Recently, I published a blog about firing your client. I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from my colleagues – mostly that it sounds good in theory, but it’s much harder to actually pull the trigger. I don’t disagree.
In a similar vein, I just came across a blog from Erika “I may be easy but I ain’t cheap” Napoletano about how we cheapen ourselves as marketers, writers, any kind of service offering really. I loved it! Click here to read it for yourself.
She hit the head on the nail on a couple of key points:
- Don’t de-value your value. The service we provide has a value to it. She makes a good analogy about car shopping – if you walk into a BMW dealer, they’re not going to give it to you for the price you want it for just because that’s what you want to pay. They’re going to send you to another dealer that sells cheaper-value cars. So, if a client doesn’t want to pay what the project costs, then change the scope of services to meet their budget restrictions. Don’t just lower your pricing to get the job. Ok, there are always exceptions to this, but as a rule, it’s a good one to follow.
- Don’t cheapen the services YOU buy. Many of us use freelancers and contractors to get our projects done. Don’t do to them what you hate your clients do to you. They have a value as well – or you wouldn’t be working with them on your client projects. “Do unto others…” definitely applies here.
Erika did a great job taking an important topic and making it amusing – and thought-provoking. From one redhead to another – Bravo Erika. Keep ’em coming!
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