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Discount For Future Orders? Nah, I Don't Think So


markusvoice

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Okay,

This is a recurring topic, but today…well, it hit me kinda hard.
I was communicating with a buyer who wanted video work. He, however, wanted additional animation, a filter, logo animation and more. I don’t cover those in my normal gig offerings, so I sent him a custom offer. He appeared shocked at the $$ amount. I explained it detail…and then it started. “I really like your work and want to establish a long-termed business relationship with you, but I was expecting something closer to what you’re offering on your gig listings”. To which I replied, I’m paraphrasing here, “No”.

I spouting something about never undervaluing my work, the time value of money, the space-time continuum and monkeys flying out of a place where monkeys would not fly out of, could monkeys fly.

Has anyone EVER discounted their service offerings for the promise of future business? Follow up question: Did you get that future business? Follow up the the follow up question: Did you discount your rate in perpetuity?

This happened on 4 potential gig orders today. I’m 3 out of 4 for getting the order without having to discount so far…

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Okay,

This is a recurring topic, but today…well, it hit me kinda hard.

I was communicating with a buyer who wanted video work. He, however, wanted additional animation, a filter, logo animation and more. I don’t cover those in my normal gig offerings, so I sent him a custom offer. He appeared shocked at the $$ amount. I explained it detail…and then it started. “I really like your work and want to establish a long-termed business relationship with you, but I was expecting something closer to what you’re offering on your gig listings”. To which I replied, I’m paraphrasing here, “No”.

I spouting something about never undervaluing my work, the time value of money, the space-time continuum and monkeys flying out of a place where monkeys would not fly out of, could monkeys fly.

Has anyone EVER discounted their service offerings for the promise of future business? Follow up question: Did you get that future business? Follow up the the follow up question: Did you discount your rate in perpetuity?

This happened on 4 potential gig orders today. I’m 3 out of 4 for getting the order without having to discount so far…

Has anyone EVER discounted their service offerings for the promise of future business

Discount no, but more work yes. That happened to me at the beginning, two or three times. They never came back!

Now it happens to me that I have to refuse working for $30 or $35 like few days ago.

One new client wanted three posters for that amount, with the promise he had 15 more to do.

I’ve explained that my regular clients (the ones I work for since years) pay the whole amount for each poster, so I cannot give him this advantage to get 3 for that price. I would not feel good when my regulars pay more than a new one, my old clients are the ones who make me earn the most $$.

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Yeah… I’ve heard it before. An old stale trick of the trade. 😩

I usually grumble under my breath "Hell to the NO."
However, I politely explain when utilizing any of my services that they are already getting a discount. These type of buyers like to butter up the Artists with faux promises. I can only speak for myself, this is a huge turn-off and doesn’t inspire me at all. It’s a bad impression from jump street!

Haggling sellers to lower prices or asking for discounts is tacky. After all, this is not a flea market, farmers market or garage sale.

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Yeah… I’ve heard it before. An old stale trick of the trade. 😩

I usually grumble under my breath "Hell to the NO."

However, I politely explain when utilizing any of my services that they are already getting a discount. These type of buyers like to butter up the Artists with faux promises. I can only speak for myself, this is a huge turn-off and doesn’t inspire me at all. It’s a bad impression from jump street!

Haggling sellers to lower prices or asking for discounts is tacky. After all, this is not a flea market, farmers market or garage sale.

True. My first thought was “This is not a flea market or a used car lot!!”. Oh well, they wouldn’t try it if it didn’t work sometimes. I just want to hear from those that bit…and in turn, got bitten

😱

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I haggle up when they try it. I don’t want their business at that point anyway.
They apparently think I’m eager for their business and I’m not.

One recently told me if I give him a discount he will give me a lot more work!
I had to gently let him know I have more work than I can handle now. I was surprised he tried to use that line on me.

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I had that once, but I replied “Great, give me more work and I will continue providing you high quality service” 🙂
If they really value your work then they will stick around because finding a good seller is not that easy either.

I don’t give discounts, but if I really like the client then I’m willing to do something extra or deliver before deadline.

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Okay,

This is a recurring topic, but today…well, it hit me kinda hard.

I was communicating with a buyer who wanted video work. He, however, wanted additional animation, a filter, logo animation and more. I don’t cover those in my normal gig offerings, so I sent him a custom offer. He appeared shocked at the $$ amount. I explained it detail…and then it started. “I really like your work and want to establish a long-termed business relationship with you, but I was expecting something closer to what you’re offering on your gig listings”. To which I replied, I’m paraphrasing here, “No”.

I spouting something about never undervaluing my work, the time value of money, the space-time continuum and monkeys flying out of a place where monkeys would not fly out of, could monkeys fly.

Has anyone EVER discounted their service offerings for the promise of future business? Follow up question: Did you get that future business? Follow up the the follow up question: Did you discount your rate in perpetuity?

This happened on 4 potential gig orders today. I’m 3 out of 4 for getting the order without having to discount so far…

Has anyone EVER discounted their service offerings for the promise of future business?

No, but I discounted a returning customer when I had raised my prices in the meantime. But only for that one deal.

In my private business I raise prices for some returning customers on a regular basis. If I have a lot of work to do and I have to give up extra spare time I want more money for that. It’s that easy. I work on a huge production project myself and don’t want to spend more than 3 to 4 hours a day for customers.

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I have never operated from a position of desperation. It’s highly unlikely anyone who offers future work for a discount actually has any intention of coming back.

The ones who keep coming back as good repeat clients usually are the ones who get large orders.

I have never operated from a position of desperation.

Couldn’t agree more. Most of the time they are already assume that one is desperate and then they act as if they ones savior. Desperation is like a pheromone, the hyenas under the buyers can smell it from far away.

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I have never operated from a position of desperation.

Couldn’t agree more. Most of the time they are already assume that one is desperate and then they act as if they ones savior. Desperation is like a pheromone, the hyenas under the buyers can smell it from far away.

To be fair, I did act desperately last night, gave a 10 percent discount on a $250 order because I did not receive a big order for many days before that. I wouldn’t have given that had I got enough orders in the previous 7-10 days. Anyway.

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To be fair, I did act desperately last night, gave a 10 percent discount on a $250 order because I did not receive a big order for many days before that. I wouldn’t have given that had I got enough orders in the previous 7-10 days. Anyway.

Didn’t you say you were booked until mid May?

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To be fair, I did act desperately last night, gave a 10 percent discount on a $250 order because I did not receive a big order for many days before that. I wouldn’t have given that had I got enough orders in the previous 7-10 days. Anyway.

Thats not a big discount, nor was it under the promise of future work. That was a TVM (Time Value of Money) decision $225 (-fiverr’s 20% of course 😉 ) now is worth more than $0 or the potential loss of the $250, had you not given the discount. Thats a good decision.

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