I want to answer my own question from yesterday’s email. The question was based on the premise… “If you can change the way you perceive your time and your value, you can improve your client acquisition rate and your billing rate. If this is true, is it ethical to do so?”

I believe value is like beauty… It is always in the eyes of the beholder. Let that sink in. Just because you don’t see value in a painting, doesn’t mean the next person wouldn’t. (Click here to see my wife’s paintings. Select people, places or things and you will see the places we’ve been and the people we love!) But here’s what’s important, selling is the transference of passion and passion is fueled by something we see clearly and which moves us deeply and those are the things we value.

If we don’t value our self or our work, others won’t either. Value perception begins within. I believe an understanding of what God has given us along with applied effort to steward and develop that gift, greatly enhances the value available to others. It is quite true however that many people clearly “over value” what they have to offer (just watch American Idol at the beginning of each season), but the market handles that by rejecting the asking price.

The bigger problem I see all too often is people “under value” what they have and offer diamonds for the price of cubic zirconia so to speak. In the process, they deprive the world of their diamonds because they are hidden on a discount rack with the cubic zirconia. Perhaps it is more a reflection of how they first see themselves and their own worth. When we adjust our thinking in that area first, we will be perceived quite differently in the market and the market will pay accordingly.

Yesterday, I raised the question about people wanting what is in short supply and how that affects price. In one sense, it is nothing more than the law of supply and demand. Let’s say that you are in a business where you charge for your time and for argument sake, the going rate for people with your expertise is $3,000 per day. However, maybe you are new in business or new in the area and your schedule has plenty of openings, so you are willing to work for half that rate so you can cover your basic living expenses. Is that unethical to discount due to your current circumstances? I don’t think so.

So then, is it any less ethical when the circumstances are reversed? Let’s say that you are now booked to capacity. You are on the road too much and another prospect approaches you wanting to contract you. You could work it into your schedule, but you don’t need the income or the stress of another client. It no longer is worth $1500 per day or $3000 per day to you, but you might consider it for $7500 per day if you could do the consulting over the phone and on your time schedule.

Here’s the deal. At that point, you don’t really care whether the prospect says yes or no and it seems the less it matters to you and the less you covet the account, the greater your chances are for getting it. That’s not always true, but it is often true - Very often. If you could have that mindset or that reality starting out, you would likely increase your client acquisition rate and your billing rate. If this is true, and I believe it is, then is it ethical?

I recently heard a consultant make the point that when his schedule is booked solid, he’s had people offer to double the rate to work them in. He’s had people show up with a briefcase full of cash to entice him to work them into his schedule. (Sounds questionable to me.) He refused their offers, but he explained a principle that I see operating in Romans 7, where people seem to always want what they can’t have and don’t want what they should have.

One conference speaker in Florida showed up in shorts, t-shirt, flip-flops and a ball cap that said, “Clients suck!” After being introduced, he spent the next 10 – 15 minutes explaining that under no circumstances would he accept any offers for client work. He told them not to bring him any deals, any offers or any once in a lifetime opportunities. He was serious about that, yet for the rest of the conference he was hounded by folks who thought they could be the one to change his mind and were willing to pay extra to prove it.

Look what happened when Jesus told the people he healed to be quiet about it… They published it all the more. (Mark 1:45) So what can we learn about business from this principle? Of course, we shouldn’t lie to create a false image which is so often done today. So how can we apply that reality today in the selling of our products and the marketing of our services? I’d like to hear your thoughts. I think it merits discussion, so go ahead and select the “comment on this post” option at the bottom of this email and weigh in.

I was driving down the road the other day with my wife and without warning, I blurted out, “Don’t look over there!” as I pointed dramatically to her right side. Of course, in a reflexive action, she riveted her head in the exact direction I told her not to look. I knew she would respond that way, as would I under a similar circumstance. Why do you suppose that is?

The law, any law, compels you to act against it. With some forethought, or if you are in agreement with the law, it is easier to comply. But it seems that the things we should be doing, so often we are loathe to do, and the things we should forbid, we feel drawn to. Paul spoke in detail about this in Romans 7. “For what I will to do, that I do not practice. But what I hate, that I do.” He explains that sin residing in us is activated by law. In other words, as soon as the commandment came forbidding an action, our sin nature immediately craves to do it.

The same is often true regarding any law. Yes, I know there are many exceptions. If it became illegal to eat cow paddies, I wouldn’t suddenly crave them. On the other hand, if the sign says, “Wet paint. Don’t touch…” Well, curiosity may get the best of me. When we make habits a law for our life, we immediately set in action a natural response to disobey that law and likely doom it to failure. The more legalistic we become about that law, the more the battle rages and if by sheer determination we win and keep that law, we often end up rather unpleasant to be around.

On the other hand, if the habit is motivated by grace and fueled by vision, then it is no longer a law and a great deal of resistance melts away. Our chance for success increases greatly. Quit making habits a law and keep your eyes on the reason (the vision) for the habits while asking God to give you His grace in weakness. He will.

The person seeking mastery in business or any area of life must appreciate the might of the force of habit and must understand that practices create habits. We must be quick to break those habits that can break us and hasten to adopt those practices that will become the habits that help us achieve the success we desire.

