When You Regret the Rate You Quoted

Have you ever thought to yourself that you should’ve charged more?

I’m not talking about those nightmare projects, the ones where you’re digging a hole in your profits because the project isn’t going well. I’m talking about when a client hires you flat out without haggling.

Imagine this: You’re approached for a project, you think long and hard about your time and potential gains, you determine how low you’ll go when the client starts to haggle, and you finally – nervously – propose a higher rate than usual.

You send the proposal off. Then you worry. Was the price too high? Should you have charged less?

Then the client’s answer comes back: “You’re on.”

Your first reaction? “Damn. That was too quick. I should’ve asked for more.”

That’s the wrong attitude to have. A client who doesn’t haggle is one who respects you. He isn’t interested in getting bargain basement prices. He doesn’t want to squeeze you. He doesn’t have time to play games. He wants to work with you, and he accepts the cost of doing so.

Haggling isn’t bad – it doesn’t mean the client is out to get you. Many freelancers feel insulted that clients try to get a discount or cut rate.

But haggling prices is a normal process for many people. These buyers think, “If you don’t ask, you never receive.”

These clients aren’t ones that you should charge more the next time. Some freelancers expect haggling so much that they feel they’ve missed something when the numbers game doesn’t happen. They feel they need to push the bill the next time just to see how far they can go.

Don’t go this route. Haggle a little if the client asks you to (hint: always price yourself for some wiggle room), but never put yourself in a position where you force the issue first.

If you don’t have to haggle, show a little kindness. Offer a discount on repeat work or a small extra service for free. It shows appreciation and makes the client feel good about working with you.