Everyone who freelances has a story of a client who attempts to low ball, not necessarily intentionally. Here are four potential approaches to combat this:
- The educational approach. In this approach you assume that the client really doesn’t know that the pay they are offering is too low for the type and amount of work required. Your tactic is to inform them of the proper rate for your work and refer them to a neutral site that lists average costs or pay rates for the type of project they are requesting.
- The expertise approach. This approach is particularly effective for freelancers with a lot of experience. In this approach you highlight your experience and explain why it allows you to do a better job on the project (making you worth more to the client).
- The task approach. This is often used as a follow up to one of the other approaches. Clients often assume that projects are much easier to complete than they actually are. For this approach you use the strategy of listing the actual tasks that you will perform.
- The walk-away approach. This response is typically used only when a potential client shows that they are totally unwilling to negotiate. While sometimes a client may relent on their low price if they were bluffing, be aware that this tactic usually sends a client elsewhere.
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