What’s Your Resentment Number?
Three years ago, I first learnt about my resentment number. I negotiated a good price (or so I thought) and ended resenting working with this student and customer. Yes, I renegotiated my fees and costs, but the alarm bells had rung and I discovered something I have since then called my “Resentment Number”.
What is the “Resentment Number”?
What’s your resentment number?
The dictionary tells you the word “resentment” means anger, bitterness, or ill will. It’s a feeling of displeasure or indignation at some act, remark, person, etc., regarded as causing injury or insult. When you negotiate or set your course price or hourly rate, the resentment number represents the absolute bottom line where you are prepared to work.
Whatever financial reasons are plaguing you, this fee is the absolute lowest course price or hourly rate you are prepared to accept for your teaching service.
How and where to work out what your resentment number is
There are two ways to work out your resentment number:
(1) based on purely financial reasons
(2) based on personal AND financial reasons
Purely financial reasons:
Several years ago, I negotiated a double lesson with two young women in Hamburg, a 40 to 50 minutes drive from where I lived. Unfortunately, I had not done my research and was making a loss before I started working, notwithstanding the lost potential income from three students and customers whilst travelling to and fro from Hamburg.
I resented the lost time and the lost potential income from three customers. So do your homework and find out the true financial bottom line for any given lesson.
Personal AND financial reasons
Freelance teachers can understand most students and customers who work during the day and only have time early mornings, evenings or weekends. But are your students and customers asking you to work outside your normal hours? When a student and customer needs your teaching services badly enough to disrupt your free time, he will pay the extra fee.
A freelance teacher’s resentment sum must remain a secret
The resentment number is unique, personal and differs from freelance teacher to freelance teacher. It has to remain a secret.
Summary
When you are starting, there may be times when the going is rough, and there’s an ebb in your finances. The rent has to be paid, or because you need petrol in the car. However, you should try to avoid accepting work at or below your resentment number because working below the resentment number means you are paying for the privilege to work. Knowing your resentment number will stop you from underpricing your teaching services.
Pre-order your e-book “Pricing for Freelance Teachers”
Knowing your Resentment Number is important when you are setting your prices. Not know it and you could be under valuing your teaching services or even end up paying for the privilege of working. The e-book on Freelance Teachers: How To Set Your Prices will be available around October/November. Pre-order your copy to learn about setting your prices for your freelance teaching services, avoiding under valuing your worth and attract the kind of students and customers you want to teach.
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