Payment Options I Accept

One of the TOP problems I too frequently come across in my work is one that — frankly — seems to be the hardest to “cure” and it’s all about PAYMENT OPTIONS you accept.

I keep it really simple in my business.  You can pay me with cash, check or charge. If you’re paying with credit, you can use paypal or we can swipe your card in my office. Easy peasy.  Simple and direct.

But, too many business owners — particularly, unfortunately women business owners — work for all sorts of “payments.” Payments including:

• Affirmation
• Acceptance
• Friendship
• Fame
• Adoration
• Connections / Introductions
• Perception of success
• Affiliation with “big names”
• “Likes” on facebook; and my personal favorite, lol:
• Someone calling them a “rock star.”

Yuck.

If this is you… if you KNOW that you’ve been accepting these forms of payment in your business…. please keep reading. When you need / want any of these “payments” above, your business will become really complicated and confusing.

You’ll be busy and constantly feel “on the verge” of some big breakthrough.  I mean, look at all of the things people are saying about you…. Look at who you’ve gotten your picture taken with… Look at all of your “likes.” HOW COULD YOU NOT BE ON THE VERGE OF SOMETHING HUGE?  But you’ll be confused because — like a cloud that never rains — your business will remain relatively unprofitable.

If you’re like many of my clients in this position, you’ll wonder “what gives?”  You’ll start to doubt a lot of things.  Question a lot of things.

But, don’t complicate it —  it comes down to  payments you accept.  The good news, I guess,  is that you’ll be able to receive all of these payments listed above.  Pursue them, instead of cash, and you’ll likely get them.  Regularly.

But you won’t end up with a successful business.  You’ll end up with what can only be accurately described as a roller coaster for your ego and emotions. Your ego will be inflated, but you’ll soon — and frequently — doubt the sincerity or even the accuracy of what inflates it.  Then, your emotions will dive in…  leading to the emotional neediness that led you to accept these false payments in the first place.

Bottom line:  Cash, check or charge. Take ONLY these for payment.

If you find yourself approaching your business as “emotionally needy,” fix it, by doing the following:

1) make a list of the payments you’ve been accepting, and BY WHOM.  (You’ll soon see that there are recurring offenders very willing to take advantage of you by stroking your ego rather than swiping their card.)

2) DECIDE what you will do to get out of or re-define these relationships with recurring offenders.

3) Build your own confidence  — deliberately. You want to approach every business day with a CASH ONLY mentality.  Leave the neediness at the door.  In business, there’s no room for it and too many “stronger” business owners VERY WILLING to take advantage of it.   So, what do you do that leaves you feeling EMOTIONALLY TOUGH? For me, it’s my faith.  And routinely built by the two business resources I bring into my business every month. What is it for you?

4) Find an accountability partner who will challenge you to ACKNOWLEDGE when you start accepting these false payments again.  Admitting it is half the battle. =)

If you’re a coach, speaker or consultant and are COURAGEOUS enough to say… “I’ve found myself here.” or “I see myself in this blog post.” email me — michelle@bmichellepippin.com … I have something special to give you… to empower you… to equip you to transform your business.

To your wild (and REAL) success,

Michelle