First-time seller question: When to start charging a potential buyer?

[misterpenguin]

Hi folks,
I just joined Fiverr. My gig is making videos. I was just contacted by a potential buyer who has a video in mind and asked how I would treat it creatively. I made a general reply and he seemed to like my response, so he asked more specific questions. I don’t want to give away too much information because I don’t want him just taking my ideas and giving them to someone else.

My question: at what point in the process do I say that if he wants further information I have to start charging him? It takes time to create a concept for the video, so I’d like to be sure I have the gig before I do that. And even if he ends up not liking my ideas, I’m investing time and energy that I want to be paid for.
Would appreciate any experience or insight on the best way to handle this. Thanks.

[thecreativeguys]

Absolutely - Don’t do any work before getting paid.

If you’ve carefully outlined how you can help him you shouldn’t have these issues.

He’ll order your gig and you’ll deliver the finished product.

[Guest topdezigns1]

Absolutely - Don’t do any work before getting paid.

If you’ve carefully outlined how you can help him you shouldn’t have these issues.

He’ll order your gig and you’ll deliver the finished product.

i agree with thecreativeguys

[misterpenguin]

Thanks guys,
I definitely won’t work without getting paid. But the issue is that he’s asking me for a detailed concept of what the video would look like before he decides if he wants to give me the gig. For example, what exact shots I would use, how it would flow, the style of the edit etc. I want to say to him - either hire me and I’ll give you that stuff, or pay me to map it out first, and then if you don’t like it at least I was compensated for my time. Is that appropriate to do?

[thecreativeguys]

Thanks guys,

I definitely won’t work without getting paid. But the issue is that he’s asking me for a detailed concept of what the video would look like before he decides if he wants to give me the gig. For example, what exact shots I would use, how it would flow, the style of the edit etc. I want to say to him - either hire me and I’ll give you that stuff, or pay me to map it out first, and then if you don’t like it at least I was compensated for my time. Is that appropriate to do?

If you feel this is a genuine buyer, why doesn’t he purchase the gig and move forward?

Or you can offer to send him several custom offers and each gig will result in 33% of the project being completed.

That way, if he isn’t satisfied with the first gig, he won’t purchase the others.

Let me know if I can help in any way.

[misterpenguin]

If you feel this is a genuine buyer, why doesn’t he purchase the gig and move forward?

Or you can offer to send him several custom offers and each gig will result in 33% of the project being completed.

That way, if he isn’t satisfied with the first gig, he won’t purchase the others.

Let me know if I can help in any way.

Thanks, that’s exactly the kind of idea I was looking for. Is there a procedure for setting up custom offers in my profile or do I just do it directly with the specific seller (apologies if this is common knowledge or explained somewhere, like I said I’m new here).

[Guest jenihiggs]

This happens to me a lot too. I write memoirs and often nonfiction books as well. I get a lot of people who will ask me questions about how I’ll tackle their project. My process is that I’ll answer a handful of questions and take a couple of minutes to think about their project, but my limit is 5 messages. If I haven’t sold them after 5 messages, then I know that I’m probably not going to. I also don’t read anything unless people have bought a gig. I get a lot of people who send me their writing and start asking questions about how to tackle a rewrite. I even listed it on my FAQs that I won’t read anything without a gig in place. My line is “I’ll be happy to take a look as soon as a gig as placed.”

Anyway, that’s my process. Good luck! I hope that you’re able to find a process that works for you 🙂

[jeanvictor]

Hi, i would suggest you to make a FAQ for you gig page to cover most common questions so you don’t get similar situations, also when you’re answering a question never give 100% of informations just enough to sell yourself and earn your client trust.
After 3-4 messages friendly ask your buyer to just order and follow the order instructions and that you will help him over there with further questions, that’s said only do this when you already know what the buyer is asking for so you don’t fall in troubles later leading to buyer buying wrong service, negative feedback, cancel of order etc…

Good luck

[misterpenguin]

Hi, i would suggest you to make a FAQ for you gig page to cover most common questions so you don’t get similar situations, also when you’re answering a question never give 100% of informations just enough to sell yourself and earn your client trust.

After 3-4 messages friendly ask your buyer to just order and follow the order instructions and that you will help him over there with further questions, that’s said only do this when you already know what the buyer is asking for so you don’t fall in troubles later leading to buyer buying wrong service, negative feedback, cancel of order etc…

Good luck

Thanks. I appreciate the advice.

[misterpenguin]

This happens to me a lot too. I write memoirs and often nonfiction books as well. I get a lot of people who will ask me questions about how I’ll tackle their project. My process is that I’ll answer a handful of questions and take a couple of minutes to think about their project, but my limit is 5 messages. If I haven’t sold them after 5 messages, then I know that I’m probably not going to. I also don’t read anything unless people have bought a gig. I get a lot of people who send me their writing and start asking questions about how to tackle a rewrite. I even listed it on my FAQs that I won’t read anything without a gig in place. My line is “I’ll be happy to take a look as soon as a gig as placed.”

Anyway, that’s my process. Good luck! I hope that you’re able to find a process that works for you 🙂

Thanks for the suggestions.