I handle that in the terms and pricing structure on the front end.
Disastrous-Horror699 on
Say no. Next question.
Incomitatum on
I determine good-fit early on; if they get weird and uppity, then we get to fire them and I have Termination Clauses in my Contract.
I am working WITH you, not FOR you; and I only do Quality work.
No Scrubs. If you don’t have a real Budget, then being a Business might not be for you.
LauraAnderson18 on
Cutting down on features is a smart move, but it’s also about setting clear expectations. Maybe suggest a phased approach—start with the essentials and build up as the budget allows.
That way, they get quality without needing a financial miracle! Just remember, sometimes it’s about working smarter, not harder, and a little humor can go a long way in these chats!
ExternalClimate3536 on
Cheap, fast, good. You can only pick two.
snezna_kraljica on
As always, it depends an the long term strategic goals with that client.
A categorical “no” is as wrong as an “yes”. If it’s a long term client in a temporary problems it’s good to build a rapport, if it’s a new client who has huge potential, sure adapt pricing to accommodate.
Only for shitty clients paying shitty rates it is a clear “no”.
paulcounts on
I reset the terms and conditions of the agreement. If they want to pay less money then they get less of your time, energy, and focus.
Usually when I spell that out it helps make everyone comfortable. If they expect the same effort for less pay I would fire them.
I used to tolerate this more, but then realized how valuable my time was. The reality is they would not do this for their own customers or clients so it is insulting of them to expect the same of you.
Realistic_Winter5754 on
Time to switch clients.
Kind_Ordinary9573 on
Everyone here is saying “dump the bastards,” like they think business grows on trees and that this is some unusual feature in a client.
While it depends on the work being done, generally speaking the best thing to do is simply address it directly and transparently. Describe as best you can what your cost covers and what reducing that cost will sacrifice. Be polite and collaborative, but don’t capitulate.
This is the cost. Paying less means you get less.
Also, learn from this and build this clarity into your SOW going forward to give you even more ability to head off situations like this when they come up again. Because they will.
TheRealDavidWalliams on
Create a list of features from basic to advanced and then fit those features into the budget. For instance; if your basic work costs $50 and more advanced work cost $500 you should be able to make a list between those two numbers and then match them with the budget. The best thing about this technique is that you can show the client this list and they will normally upsell themselves for more advanced features, usually when a client cuts their budget it means they’re not sure on what you actually do.
10 Comments
I handle that in the terms and pricing structure on the front end.
Say no. Next question.
I determine good-fit early on; if they get weird and uppity, then we get to fire them and I have Termination Clauses in my Contract.
I am working WITH you, not FOR you; and I only do Quality work.
No Scrubs. If you don’t have a real Budget, then being a Business might not be for you.
Cutting down on features is a smart move, but it’s also about setting clear expectations. Maybe suggest a phased approach—start with the essentials and build up as the budget allows.
That way, they get quality without needing a financial miracle! Just remember, sometimes it’s about working smarter, not harder, and a little humor can go a long way in these chats!
Cheap, fast, good. You can only pick two.
As always, it depends an the long term strategic goals with that client.
A categorical “no” is as wrong as an “yes”. If it’s a long term client in a temporary problems it’s good to build a rapport, if it’s a new client who has huge potential, sure adapt pricing to accommodate.
Only for shitty clients paying shitty rates it is a clear “no”.
I reset the terms and conditions of the agreement. If they want to pay less money then they get less of your time, energy, and focus.
Usually when I spell that out it helps make everyone comfortable. If they expect the same effort for less pay I would fire them.
I used to tolerate this more, but then realized how valuable my time was. The reality is they would not do this for their own customers or clients so it is insulting of them to expect the same of you.
Time to switch clients.
Everyone here is saying “dump the bastards,” like they think business grows on trees and that this is some unusual feature in a client.
While it depends on the work being done, generally speaking the best thing to do is simply address it directly and transparently. Describe as best you can what your cost covers and what reducing that cost will sacrifice. Be polite and collaborative, but don’t capitulate.
This is the cost. Paying less means you get less.
Also, learn from this and build this clarity into your SOW going forward to give you even more ability to head off situations like this when they come up again. Because they will.
Create a list of features from basic to advanced and then fit those features into the budget. For instance; if your basic work costs $50 and more advanced work cost $500 you should be able to make a list between those two numbers and then match them with the budget. The best thing about this technique is that you can show the client this list and they will normally upsell themselves for more advanced features, usually when a client cuts their budget it means they’re not sure on what you actually do.