So we’re going to step right past one of the biggest mistakes I see so many make when clarifying what their clients are actually paying for.

And we’re going to do it by talking about my favorite thing. Ice cream.

 

Coffee shops and ice cream parlors sell temporarily feeling good. That’s what’s different after you’ve paid for one of those services. Which is great. It’s just that most people aren’t willing to pay all that much to feel good temporarily.

 

Why?

 

One, it’s temporary and temporary things are hard to justify paying a lot for.

 

And two, because “feel good” puts you back in the same category as movies, ice cream, comedy shows, and a hot bath. You’re starting to look really expensive if all you sell is feeling good for the afternoon.

 

Long term feel good is different. That’s worth paying for, but it’s talked about in different language and thought about in different ways.

 

People don’t often say “I want a non-temporary feel good sensation.”

 

They say something like “I wish my back would stop hurting.”

 

A friend of mine who’s a highly skilled massage therapist told me a story of how she fixed a waitresses carpal tunnel in under 30 minutes… while she was dining at the restaurant. The waitress was in her early 20s and wearing a brace, and my friend asked her about it. She said she was scheduled for surgery the next day because it had become so bad.

 

That’s ridiculous, surgery on a college student.

 

So she fixed it. We talked about how much she charges for carpal tunnel work, and both concluded it was too little. Why? Because the alternative for this young woman was a procedure that would take more time, cost thousands, include a recovery period, and incur a small risk of lifelong damage.

 

Oh, also, knives.

 

We’re making great headway. Let’s tighten this thing up by figuring out who's problem it is that you're solving, then ship it out!

 

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