How to Start A Payment Plan and New Guidelines for Payment Plans
Let’s talk about money! As many of you know, for many years, I have been offering customized payment plans for my powerful video products and super powerful private coaching programs.
I’m very committed to offering payment plans because they have the potential to empower people to get the coaching they need even when they “think” they “can’t afford it.”
Indeed, many of my clients have afforded my coaching – including my signature 15-Week Miracle Coaching Program – by starting with a modest payment plan. The intention is to learn some basic skills, make a real commitment, manifest more financial abundance, and then get that payment plan paid off faster than you ever dreamed possible. This has happened many times.
Until now, I have offered payment plans at the same price as those who paid their tuition in full. I have not even charged interest on the payment plans.
All that said, today we are setting new guidelines for our payment plans. Most people understand that integrity with your word is an extremely important value to me. Most people have been very good about honoring their payment plans.
Unfortunately, in the past few years, we have had an increasing number of people who have not treated payment plans with the respect and consideration they deserve. The main problems with people’s payment plans are these:
* Late and missed payments
* Expecting to get product access or coaching sessions before they are actually paid for – the answer is NO
* Asking to switch to PayPal (which raises our transaction fees and creates other problems for us) for a payment plan – the answer is NO
* Regular attempts to renegotiate the payment schedule and amount
* Attempting to switch the money paid to a different purpose – unless you present a clear win/win to me, such as upgrading to a higher level product or coaching program with increased payments, you can expect the answer will be NO
* Regularly messaging me to find out how much you still owe – KEEP TRACK OF YOUR OWN PAYMENTS – I don’t mind if you check in every once in a while to make sure our ledgers match but this needs to be a rare occurrence
* Regular private messaging or emailing me with all your financial doubts, fears, and limiting beliefs or generally “hijacking” private coaching via payment plans – those issues are to be addressed AFTER you have completed your payment plan, IN COACHING SESSIONS
* Failing to inform me ahead of time if a credit card number has changed or you want to pay with a different card, resulting in recurrent payment failure
* Failing to inform me ahead of time if an account does not have enough balance to make the payment, and failing to provide an alternative form of payment BEFORE the payment is due
* Starting a payment plan at a low dollar amount and then failing to accelerate the payments even when the coaching method works and they are making a much higher income
* Regularly emailing me in response to an offer intended for new clients or customers, asking if the offer can be applied retroactively to their existing payment plan – THE ANSWER IS NO
* Bellyaching about late fees that were clearly disclosed when they entered into the payment plan
* Making money excuses why you “can’t” accelerate your payments and get your payment plan paid off for YEARS when Holistic Belief Reprogramming increased your income eons ago
All of these are unacceptable so we are going to stop them right now.
The intention of a payment plan is to give you a jump start on affording a program that you believe you otherwise cannot afford. The intention of a payment plan is NOT for you to get private coaching through the back door by having “problems” and “not being able” to make your payment on time. The intention of a payment plan is NOT for you to stretch the payments out for as many years as possible, when you are fully capable of paying it off now.
Many of us have seen how Airbnb is ruining short-term vacation rentals for many people in many cities by its abuses. Similarly, if these abuses of payment plans continue, these repeat violators are going to ruin payment plans for everyone.
And I do not want that to happen. Payment plans are a PRIVILEGE not a right. I bend over backwards to offer them to you, and I already put a LOT of bandwidth into keeping track of your payments. The abuses noted above have vastly increased the amount of time and bandwidth that I have to spend trying to keep track of late and missing payments and dealing with other high maintenance, passive-aggressive bullshit.
So the BULLSHIT STOPS HERE. These are the changes we are making:
1. Best program prices for those who pay the full tuition up front. Firstly, we are instituting immediately a policy that anyone who pays for their coaching program up front, whether by cash or credit card, is going to get a significant reduction in the tuition. This is only fair because full payment up front conserves my bandwidth for where it belongs: coaching people. We are going to raise the tuition for all the programs, including the signature 15-Week Miracle Coaching Program. Only those who pay the full tuition up front will now qualify for a special bonus tuition reduction.
2. Possibly imposing interest charges. I prefer not to resort to charging interest on payment plans. However, if abuses of the payment plan programs continue, I may have to impose interest as a way to ensure that the programs are not abused. You’ve been warned.
3. Late fee is going up, effective IMMEDIATELY. Any and all late payments (even one day late) will now be assessed a $97 late payment fee. This is a tiny amount of compensation for the stress and waste of time that late and missing payments impose on me.
4. Late fees will be imposed if you do not inform me, prior to your payment due date, of your new form of payment. If your credit card expiration or number has changed, contact me at least several days PRIOR to the payment.
5. No hijacking of private coaching via payment bullshit. Let me make something clear. There is nothing more important for your relationship with me than keeping your payment agreements. If you make a promise, make sure you are going to be able to keep it. Do not sign up for a payment plan unless you can commit to making 100% of your payments on time, no exceptions.
6. If you repeatedly violate these requests, the only further communication I will have with you is to send invoices, including late fees, until they are paid IN FULL.
If you think it’s “impossible” to make all your payments on time, be aware that you are talking to someone with a LONG financial history who can probably count on one hand the number of inadvertently late payments I have ever made in this lifetime. You simply have to put your foot down with your bullshit and decide you’re making your payments NO MATTER WHAT.
It is not fair to my clients and customers who do make their payments on time, for you to get all kinds of “free coaching” dealing with your limiting beliefs and passive aggressive bullshit. THAT IS WHAT PRIVATE COACHING SESSIONS ARE DESIGNED TO ADDRESS, but you need to pay for those sessions FIRST.
So people who continue to make bullshit and excuses about their payment plans will simply forfeit the money they have paid and be removed from my life until they have made every back payment and every late fee in one lump sum.
We are not going to play these games anymore. It is not fair to me. And it is not fair to the clients and customers who play by the rules. I need to keep my morale high in order to provide the best possible products and services. Your bullshit is a morale killer. So we are done with your bullshit. Trust me, you are going to be so much happier when you also are done with your bullshit.
As for what are the benefits to you? A good relationship with me, for starters. Second, many people underestimate the value of financial integrity. I cannot even begin to tell you how many small and large miracles have come to me because I keep my credit score sky high by keeping my word. My credit score is 841. Banks give me free money on a regular basis. Everyone wants a customer who keeps their payment agreements.
So get a grip, and understand no further bullshit will be tolerated. There will be no grace periods and no “first time freebie” anymore because there have been too many abuses. Keep your payment agreements or GTFO.
Thanks for your understanding.
Love,
Erika Awakening
p.s. As mentioned before, our super high value Gold membership is going up in price substantially this week. I expect to raise the rates by July 25 at the latest. So sign up now or forever hold your piece:
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