What’s it Worth to You?

I’m a TCU alum and love going to football games. The first game of the season is this weekend and I’ve already got my purple t-shirt ready to go.

For those of you either not from Texas or unfamiliar with Texas ways, there’s two important things you should know:

1. Texans take football very seriously (even if players are single-digit ages).
2. When football season starts, it’s still hot as balls out.

In 2011, TCU won the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin and in 2012 we joined the Big 12 conference. The newly shining light on our football program (plus crazy tuition hikes) led up to a massive stadium renovation in 2012. During that season, we played all of our home games during daylight hours because stadium lights weren’t complete.

Bear with me, I’m working up to a point.

The new stadium is multi-tiered and large (45,000 capacity). During that 2012 season, I made the long hike to the top of that stadium many times (I’m too cheap to pay for better seats). And, because the games were during the heat of the day, I was hiking up HOT: like 100 degrees+ hot.

I remember one game in particular, I made the hike to the top and there was a man at the end of the ramp selling ice-cold bottled water (best marketing spot EVER). He charged $4 for a little 16oz bottle of water and I knew I was paying too much, but I didn’t care. It was totally worth it.

I knew I was paying too much, but I didn't care. It was totally worth it. Click To Tweet

It’s About Value, Not Cost

This past weekend I came across a forum post for someone looking to hire out some WordPress work. The phrasing of the post spoke of someone who didn’t understand the value of what they were asking.

Let me show you what I mean. Here’s a screenshot of the request:

What the Poster Communicated:

• It’s “easy” (though not easy enough I could do it myself)
• If you’re good at what you do, it won’t take you long (it doesn’t matter that it took you a long time to be skilled enough to do the work quickly)
• I need this work ASAP (I didn’t plan my project well and need your help to bail me out)
• I’ll manipulate you with the hope of future work (I’ll give you worthless stock options!)

In this case, the Poster attributed no value to the person who might be in a position to help. Even though the post doesn’t mention cost, it’s clear that the expectation is a quick-turnaround without a full understanding of the technical work involved. The omission of cost indicates that the Poster isn’t concerned with paying for the value someone could give by helping out on short notice.

I’m gonna tell you right now: If you want me to give up personal time on a weekend to jump into your project, it’s going to cost more than regularly scheduled time. That time is worth more to me, and therefore I value it more and will not give it away for less.

Carrie, You’re Over-Reacting

It’s possible I misread the post or assumed wrong things. But even if I did, I still think there’s an important takeaway. When you’re hiring out work (whether it’s for your website or for a car repair), it’s important to look at more than just the end result.

• What’s the ease of communication?
• Is this person reasonable and reliable?
• Do I get consistent, honest feedback?
• Is this person working toward my best interest?
• Is this person available to me at the drop of a hat?

You can ask those questions of a service provider, regardless of the type of service. For each question you answer “yes” to, be prepared to pay more, because that’s added value.

Costs will vary from provider to provider, but when it matters — when you’ve got a problem and need to find someone with a solution — what’s that worth to you?