🔥
Nov 6 • Business & Strategy 🧠
I Let A Client Negotiate Me Down And Immediately Regretted It 🔥
Client asked: "Can you do $800 instead of $1,500?"
I said yes. Felt grateful to get the work.
Two weeks later, same client referred me to their business partner. That referral paid my asking price ($1,500) without negotiating. Then mentioned: "John told me he got you for $800. I'm happy to pay full price though - this is solving a massive problem for us."
Ouch.
THE LESSON: Your pricing communicates your value. When you discount easily, you signal your work isn't worth your asking price.
BETTER NEGOTIATION FRAMEWORK:
When they ask for discount:
"I understand budget is a consideration. The $1,500 reflects the time I'll save you annually. Can I ask - what would handling these documents manually cost you this year?"
Usually they calculate it out and realize your fee is tiny compared to their pain.
If they still push back:
OPTION 1: Reduce scope
"I can do $800 if we simplify to just invoice extraction without the automated posting to QuickBooks. You'd still save 80% of the manual work."
OPTION 2: Payment plan
"I can do $500 upfront, then $250/month for 4 months. Total $1,500."
OPTION 3: Volume discount on referrals
"I'll hold at $1,500 for you. But if you refer another client who signs, I'll give you both $200 credit on monthly fees."
NEVER just drop your price without getting something back.
REAL SITUATION I HANDLED BETTER:
Insurance broker: "Can you do $1,000 instead of $1,800?"
My response: "The $1,800 reflects the full automation - extraction, posting to your system, and error handling. I could do $1,000 if we implement just the document parsing and you manually review and post the extracted data. That would still save you 60% of the time. Would that work?"
Her: "No, I need it fully automated. I'll pay the $1,800."
PRICING PSYCHOLOGY:
When you confidently explain your pricing and offer alternatives that REDUCE SCOPE rather than reduce price, clients usually stick with your original proposal.
The workflow value here
GOLDEN RULE:
Price based on their pain, not your time. If you're saving them $15,000 annually, $1,800 is a bargain even if it only takes you 8 hours to build.
Stand firm on pricing. The clients who negotiate hard usually aren't your best clients anyway. The ones who see the value and pay your rate become referral machines.
Have you ever discounted your price and regretted it?
9
16 comments
I Let A Client Negotiate Me Down And Immediately Regretted It 🔥
powered by
skool.com/ai-first-client-formula-8589
From zero to first $1k/month with AI automation in 30 days. Get the exact formula + templates that landed 100+ their first client.
Suggested communities
Powered by