ray613•6d ago

The coffee shop meeting where I finally stopped giving net 30 terms

I met a potential client at Blue Bottle in Brooklyn last month who kept pushing for 'standard net 30' even after I explained my 50 percent upfront policy. Two hours of small talk later they ghosted me on the follow up. That was the moment I started requiring 100 percent upfront for new clients with no history. Has anyone else had a warning sign like that and still taken the job anyway?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_faith6d ago

Actually ignoring the red flag is one thing, but I think the real warning sign is when they start talking about 'industry standards' or 'building trust' while ignoring your actual policy. Like they're trying to make you feel unreasonable for asking what you know you need. I had a guy pull that on me once, kept saying 'well everyone else does net 90' after I said I need 50 percent upfront. Turned out he had a history of bouncing checks and stiffing freelancers. So now if someone brings up 'standard' terms without even trying to negotiate a middle ground, I know they're probably not going to pay on time. You gotta trust that gut feeling.

michael_williams6d ago

I mean is it really that bad to hear them out though? If someone pushes back on terms that doesn't automatically mean they're going to rip you off, sometimes they're just trying to protect their cash flow too. You never know what kind of deal you're leaving on the table by shutting it down before you even get to talk numbers.

paige_bell815d ago

My buddy took a job from a guy who argued about every single term and then just stopped answering emails when the invoice came due. He learned that lesson the hard way, took him six months to get paid half of what he was owed.