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I used to spend 30 minutes negotiating each lowball offer, now I just send a standard rate sheet and let them walk if they argue.
After a client in Phoenix tried to talk me down from $2,500 to $800 on a concrete driveway last summer, I stopped wasting time haggling and just started sticking to my printed prices has anyone else noticed that the ones who push back hardest never end up booking anyway.
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sandra_moore3011d ago
Took on a townhouse repaint in Mesa last spring where the guy wanted me to cut my price by 40% because he "could get a handyman to do it for half." I let him walk, and three weeks later he called back asking if my original quote was still good. The thing nobody talks about is how lowball negotiators are testing your backbone more than your prices. If you bend once, they'll expect it every time and word spreads fast in the local contractor circles. Your rate sheet is your reputation in paper form, so keep it stiff.
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@sandra_moore30 that handyman bit is honestly the oldest trick in the book. How long did you wait before you raised your rates to filter those types out faster?
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logan27111d ago
Used to think raising rates just meant losing jobs but sandra's story about that Mesa guy walking then calling back really changed my mind. Lowballers are all talk and they fold the second they realize you're not desperate for their work. Keeping your rates firm actually saves you time and hassle in the long run.
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