Would You Work For Free?????

Most of us undervalue the services we provide our clients, partly because the market will only bear so much and many of us (Baby Boomers) do not place a high enough value on what we offer our clients in terms of services. Now if we were auto mechanics and we were offering our essential services to get their car back on the road, we would probably say we are charging the right amount or even providing a service at a discount because the end result (car in working condition) is visible and quantifiable. I am in the financial services arena and much of what we do outside of investing does not have the immediate, gratifying feel of driving the car out of the garage, therefore we feel the end user (client) will not pay full price but will grudgingly pay the discount which becomes the basis for even more discounts when the economy or market volatility makes price levels heavy and laden down with human emotions. And once we cut prices we are loath to raise them again for fear of allowing our clients a reason to shop around. The end result: Our services may not be free but the compensation may not be free but it is in many cases not up to the point of what they are worth in the long run but we have already stepped onto the slippery slope of giving away services.