Adding value

Many people ask me if they could do one thing to get more money flowing to them I always say that the best thing you can do is to add more value to whatever you do. For instance if you work for yourself you will need to give more value to your clients and customers. Now this value does not even have to be real as long as it is real or is perceived as real to your customers. For example if you gave your customer some coupons or discount cards from other suppliers or service professionals they would gain extra value from you and then hold you in greater esteem than someone who did not give them that value. There are many ways of adding and increasing value to others. What if you found a better way of doing something or a new way for saving time or money for your employer, could you not go to them and say "if I can add more value, say five times more value, than I presently am, would you consider giving me a pay rise that reflects that added value". If you could prove that you could do this, by say, giving a two week trial, wouldn't the boss be a bit silly to not even consider this. I personally know someone who spent their spare time sourcing products much cheaper than the ones that were being used by his company when he noticed that noone else was doing that due to time and pressure. He took all his findings to his boss and stated that if they implemented this plane it would save them 20% per year on material costs. He then said if I can prove this will happen will you give me a 10% pay rise that way they were till gaining and not losing. All it took was few phone calls to different suppliers. After three month trial period he was given his payrise. Why ?, because he added value to the business.

Now I also know a nurse who added value to other lives by doing talks to people who were thinking of entering the nursing profession but were still unsure. She gave them the benefit of her twenty years experience to groups of ten at a time and she charged them to come to the workshop. Cheaper to pay a small fee to find out the real deal than to have to leave a career and start again a short way down the line. I read about someone who hired a DVD camcorder and made a short film about his work and answered all the common questions in the video which he sent out to his customers . they got more information and detail from him so his conversion rate went up because he gave more value. There are hundreds of ways of adding value to what you do even if you are not self-employed as the ingenious nurse showed. What if you simply understated your product or service as many salespeople do and then over delivered. Isn't that also adding perceived value in the customers mind

What is value exactly:
Value for clients or cuatomers is the material and psychological return they get from a business in return from the money and psychological costs they pay for it.

There are various types of value:

Product
The tangible and material goods received from a business transaction are called a product. Depending on the nature of the product and the needs of a customer, a product's value can mean many things. Durability, reliability, quantity, quality, freshness and taste are some of the qualities, which can make a product more valuable to a customer.

Service
Service is the manner through which the product is delivered. Courtesy, speed and correct information are some of the service factors, which add value to the product delivered to the customer. The better a business provides services along with the delivery of products, the more people will get attracted to it.

Respect
One of the basic needs of human is the need to be respected. Respect is the dignified treatment people receive from business in term of trust, courtesy, recognition and care. This is also related to the service given by companies to its buyers.

Convenience
Convenience is the ease with which one receives the product or service. Abundant availability, home delivery, proximity are some of the elements which can add on the convenience of customers.

Image
Image is the psychological boost to one's self image through the possession of a product or the receipt of a service. Use and consumption by famous personalities, luxury, unique features, scarce supply, expensive material, professional people who deliver the service, status, are some of the image-adding factors for a product or service.

Make a list of all the ways that you could add more value to what you already do without having to utilize more time and you will surely attract more income or more customers or both