"What's your budget?"

That's a question that 99% of clients don't want to hear. The first thought that goes through their mind is "I can't tell you my budget. You'll take all my money!"

Some clients have a "fixed budget" and will be fairly open about it. Usually, that budget will rarely be enough for what they think they need, and more often than not, especially with larger companies, you are not talking to a person that decided on the budget.

I know freelancers that will say something along the lines of:

"I don't touch X (project) under $ Amount." And that's perfectly fine, you should have a "minimum amount" to make worth your time.

As discussed previously in the emails about pricing:

#015 - 💸 Pricing Basics I.💰hourly vs. day rate

#016 - 💵 Pricing II. 💰 Calculating rates

The way you approach the subject, and your attitude towards the client will make all the difference in the end. To understand how clients think about their budgets, first, you need to understand how you think about your budgets.

"I am too poor to buy cheap."

This is something I remember my grandpa saying when he would buy something important, like a new car. He valued good quality and was ready to pay a higher price for something "that will last longer".

People don't value cheap things, and will not take care of them.

The same thing with cheap clients, they will not respect your work.

When I was starting out - I pirated all of the software. I come from a poor country, and paying for something as expensive as a licence for all the software you need was around spending a couple of months (if not more) of salaries.

But I made a promise to myself.

One day I will make enough money and pay for everything I use because I want people to respect my work - and I need to show that I appreciate other peoples work too. Today there is no unlicensed software, game or music on my computer. I want to work with people who hold the same values because I know they will respect my work as well.

The same thing is when working with other freelancers. I value other people's work. When thinking about a larger project, there are a lot of things "I can do on my own", but if you're willing to pay for a service to get the high-quality result, save time and focus on what you're really good at and passionate about - it will make a massive difference in your work.

"Telling me your budget is the best thing you can do."

When discussing the project, this is one of the things I will often open the pricing topic. "I am sure you are wondering why?". Is the follow-up, and most people will nod in agreement.

...but muh monnneyyy...

"My goal is to deliver the best possible project for you. With that in mind, I am not the cheapest option out there, as well as not the most expensive one. If your budget is out of scope for the service I provide, I will give my best to help you find a professional that better suits your needs."

For example - when I was building websites, I had clients come in that thought they need a CMS. When I would ask why, the answer was something like "If we change our phone number, we can edit that on the contact page."

I would then explain, it's more cost-effective for them to give me a call once in a blue moon to make that change for them, and pay my hourly maintenance rate than to pay for a CMS and all the upkeep costs.

This is the point. You need to be asking smart questions, helping them solve their problems while delivering the best possible service. Not selling them as much as you can right away.

My goal is for my clients to look at working with me, and now my company, as a long term investment, that will help their business grow for time to come. I'm not in it for the fast cash-grab. You shouldn't be too.

Missed previous emails?

No problem, you can read them in 📜 Breaking Freelance Archive.

Cheers!

T.

Tom Kozacinski, sir Freelance-a-lot