“Price” - the dance of putting blame.. ups.. responsibility on another’s shoulders.

To name the price - either it be the price you ask for your services or product or the price you consider acceptable for the services and products you buy; either expected salary or the salary you are ready to pay for the position you recruit - it is YOUR responsibility.

We are so afraid to name the exact price we feel comfortable with, satisfied with, motivated by, that we create unnecessary drama around this topic. We could discuss the reasons why it is so, where comes the fear of rejection from and necessity at some point of our lives to put lower expectations. But this article is about consequences of being unable to name the price rather than the cause of this inability.

Being unable to name, negotiate, set the price you are motivated by and driven to provide services and sell products, work on projects, work with certain employer creates following drama:

Inexplicable expectations. In a while you start to sense even tangible awkwardness, because you brought “an elephant” into the room. Everybody kinda feels that something more is expected, but kinda both parties agreed on price so there shouldn’t be any misunderstandings. But the tense atmosphere is there - one party is expecting that other party will feel the first party’s real need. While other party doesn’t understand the awkwardness - maybe because of inability to read minds :)

Major disappointments. When you do not communicate clearly your requirements, expectations, “nice to haves” and “must haves” or you reduce or minimize your requirements, needs and expectations with the intention “the other party will realize that I am/my product or service is worth more than what I am asking”, “the other party will offer more anyways because they will see the worth” you end up with major disappointments.

This disappointment leads to blaming the other party for not seeing, not offering, not paying more. Not only blaming the clients, employers, business partners, but also getting less and less motivated to do anything - continue the project, work, provide services, produce products… While this client, this employer, this business partner has no clue that you actually wanted higher pay for your service, product, work. And here the law “ignorance does not release from the responsibility” does not apply. It definitely releases the responsibility!

Because it is your responsibility to set the price based on your expectations so you are ready and satisfied to provide services, sell products and work with the best quality and attitude.

Exaggerated expectations vs minimum effort. Reducing the requirements (read: asked price) leads to the next risk - I work, do or provide as less as possible, because I receive less than expected. While on the other side of the scales are exaggerated demands.

If you as a client, business partner, employer agreed on the price presented, this means you agreed on the terms and initial value discussed. This is also your responsibility to accept the price for the value you get. Meaning you cannot start acting like “I am already paying too much for this work, service, employee, so better they work their a** off”, demanding unreasonable amount of work hours, extra deliveries, project amendments without extra payments etc.

You accepted the price - that is your responsibility to be fine with it and if not, then communicate any needed changes.

So everybody’s responsibilities are:

• to set the price (pay, salary) comfortable with you, bringing the joy and motivation to deliver best quality, attitude and value.
• to communicate clearly the expectations and negotiate.
• to make a decision to work, provide service, sell, produce with the price agreed or vice versa - make a decision not to do anything because your expectations cannot be met.
• when agreeing on less price, live with your decision without blaming anyone else that they did not understand, did not offer, did not afford more/extra etc. or secretly expecting something more.
• or.. to change the terms, price as soon as you understand that with agreed price you no longer can provide services and work with best quality, satisfaction and joy without resentment towards other party.

For one the price will be too high, for another - just in time. And it is your responsibility where you aim at, what you accept and what you deliver. The same for other party -it is your responsibility what price you agrees on and what value you get for that price.

The sooner we take own responsibility and not put this responsibility on other’s shoulders, the more pleasant cooperation we will have with each other.