Best Way To Eliminate Tire-Kickers. 3 Magic Words

[markusvoice]

I’ve learned on the years of Fiverring that there are buyers and seller of all types.
Over the last month or so, I’ve been making gig magic happen at an increased rate…but with that exposure also comes the buyers who are looking for the world…and either have no idea how much it costs or expect it for $5. Its obvious that they have not read my gig or instructions (nothing new in Fiverrland), but I’ve mastered the auto-reply that has ended conversations in one response, while keeping my response rate between 97 - 100%

“What’s your budget?”

Those 3 innocuous words either (1) end the conversation in one reply OR (2) spark and opportunity to begin negotiations.
"I’d like a 90 second video done in Hollywood awards style and I’d like custom animation and my name in gold while a golden toucan spins in a counter-clockwise circle"
Me: "What’s your budget"
Buyer: "$5
Me: ______________

TME. Time. Money. Energy. These are the costs of every gig delivered. Don’t waste yours if its not worth it.

[pedromleitao]

100% agreed. I always ask the budget first, and it’s not only for this reason - you would be surprised to find what people are willing to overpay on. Always ask first, the first person to throw a value on the table is always at a disadvantage when negotiating.

[markusvoice]

100% agreed. I always ask the budget first, and it’s not only for this reason - you would be surprised to find what people are willing to overpay on. Always ask first, the first person to throw a value on the table is always at a disadvantage when negotiating.

Exactly! Never negotiate against yourself.

[eoinfinnegan]

100% agreed. I always ask the budget first, and it’s not only for this reason - you would be surprised to find what people are willing to overpay on. Always ask first, the first person to throw a value on the table is always at a disadvantage when negotiating.

I suspect for some buyers at least, knowing that there are some people who will take delight in overcharging them if they happen to have a larger than necessary budget is the reason why they low-ball with “um $5”.

• Offering a reasonable/correct price when someone has stated a larger budget will pretty much guarantee you have a client for life.
• Asking for a budget and nothing else will put some people off. For example, when ordering services I am not familiar with I want to get at least a little info about what a price includes (unless it is covered in the description) and what options are available.

[pedromleitao]

I suspect for some buyers at least, knowing that there are some people who will take delight in overcharging them if they happen to have a larger than necessary budget is the reason why they low-ball with “um $5”.

• Offering a reasonable/correct price when someone has stated a larger budget will pretty much guarantee you have a client for life.
• Asking for a budget and nothing else will put some people off. For example, when ordering services I am not familiar with I want to get at least a little info about what a price includes (unless it is covered in the description) and what options are available.

Oh, naturally, I never just open with “What’s the budget”, unless I can clearly see that the client is asking for too much without any idea of the costs, or if he contacts me with broken, almost impossible to understand English. And low-balling is fine and all, but if you ask for a professional video created from scratch, 5$ is not a low-ball, it’s just delusional.