We’ve talked a lot about sticking to your hourly rate and defending it rather than lowering it. So what happens after you hold firm? Typically, those potential clients not interested in paying for quality disappear. But you know what? That’s a good thing, for it now frees up your time to find clients who appreciate value and skill.
In the past I’ve had instances where the clients have said no to my price and walked away. Sometimes they’ve taken great offense and walked away cyber-shouting at me, calling names or tossing out the written indignations meant to make me feel guilty. Sadly for them, I’ve heard it before. That kind of emotional warfare doesn’t sway me one bit. In fact, it cements my decision to stick to my price, for I had just weeded out major trouble. Professional clients, like professional writers, don’t argue, call names, or try to diminish the other party. They simply say no thank you and move on.
But every now and then a client will come back and say, “Wait. You’re right.” It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s about the best validation you can receive for acting professionally and charging professionally. I had that happen, and it’s great.
The client paid a low amount for ongoing work, but paid me market rates for other projects. When the client approached me trying to lower the market rates, I said no thank you. They moved on. But then they came back with the words every writer wants to hear “Name your price.” Why the change of heart? Because the work I gave them was worth every penny I charged, and my rates, while in line with the market standard rates, were not the highest on the block. The client, facing a search for someone with the same skills who would do that job for those low wages, realized it was time to buck up and pay the right price.
I didn’t take them back. At the time, I had been disenchanted with some of their business practices, which included a few attempts to pass of higher-paying work as the lower-paying stuff. It tarnished their reputation as fair players. There wasn’t a price high enough for me to take them back as I’d always wonder just how much defense I’d have to bring to each assignment and how much I’d have to watch my back.
Writers, please. Don’t accept someone else’s rates, especially if that someone has a hissy fit or insists it’s all they can afford. If you were to use the same tactic or the same argument with them, I guarantee it would never work. I can’t afford to lower my rate, yet when I counter this with some clients, they tend to get upset in a “who do you think you are?” way.
The point is your price is your price based on your skills, your experience, and your business model. It’s not a flexible number that anyone can manipulate. It’s yours. Hold fast to it and make sure if it’s amended, it’s at your discretion and not someone else’s. Your argument – the only one you need – is that you deliver quality, and that trumps any low price any day.
When has holding out for your price benefited? What are some of the more outrageous reactions you get from those unwilling to pay?
I had one not long ago that didn't involve pay, because I refused to do the project before we ever got to the pay rate stuff.
The person wanted a humorous speech written for a speaking engagement he had coming up. He wanted a ton of humor put into the speech.
I'm not an expert on speeches, but I do know enough to know that the topic he was speaking about wouldn't fly with all that humor.
The topic went along the lines of grief counseling. Sure, some light humor sprinkled here and there would have been okay, but not the amount this person wanted.
I explained it to him nicely and then got a cyber-tongue lashing from him. So, I said Goodbye and that was that.
It's happened fairly frequently, that I'm told my rates are "outrageous" and "this isn't NY" — this, from a client 15 miles outside of NY, when I have no trouble with my rates in many other parts of the world, that "anyone" can do what I do, and they can get someone at a lower price.
My response, "go ahead,then."
In the past year, I've had a half a dozen clients crawl back, contrite. The low-ball writers couldn't deliver quality. Uh, duh? If the mill content writers were good enough to earn a living wage elsewhere, that's what they'd be doing.
And, if I take them back, it's at a HIGHER fee.
And I'm worth every penny.
Wendy, sometimes you can't save them from themselves. They get so adamant about how they envision it. Worse, if you had written it and he'd bombed, guess who would've been blamed?
Devon, that's the best approach. They're free to do what they want. You're free to charge your rate. If they don't want to pay, fine. Good luck and best wishes. What I can't stand is, as you've experienced, the way some will give you grief over a fairly normal rate. Anyone arguing that strongly is using emotion to negotiate. No way. It's business. I don't care if you hate me or think I'm crazy – the price is the price is the…
Devon nailed it in one sentence: "If the mill content writers were good enough to earn a living wage elsewhere, that's what they'd be doing."
I had a lot of fun about a year ago with a fellow who claimed he had a lot of steady work for me. He was a startup and had a unique business model, supposedly, for his industry. He wanted to know what I'd charge for X number of pieces each week. I told him my normal rate, and then slashed it by almost 50% because of volume (I think it was $175 per piece, down from $350, or something like that). There was complete silence at the other end of the phone when I dropped the price bomb. Then he began stuttering and gibbering with indignation. He was really angry that I didn't get it and wouldn't buy into it. His main point: "You just don't understand my business model!"
How is his business model my problem? He sure didn't seem concerned about my business model, which is based on making a fair wage. I had anticipated his reaction based on some things I'd heard about him, so he was never a serious contender, but I couldn't resist toying with him a little.
Compare that with another recent situation. I may have already mentioned it on this blog, so forgive me if I'm telling the same story over again. A guy who owns a startup called me, I loved his product, seems like a company that's really going somewhere. So I cut my price dramatically. He came back with, "So and so is only going to charge me X (literally one third the price of my already discounted fee) for the same thing. Can you explain that?" So I replied, "I cannot explain how so-and-so arrives at her pricing or what her business model is. I can, however, tell you how I arrived at mine." I proceeded to explain precisely what I bring to the table. He hired me. Project is almost finished, it's gone great. He's easy to work with.
Listen to your gut; it's never wrong.
Eileen, that had to be a bit fun toying with him. Sometimes the amusement factor is all we have. :)) And I do love that story about how you swayed the client with quality. It's nice when the client sees the value in your talent.
Paula, exactly. Devon cut through the BS to the real point – if you can make more money elsewhere, then do it. If not, work for content mills.