The Value of Expertise: Lessons from a $10,000 Screwdriver

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If you’ve ever felt nervous about pricing your services, this story will change the way you think.

Ever heard about the guy who charged $10,000 for just two minutes of work?

It sounds like the start of a joke, but this story packs a powerful lesson about knowing your worth. And if you’ve ever felt uneasy about charging for your own services, this might just change the way you think.

So, let’s dive in.

It all started on the Saturday before Christmas at a major New York newspaper.

Everything was going smoothly until disaster struck—one of their massive printing presses broke down. And not just any press, but the one responsible for printing the Sunday paper, their most profitable edition of the year.

With millions of dollars on the line, the entire operation was at risk.

The company's technicians scrambled, trying everything they could to fix the problem. But no luck.

The clock was ticking, and every second meant more money slipping through their fingers.

In desperation, the CEO called a retired printer technician who’d worked with the machines for over 40 years.?

"We'll pay anything, just come in and fix them," the CEO begged.

The retired printer arrived on the scene, and after spending just 1 minute checking over the machines, he approached one of the control panels…

Opened it up…

Pulled out a screwdriver…

And turned a single screw half a turn.

“All fixed,” he said.

And just like that, the press roared back to life. The company was over the moon.?

Their holiday profits were saved!

But when it came time to settle his bill — they were shocked to see he charged them $10,000 for 2 minutes of work.

Not wanting to pay $10,000 for such a short period of work, they told him to itemize his bill.

So he sent one:

• Turning the screw: $1.00
• Knowing which screw to turn: $9,999.00

The moral of the story?

Your clients aren’t paying you for the time you spend on a task.

They’re paying for your expertise, your experience, and your ability to deliver results. Whether it takes you ten minutes or ten days, what really matters is the value you bring.

The next time you feel guilty or anxious about your pricing, remember this: you’re not just charging for your time. You’re charging for the years of learning, practice, and skill that allow you to solve problems quickly and effectively.

And that’s worth every penny.

So go ahead, charge what you’re worth. Your clients will thank you when their problems are solved and their lives are better because of what you do.

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