We all love new work enquiries. But not all enquiries are like gold dust. Some are just like dust. Indeed, some new business enquiries are so toxic they should come with wealth warnings.
If a client is primarily focused on costs, consider it a warning sign. They might be kosher, but their priorities suggest:
- They are cheap… and it’s often the cheap clients that don’t care about quality. Will they care that you give them great work? Will they appreciate your skills? Will they be enjoyable to work with? Or will they just want some work done for the lowest possible price?
- They are broke… sometimes clients are penny-pinching because they have little or no money – so you might struggle to get paid once your fire off your invoice.
- They are a total novice… because what kind of maniac chooses a freelancer on price alone? Well, we might infer that the client is short-sighted, skint or new to the freelance marketplace. You can either brace yourself to educate a newbie or you can run a mile.
- They are antagonistic… it might just be me, but whenever I’ve worked with clients who drive a hard bargain, they turn out to be the rudest, least friendly and least appreciative clients of all.
So before you cut your rates, consider if the client is worth it. Do you really want the job? Is the project interesting? Is the client reliable? Or will it be more hassle than it’s worth?
How do you deal with enquirers who just want your rates? And have you ever had bad experiences with cost-conscious clients? Share your story in the comments below.
Leif Kendall, freelance copywriter, author of Brilliant Freelancer, organiser of WriteClub and curator of Drivvel.com
Photo by Michael Pereckas - CC
