Maybe it’s a character flaw, I’m not sure. But I want to be as nice to every client as I possibly can. Sometimes that results in over-promising, and most times it results in under-charging. As an example, I recently had a client that needed a very basic website done. I charged a basic amount, and did the basic job. When the site was finished though, to the point that was paid for, it was easy to identify a few areas that would make a HUGE difference in a very short period of time. I quickly got my developer to make those changes and sure enough the site looked a thousand percent better.
Now, I didn’t charge the client anything additional. The rationale was “hey, they’re giving me business and now they’ll recommend me to everybody.” And sure enough, the client wanted some business cards to give to a bunch of people.
Soon though, this same client started asking for a few more tweaks to the site. Nothing overly crazy, but things that would definitely take time to complete. Time that wasn’t getting me any additional money. And time that was keeping me from the other client work that was beginning to pile up. Not to mention that I paid my developer for his hours — some of which included this particular client’s site. All in all, I realized that I was ultimately going to lose money on this project. Mostly ‘cuz I wanted to be a nice guy and deliver an outstanding product.
If you’re still reading by this point, you probably think that I should’ve just charged for the extra product/time at the beginning and not had to deal with any of these issues. You’re probably right. But when you’re starting a new business, trying to build a larger clientele and referral list, it’s hard to not over-extend yourself. In fact, it’s a rather delicate balance of deciding what you can offer, for how much, and (literally!) at what price.
Trying to be a nice guy through it all got VERY difficult. I understand that the client often doesn’t understand what goes into more technical development requests, and that what seems simple to them often becomes extremely complex for me. So again, while keeping a smile on my face, I went back and looked at the client’s website. For the price paid, it was definitely a sweet deal. The resulting product was MILES ahead of the site it replaced, and enough was (definitely) enough. I emailed the client and politely listed the price paid, the package offered, and what was done to that point. Any further, not included work would be done on an hourly basis and I explained both my difficulty and frustration with the project. It wasn’t done to be accusatory, but more to clear the professional air.
Fortunately, the client understood, backed off a few of the requests and agreed to pay for a couple of others. A good deal all around!
In the world of marketing, and especially online, people seem inherently suspect of what things cost, how long they take, and the level of difficulty or complexity. Too often I hear “well, if I had the time I’d just do it myself” and “I know I could do this easily, but I’d rather you do it.” That’s always followed by a debate over price. If you can do something yourself, apparently you shouldn’t have to pay full price for someone else to do it. This always seemed odd to me. I can cook as well as anybody, but I don’t negotiate the price of my hamburger at Five Guys.
Anyway, the inclination to be Mr Nice Guy often conflicts with the desire to over-promise, over-deliver, and charge reasonably — often at the expense of other (paying!) business. Getting better all the time, but learning to say “no” isn’t easy.
Maybe I should hire someone to teach me how?
