by the way decisions were made and the lack of consideration for the impact on individuals' lives.
More than anything, she was taken aback by how much time was lost with bureaucracy and trying to look smart and strategic to clients. She was determined to create a space where she could prioritize the well-being of her team and focus on serving her clients in a way that aligned with her values and mission. In doing so, she took a bold step towards creating a more equitable and empowering work environment for herself and those she serves.
Figuring out the Pricing Struggle Between Value and Time
The biggest ‘aha moment’ that led Sharon to leap into starting an agency realizing the the struggle between her value and her time. She recognized that her value lies in her experience and knowledge rather than the amount of time she spends on a project. This shift in mindset allowed her to break free from the traditional agency model and start her own agency, where she could focus on delivering tangible results efficiently and effectively.
She had not internalized she was good at what she did and figured if someone paid her to do something it meant she had to spend a certain amount of time doing it. In the end, clients are not paying for the number of hours spent on a project; they are paying for the expertise, creativity, and strategic thinking that professionals bring to the table. Prioritizing expertise is a way for agencies to deliver higher quality work in less time, ultimately leading to greater client satisfaction and long-term success.
Sharon's advice is to embrace your expertise and acknowledge the value it brings to the table. This also extends to pricing strategies, as she highlights that charging for the time spent doing something meant losing money for her. Instead, charging based on the value provided will allow you to command higher prices and build long-term relationships with clients who appreciate the impact of their work.
Establishing Expectations and a Surefire Foot-In-The-Door Strategy
Understanding your value is essential for developing an offer that effectively showcases your expertise while minimizing the time and resources spent on client pitches. For Sharon, this begins with establishing clear expectations with clients right from the start of their relationship. She emphasizes her approach of not pitching a specific offer; instead, she arranges a session dedicated to understanding the client's unique needs and crafting tailored solutions.
Providing clients with a roadmap or strategy upfront allows agencies to demonstrate their expertise and show clients the value they bring to the table. This approach not only helps clients understand the benefits of working with a professional but also saves time and resources and sets the stage for a more collaborative and successful partnership.
A session like this would be a perfect foot-in-the-door strategy you can use to filter out serious clients from those who may not be a good fit. If you’re working on your foot-in-the-door offer, just remember to ask yourself the following questions:
What’s the perceived value?
What’s the speed of execution?
Does it lead to a logical next step?
Is it something you can co-create with the prospect?
If your strategy provides value, does not take much time or effort to create, and leads the prospect to a follow-up project co-created with them, then you have a winner. More often than not, prospects will enjoy the transparency of being part of that process.
Fueling Creativity and Innovation for Your Agency Team
Business owners often find themselves responsible for large teams and can’t seem to get comfortable with the idea of leading. Sharon advises staying curious and continuously exploring new ideas and perspectives to refuel passion and drive for work. Look for things that keep you interested in the world and seek outside stimulation; engage in conversations with others, read, take walks, and pursue interests outside of work and family to expose yourself to new experiences and ideas that can broaden your perspective and keep your mind sharp and engaged.
Creativity is a key component of success in any field, including business. When you remain curious and open-minded, you’re more likely to come up with innovative solutions, think outside the box, and adapt to changing circumstances. By exposing themselves to new experiences and ideas, they can broaden their perspectives and keep their minds sharp and engaged.
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