EXPERT do you consider yourself one?
In this video I talk about this “coveted” word. To some of us it’s intimidating, to some of us it is a goal, maybe you are reading this and you already know you are an expert. I wanted to talk about my opinion of being an expert and whether you should be getting paid for what you do if you are not yet an expert.
Here Are The Main Points From The Video:
- I believe you should get paid even if you are not an expert
- Expert: A person who has a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of or skill in a particular area
- “10,000 hrs to be considered an expert”
- Every expert was once a beginner
- There are different stages of service
- Embrace the journey
- Always act as an expert
In the comments below let me know what your opinion is. Do you think people should charge for their work even though they are not an expert? Let me know what you think.
If you have any business or marketing questions you want answered in a future video send them to hello@nevicavazquez.com.
Thank for watching & I’ll see you guys in the comment section!
<3,
Nevica
If you’re putting work out in the world, you deserve to get paid.
I do think you should be upfront about your expertise, though. If you’re a business coach and you haven’t reached and sustained 6 figures, you probably shouldn’t claim to be a 6-figure expert.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t still be a badass business coach. Same with designers or photographers or any kind of business. Transparency is really appealing to me and I’m more likely to hire someone who’s new who is sharing a part of themselves in a beautiful way.
And yes – start doing the work!
When I first started my business, I did a ton of free coaching, just so I could get really clear about what I was good at, where I needed more experience, and what kinds of clients I loved working with – because it wasn’t everyone!
One last thought – I SOOOO agree that not everyone can (or wants to) afford expert level pricing. I’ve worked with brand new VAs and writers throughout my career and had great results.
Important discussion!!!
Ah I love all of your points!
& couldn’t agree more. You can totally rock out the level you are at and be the best person to work with at that price point. I also believe that people will respect and trust you more if you are honest and don’t claim to be an expert if you aren’t one.
Thanks so much for sharing all of this with me Dawn. I loved reading your toughts!
Really great discussion, and something that all people starting out have probably puzzled over at some point.
I also did many things for free at first, building up experience, getting feedback and then charging people as I developed.
Since then I’ve also tried new things that were a million miles from where I first started (and I was by no means an expert at!) – many of which have come from clients asking “Can you do this?”- and because I was acting as the expert they were willing to put their trust in me to get it right.
At the end of the day, if someone is happy to pay you, then you are an expert to them.
Wow I love what you just said!
“If someone is happy to pay you, then you are an expert to them.” What a great way to look at it! Thank you for sharing Rosalind!
I think no matter your experience, you should charge for your work. Start off reasonable to build your portfolio and then as your experience, knowledge and skill grows, your prices can rise as well. You always have to be confident in your abilities and take yourself seriously. If you don’t believe in your work, no one else will! Great post & video love!
xo Caroline
http://www.calijaedesigns.com
Love your thoughts on this Cali! Amen! If you don’t believe in it no one will!
Great discussion, Nevica! I think everyone has made such good points. Two things I’d like to add. One of my mentors says, “to a third grader, a fourth grader is a god”. There are things that we have learned how to do that we may not be at expert status…yet, but we can help someone else side-step our blunders or give them an advantage. So maybe that means that you charge accordingly and step up your prices as your skill improves and your acquire more knowledge.
The other thing I thought about is that college professors get paid all the time to teach things that they have read about and studied, but may not have actually done for years. If the information is solid and gives the student (or in our case the client) knowledge or the means to excel, then their salary is definitely worth it, so why would we think any less of ourselves?
Really great points TaVona! I LOVE what your mentor says about the third and fourth grader. That is so simple to understand and makes so much sense when it comes to this topic. Thanks so much for sharing that with me!