I’m on a roll with these pricing posts, so let me do one more and make it a trilogy.
One thing you need to remember when pricing people is their business credentials, their experience, etc etc. Not everyone is the same.
Let me give you an example:
Last week, a guy says to me “You’re higher than two of your competitors… why?” So I ask him “who are these competitors – show me their websites”. And surprisingly, he shows me.
One guy is an ad on Craigslist. Really, that’s it – a free ad on Craigslist.
The other guy has a one-page site obviously made with “WEB-NOOB PageMaker” or something like that, has one paragraph of copy, 4 misspellings, a link to a 404 blog, and little else.
That’s who I was being compared to. My 50+ page site (plus this site), stellar Dun and Bradstreet rating for 5 years now, BBB Membership, two books… and all that gets me is “gee, the guy on Craigslist was cheaper”.
Now, it sounds like I’m mad over this or something. I’m really not – I would say that most people who talk price with me do NOT compare me to Craigslist.
But every so often, someone does… They compare me to someone with no samples, no credentials, no experience, and no writing on their own site… I mean, that actually astonishes me. I have enough copy on my main writing website to fill a small book. And I get compared, as a writer, to someone who has fewer words on their website than I have on this blog post. And that’s even if they have a website.
It’s the equivalent of going to a nice, fancy, sit-down restaurant, and then wondering why they don’t have a Dollar Menu like McDonald’s does.
My friend passed on your link to me, and I must say, I have never laughed so hard or could relate to someone so much.
I a freelance graphic designer and it’s nice to see someone suffer the same pain as me when it comes to clients.
I no longer feel so alone. 🙂
Cheers,
Katie
Craigslist is getting out of hand. I generally don’t have a problem with the photographers who advertise there, but brides there looking for photographers. They want everything with lots of expertise and then they mention that by the way, their budget is only $400. A recent post suggested that an “experienced wedding photographer” should give up one of the most popular dates because they’ll get a “sit down dinner.”
I generally don’t have a problem with this except for her wanting experience for such a small budget. When you have no money to spend, sometimes you have to give up experience.
I have my own Craigslist story that’s similar to Sharon’s.
My fiance is an SAG actor so I have a feed that sends me every post with SAG in the title/description.
One post wanted SAG actors that would be paid in fun.
My fiance said: “Pay me in dollars and I’ll find my own fun.”
Paid in fun… I’m not sure I have words for that. And then they wonder why the person they’ve hired doesn’t take the work seriously. So when’s the wedding? 🙂