First, you must understand the only reason habits persist is that they offer some satisfaction. We allow them to persist by not seeking another, better form of satisfying the same needs. In fact, every habit, good or bad, is acquired and learned in the same way, by finding that it is a means of satisfaction. So ask yourself what need that bad habit is meeting and then ask God to show you better ways for that need to be met. For example, do you eat when you are depressed to give yourself comfort? What other practice could you choose that would provide comfort without being harmful to your health?

One reason we fail at good habits is that we sometimes bite off more than we can chew. If you haven’t been exercising for years and you decide that you’re going to jog five miles a day because your neighbor does, you’re probably in for a rude awakening! Don’t set yourself up for failure. It is better to set yourself up for a small, but sure success and then build upon that, than to plan a marathon this weekend and be hospitalized at mile three!

It has been noted that man becomes a slave to his constantly repeated acts: What he chooses in the beginning, eventually compels him. So what are you choosing? How much thought do you put into your choices? What we repeatedly do by choice ultimately becomes a compulsion, so we must make good choices, especially in the things we do often.

You see, habits can enslave us or serve us. It is our choice. What are your work habits? How quickly do you respond to email or phone messages? I am not saying that you should always respond immediately; but the question is, “what is your habit?” Do you have an effective, habitual way of managing the flow of incoming demands for your attention? What are your other work habits? Based on what you know of yourself and your work habits, would you hire you?

Because habits are formed by the actions we repeatedly choose, it is very important to understand how we make choices. We can make choices by default, which is how most habits are formed or we can be deliberate and make choices that line up with the vision we have for our life. Unless you have a clear vision, you will not be able to make good choices. Solomon said that “without a vision, people cast off restraint”. In other words, without vision, people lack the discipline to establish good habits.

If you’re not too impressed with your habits, maybe it’s time to examine the vision you have for your life.

Most of us consider habits our enemy. They seem to enslave us to things we don’t want to do. Breaking them requires huge effort. However, not only do we need to break old bad habits, but we need to establish new good habits. When we do, habits become our friends, our servants, our allies!

Building good habits requires intentionality. Bad habits occur without intention. If you want habits to be your friend, then you have to choose them. If you don’t, you’ll have bad ones by default. The problem is that we have all chosen a good habit only to see the old habit win out over time. The discouragement can be overwhelming because our intentions were so good and our failure to carry them out so absolute!

Why do we fail? Because most of us try to do it in the power of our own natural strength. While it is possible to develop a good habit based on sheer will power, the sustainability of that can be very difficult. For example, suppose you decide to read your Bible thirty minutes a day because you know it’s a good habit that will serve you well. Six months later, not only are you not reading thirty minutes a day consistently, but you have forgotten that you were even trying to. And when you remember, you feel condemned.

So what is the answer? Learn how to let the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, which also dwells in you (Rom 8:11), empower and enable you. We cannot carry out the good things we want to do on a consistent basis. We all fail at doing the right thing and we fail consistently. But God is able to get the job done through us when we are ready to cease from our own self effort. Join me for the next dispatch for details!

On day three of creation, God separated the land from the sea and named them. We have looked at how land represents the whole concept of entering into work and we have identified four characteristics (K.A.S.H.) of the sea which are helpful in defining an operating strategy for your business. (1) Invest in Knowledge, (2) Take Responsibility for your Attitude, (3) Develop your Skills and last not but not least, the “H” which is for Habits. (4) Develop Good Habits and they will serve you well.

Isaiah said. “Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;” The Hebrew for the word “way” is “derek” which literally means, “A custom, a beaten track, a course of life, a mode of action”. The sea has paths and in following those paths and cooperating with them, one can gain significant efficiencies in ocean travels that others who ignore them cannot make.

Falling into a good habit is like catching a current in the sea. It gives you acceleration and advantage. It gives you unseen, but powerful operational efficiencies. Consider information, for example. While it is good to have information, the real key is “information retrieval”. How quickly can you put your hands on the information you need to make decisions, serve a customer, etc? Experts say the average person loses an hour a day looking for things. How much time do you spend just looking for documents or important email because you can’t remember how you saved them or because there is so much clutter? Create a consistent “way” of storing information, (a system) that is easy to follow and watch your efficiency and peace of mind increase!

When does a rabbit get into trouble? When he steps outside the boundaries of the briar bush and into the open field. We are often tempted to step outside of our boundaries into greener pastures too and that can be disastrous. We think we have planned well and assessed the risks, but if we are overstepping our bounds, we may well end up in a very tight spot indeed.

You see, I believe our boundaries are largely determined by our skills. If I were to try out for American Idol, I would make a fool of myself. I would be stepping outside my current boundaries and into the open field where I am fair game for whoever would take aim at me.

When we step out of our assigned boundaries, we get into trouble. What are your Strengths? Weaknesses? Limitations? While it is useful to shore up your weaknesses, you will get more mileage developing your strengths. The more time you spend in your strengths, the more productive you will be. And yes, I am aware that Paul said, “Most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me… for when I am weak, then am I strong.”  So which is it?

Both.

Work with clients at a level commensurate with your skill. Keep honing those skills. At the same time, acknowledge your weaknesses and depend on the power of Christ to rest upon you that you might fulfill all that He has called you to do.