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Rant: My uncle's pricing advice was way off
Back in 2019, my uncle who used to do graphic design in the 90s told me to always quote clients 50% higher than what I actually want. He said they'd negotiate down and I'd still get my number. So I tried it on a web design project for a local coffee shop in Portland. I quoted them $1,800 when I would have been happy with $1,200. They didn't even counter. They just said no thanks and ghosted me. I heard later they found someone on Craigslist for $400 who made a terrible site. So I lost the gig and they got a bad product. Has anyone else had advice from old timers that just doesn't work anymore?
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brooke4483mo ago
That uncle's advice does sound pretty outdated for sure. A lot of folks just want a number and move on without any back and forth. @oliviabutler, your brewery story is a perfect example of this new reality. At the end of the day, it's just one project that didn't work out. You live and learn and move on to the next client.
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sandragrant3mo ago
Honestly, the same thing happened to me when I tried that haggle trick with a bakery and they just ghosted me.
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oliviabutler3mo ago
My uncle gave me the same exact advice about pricing and I tried it on a logo project for a brewery back in 2021. I quoted them $2,500 hoping to land at $2,000 but they just moved on and went with someone on Fiverr for $150. That old school negotiation trick assumes clients actually want to haggle but most people nowadays just take the first price they see and run.
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