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Overheard a client at the coffee shop say they'd never pay a freelancer more than $15 an hour for 'simple' writing.
It made me realize I need to stop taking calls from anyone who won't discuss a real budget first, so how do you guys screen out the time-wasters before you even get on a discovery call?
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matthewperry3mo ago
What's your minimum project fee to even start a conversation?
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coleman.jade2mo ago
Oh man, charlesj46, that coffee shop comment stung me just reading it. I probably would have choked on my latte. I've been burned by the "can you just do a quick 500 words for exposure" crowd so many times that my portfolio is basically a tombstone of free work. My screening process is basically me asking for their budget range up front and if they dance around it I just tell them my minimum project fee is the price of my dignity plus coffee for a week. I've learned the hard way that if they can't respect a simple question about money, they're going to haggle over every single edit later. Plus, nothing says "I value your time" like someone who thinks $15 an hour is generous for word jockeying.
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Honestly, that's just coffee shop talk, people say wild stuff. But yeah, you gotta filter them out early. I just straight up ask for their budget range in the first email, no call if they dodge it. Like @matthewperry said, having a clear minimum helps, but some clients just don't get it until you shut the door. Saves everyone the headache.
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