Ideally, you don’t want to haggle over a project like a rug merchant in a Babylonian bazaar. That’s out of pro mode. But some clients are just compelled to bargain. Others may find themselves under-budgeted or caught short or under pressure from a boss. Whatever. Simple technique. (Used since ancient Greece, I’ve heard.) Always frame [...]

You’re talking to a new client. You don’t know each other very well, yet. She briefly describes what she’s thinking, then: “Can you give me a rough idea of what that would cost?” For years, I lived by an ironclad, inviolable rule: “Never, ever quote on the fly. Ever. Not this time, either.” “And never [...]

“Is this fee negotiable?” “Sure. I’m flexible. We can raise the fee to whatever you would be more comfortable with.” “Is there a way to get this price down a little?” “Maybe. Which parts would you like me to leave out?  Or, I could try making it a little less good. You know, maybe leave [...]

The general rules: You can’t prevent your clients from hearing about elance.com or guru.com or Craigslist. You can’t prevent others from pitching your client with a really low price. You can’t disparage those low prices directly, nor the people who offer them. And it rarely works to raise fear, uncertainty and doubt about these ‘fly-by-nights.’ [...]