What’s on the iPod: Everything Has Changed by Taylor Swift (feat. Ed Sheeran)
Yesterday was a good day. Despite one minor upset to start the day, I got halfway through a project that’s turning out to be a lot of fun to put together. I have one interview today and hopefully I’ll be able to hand it in days early.
About that one little upset; it was minor, but it’s the kind of thing that, if you let it affect you, can spoil your mood. It was a note from a prospect. In a phone conversation, I had given my project price. The prospect then asked for a proposal, which I worked up based on that price. After a few days of silence, I followed up. The reaction wasn’t what I’d expected — my pricing, it seems, was considered outrageous by this particular company.
My response — nothing.
It’s okay for people to not agree, especially on price. While it could have been worded differently by the prospect –and frankly the unprofessional nature in which I was told no thank you was the only shocking part of it–it boiled down to one thing. I was not within their budget.
All writers face this at one point or another. The price doesn’t fit, the first draft isn’t a winner, or the client for whatever reason decides you’re the punching bag of the day. If you’re not confident in your pricing and your abilities, it can hit you like a lead pipe. So maybe it’s easier to take if we understand why these reactions happen at all.
Your price is too high — for that client. I would have been flustered about this comment except I have several clients who pay that already. Why? Because I specialize and I can deliver exactly what they want or damn close to it. Not every client can afford you. Your career, and your rate, progresses. Often that means some clients won’t have the money for you. It’s okay. Even if they make blanket statements that have no basis in your reality (like the dude years ago who told me I’d have to bring my rate down), the bottom line is they simply can’t afford you on their budgets. That can’t be your problem or you’d be compromising your rate constantly. My guess is that particular prospect would balk heavily at having to compromise their own rate. Frame it that way and you’ll have an easier time accepting the knee-jerk reaction.
They had a price in mind, but didn’t mention it. Suppose you have a client wanting a ghostwritten article. You look at your past projects and give them a price based on the estimated time it takes and your current rate. They fuss or get angry because you’re too expensive. Why? Because someone thought “I’ll have a writer do this for $400.” Only a proper white paper, billed at $125 an hour, could run anywhere from $600 to $3,000, depending on the length and research involved. You can’t negotiate the “Here’s my budget for this” if they don’t tell you what that is.
They have marching orders with strict parameters. I suspect in a few cases, I’ve had clients who were answering to someone higher up the food chain. If someone else is controlling the budget and this is someone your contact has to report to, there’s added pressure to get the writing done in the most cost-effective way. It’s sort of a no-win situation for you if your price doesn’t mesh with this invisible person’s directive. The frustration your contact feels with not being able to deliver is, you guessed it, dumped on you. Unfair, but it’s not your client and you needn’t bother wasting any more time on someone who would be so rude.
They’re looking for a freebie. I’ve had client prospects expect a bargain rate the first time out of the gate. That’s never a situation I want to put myself in, nor should any writer. Any client who would demand a discount without proving they’re going to pay you isn’t living in any professional reality. The arrangement is too one-sided for it to work, and that one low-paying job will just morph into many of the same.
They’re testing you. I’ve had clients push back on price to see what they could get away with. At first you don’t necessarily see it, but after a few times at the rodeo, you can tell pretty quickly when a client is trying to get a lower price for your writing. It’s okay, especially with new clients, to offer alternatives to lowering your price. Susan Johnston at Urban Muse suggests offering a smaller project, such as dropping blog posts and writing just the brochure, etc. That makes you more affordable, and if they’re really interested, they’ll consider it.
They think they’re in control of your wages. It’s tough for people in employer/employee relationships to understand the contractor relationship. Even though they pay grocery stores, dentists, mechanics, and lawn services a set rate, they can’t quite wrap their brains around the idea that a contractor working with them on their projects can set their own rates. They see your price and think “Outrageous!” when in fact your rate is probably right in line with what they pay their employees in salary and benefits.That aside, your rate is yours to set and to negotiate as you see fit.
How do you deal with the unprofessional client reaction?
In general, how do you handle it when a client balks at the price?
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