Nathan Exposed » Games are for kids

Since I’ve begun working for myself, I’ve caught on to a little game people like to play. Let me set it up for you.

A potential client comes across my work. He or she likes what I do, and might want to hire me. So they contact me and we talk for around 40 minutes. With every general inquiry I get, I usually have to invest 40 minutes talking to them on the phone. I don’t mind. I like hearing people’s story.

So we’ve talked, we seemed to have a good connection, and everything’s looking up. Then, they call me back to put me on the spot.

Client: “Hey, Nathan, I have a quote right here in front of me from another designer. I want to know how much you’ll charge me for the same services. Send me a quote.”

Here’s what’s really happening. They want me to provide a lower quote, because everyone wants the best deal, right? Well, it’s not really fair to do that because this designer might have only half the experience I have. It’s not a level playing field to just say “a designer gave me a quote.” Anyone can give a quote, it’s not magic.

But anyway, they want me to name a figure, and they want it to be lower. Whoever is lower will probably win. If there are any shortcomings in the lower quote, they will find a way in their mind to overlook them. For example, if that designer isn’t as good, they will rationalize it because the price was lower.

So I catch them in their game.

“Oh, you have a quote, huh? Well how much is it?” I ask.

“Um, what?” they say, completely surprised.

“How much did they quote you?” I ask again, politely but firmly.

“X amount of dollars,” they reply.

“That’s great! I will do it for X amount of dollars too! Let me know who you pick!” I say cheerfully, beating them at their own game.

Now they know they will pay the same amount no matter who they go with. They have to actually pay attention to the work we provide and choose the candidate that’s a better fit for them.

I hate games. Why would someone try to play games when I am providing an honest service? Most designers are self employed, and they rely on that income. When they see a client, they see food on the table and bills being paid. Please don’t jerk them around.

Just tell the designer how much you’d like to spend and you will get an honest response. No games required.

[Edit: Most of this post is written as tongue-in-cheek. There’s actually much more to the dialog, I don’t just agree to quote whatever someone else quotes. My main point was to humorously say that all you have to do is communicate openly with your designer, and he’ll tell you what he can do on your budget.]

Fri, May 11, 2007 @ 10:49 am | Filed in Humor, Life | Permalink

5 Comments

Don’t undersell yourself though. People don’t just choose on price - of course it’s important, but if you do have more experience than the competition I bet people would be willing to pay a premium for that.

Posted by Tom on Fri, May 11, 2007 @ 4:46 pm

Yeah, the good news is that most clients are like that, just what you described. They take the time to make sure they are working with an effective designer who will get the job done.

I think that’s the best way to approach it. Designers are completely aware that budget is a consideration. So if people just let us know upfront what their range is, we can tell them what can be done. It’s not a sales pitch, we really do need to know the range in order to plan effectively.

Posted by Nathan on Fri, May 11, 2007 @ 7:48 pm

I am sorry you have to go through that. My dad owns his own company. He is a film director. At times he has to go through some of the same shit. Don’t undersell yourself.

Posted by vfrankl on Fri, May 11, 2007 @ 11:41 pm

Thanks But don’t worry, I’m not underselling. I write this post in humor. I only come across people like that occasionally, and the red flags are pretty easy to spot once you catch on.

I don’t think I knew about your Dad. If you told me that, I had forgotten. That’s awesome!

Posted by Nathan on Sat, May 12, 2007 @ 12:25 am

A lot of people play games like that without really thinking it through. Once the game begins though, it can be difficult to break through to genuine communication.

Posted by DEL on Sat, May 12, 2007 @ 2:25 am