#freelance-talk
Thread
So, I have a potential client in the pipeline. One of a handful of hot leads I've gotten from local networking. Very keen to work together. I took her out for drinks last week and discussed potential projects, and it went really well.
I put together a with some options for our first project, and showed her a couple web designers who can help with the initial website and blog setup.
Her response was that she didn't want to pay more than one person and that the pricing didn't fit her budget. I told her I'd reach out in a while to give her some time to think it over, and that I have room to negotiate on my end.
Here's what I'm thinking of doing next:
• Bundling in the website/blog setup in with my pricing and overseeing that part of the work myself so she doesn't have to
• Giving her discounts for buying multiple services (blog content creation and newsletter creation)
• Starting off with just 2 posts so we can see how well we work together
All of which would amount to a much smaller buy-in.
I'm gonna give it a week and then reach out again.
What do you guys think? How should I play this?
"This doesn't fit the budget" is generally a polite euphemism for the underlying truth of "I don't see the value." In your position, I'd think less about my deliverables and bundles and packages, and try to figure out what she does value. Personally, in writing custom proposals, I always lead with a section called something like "business opportunity" where I lead with the client's business goals, tied to profit drivers. In looking at the proposal you linked, putting myself in the client's shoes, I just see a lot of activities that you plan to do, with no real sense of what outcome I might expect from the investment.
Out of curiosity, the initial conversation you had -- discovery by way of buying her drinks -- did she approach you, saying that she's a believer in content marketing, and looking for someone to help with it? Or did you approach her and suggest that she should deploy content marketing as an approach?
(I'm asking because, at a snap read, it seems like it might have looked more like the latter, and that this lead might not actually be a well-qualified prospect -- I'm having trouble envisioning someone spending thousands on content marketing, when they don't have a website or a current plan to stand one up)
Erik makes great points above. Even if she is a believer in content marketing, you shouldn't devalue your services by discounting (including for more service lines,) you should find out what service she would feel most comfortable outsourcing and see if you can get her buy in for that.
Once you build a relationship with great blogs or on-brand design for services at a rate you can make bank on, then expand the services to other things. Charge less for smaller scope, not greater scope which costs you and your partners in the long run.
Your third option is the best one to start with.
I've never had a good experience with a client I got by reducing my prices, especially one that didn't have the budget. I'd move on.