TIL that 73% of clients expect a discount just for asking - wild stat from a freelancer union survey

I was scrolling through the Freelancers Union site last night and saw this stat from their 2023 survey. 73% of clients straight up admit they'll ask for a lower rate even if they're happy with the quote. That blew my mind. So basically most of them are testing you. I've been caving way too easy. Now I'm thinking I should just say no to the first ask every time and see what happens. Has anyone else noticed a pattern with this?

3 comments

3 Comments

blair99014d ago

Is it just me or does this feel exactly like when you go to buy a used car and they slap a price on it but everyone knows you're supposed to haggle? Same thing happens at garage sales too, people will ask for a lower price on a toaster that's already $3 just because it's expected. I think we've all been trained that asking for a discount is just part of the deal now, like saying please and thank you. The weird part is when you actually say no the first time, they usually just pay the full price anyway. Makes you wonder how many times we leave money on the table by not testing it back.

the_felix14d ago

Used to be one of those people who just paid whatever was asked because haggling felt awkward or cheap to me. But that part about saying no and they just pay full price anyway really got me thinking. Last week I asked a seller if they could do $20 off a couch listed online, fully expecting them to say no, and they immediately said yes. Now I'm second guessing every time I didn't at least try asking for a better price on bigger purchases. Makes me wonder how much I've left on the table just because I didn't want to seem rude.

anthonyrivera14d ago

That part about the couch really hits home. I had the same realization a few years back when I bought a used washing machine. The guy had it listed for $300, I asked if he'd take $250, and he said yes before I even finished the sentence. @the_felix, that moment changes how you look at everything. Now for bigger purchases like furniture or appliances, I always ask if they can do a little better on the price. Most of the time they say yes or meet me somewhere in the middle. The ones that say no, I just pay full price like I was going to anyway. It's a no risk move that I wish I'd started doing twenty years ago.