How to Land a Quality Gig, Even When a Client Can’t Afford You
A prospect with a low budget? How to salvage the writing opportunity without giving in to low rates.
Sick of low rates? Check out our free video training: “How to Land Tons of Exciting, Stress-Free SEO Writing Work - without the Low Rates, High Competition and Burnout”
In a writer’s world, there are few things more upsetting than getting on a discovery call with a potential client, clicking with them instantly, getting excited about the work and then realizing they want a lower rate than what you quoted.
Some writers may immediately decide that clients with a low budget are off the table, and that’s fine. However, if you’re stuck in that weird place of wanting to work with this client but the funding isn’t ideal, this post is for you.
In this post, we’ll discuss how to still take advantage of this writing opportunity, even if a prospect wants to negotiate a lower rate. And spoiler alert: You absolutely do not have to work for pennies.
Client Can’t Afford You? You Have Options
When a client breaks the news that they need or want a lower rate, you have plenty of options. You don’t have to work at that lower rate, and you don’t necessarily have to turn down the opportunity, especially if you really want this gig!
Let’s explore some ways to negotiate the work, even when a client says you’re too expensive. Of course, as a reminder, all of these options need to be discussed prior to accepting the project and getting the pricing confirmed.
It’s bad policy to retract your original pricing, unless the project scope drastically changes.
Option #1 Do Less Work
One of the best ways to accept client work, even when they have a small budget, is to agree to do less work than what was originally discussed.
For example: If a client can’t afford 100 social media posts, ask them if they would accept 75 or 50 for at the lower price.
The benefit is that your price per post remains almost the same, and they still get a large chunk of content.
Option #2 Extend the Turnaround Time
Professional quality quotes should include a note about turnaround time. If you originally stated that one webpage would take you one week to write, tell the client that you will write the webpage at a lower rate, but extend the turnaround time.
The benefit is that you’ll have more time for other projects to make up the income deficit, and they still get the same amount of work - but they have to wait longer for it.
If you’re lucky, the prospect either accepts your original project price to get it done faster or they (at least) sign on with you, knowing that there will be a delay.
Option #3 Sign On with Mini Projects
Some clients will shy away from spending a lot of money all at once. Instead of drafting a single project quote, consider separating the big project into smaller ones.
For example: A 20-page website rewrite can be quoted all together, or you can quote by the page.
If the client is limited on funds right now, they can choose to sign on for just a few pages at a time. Another benefit to this is that you can wow them with a few mini projects so that they accept future projects at your desired rate - without hesitation.
Pro tip: I always quote by the page so as not to scare clients away. However, to avoid having a client sign on to only my cheapest projects, I often will include a note that says something like, “This mini project must be purchased with at least one other project.” Or, some writers have a project minimum amount to get started.
This helps to avoid you having to engage in a long project process just for a few low-priced gigs.
Option #4 Lay on the Benefits (Thick)
Your writing career is yours to define, and if you simply don’t want to drop your rates for a client, you don’t have to. However, if you still want to try and persuade this client to hire you - at your rate - I’ve got some tactics.
From your discovery call to your email correspondence, start talking extensively about how these projects will benefit this prospective client. You still want to be concise, but I always throw in punchy lines about how signing on to a particular project will help them accomplish their goals. Try to be as specific and as compelling as possible.
Option #5 Offer a Paid Consultation
While a discovery call is almost always unpaid, you could offer a professional paid consultation to this client.
In this scenario, you won’t be writing the content for them, but you can offer guidance in a 30-60 minute strategy consultation call. This call can be done at a lower price than your writing quote, yet will still give them tons of valuable insight.
As an incentive, you can say that if they decide to sign on with you after the paid consultation, you’ll credit the amount they paid when they go to pay for your writing services.
Option #6 Accept the Rate, with Conditions
There may be times when you really want to work with a certain client, especially if they may be a stepping stone to long-term work or to working for bigger brands.
You have complete control over who you work with and at what rate you’re willing to work for.
In some cases, you may decide to accept this lower rate. However, make sure you have conditions tied to this agreement.
Such conditions could be an exchange of services. For example: If you’re writing a website for a graphic designer, perhaps they could give you some design services free of charge.
You can also tell the client that you will drop your rates for this one project but will not be so lenient in the future. Phrase it as a special introductory perk for a new client.
Regardless of whatever conditions you create, be sure to explain them clearly in writing. You can always discuss these conditions in detail via phone, but again: Get everything in writing.
How to Avoid Being a Low-Paid Writer
The biggest mistake that many writers make when it comes to writing for low rates is that they accept these low rates without retaining some power for themselves.
Instead of blindly accepting the low rates or turning your nose up in disgust, try negotiating an agreement that will benefit both parties. Most clients are more than willing to barter if they know they are short on funds.
If you come across low-paying clients who absolutely will not compromise, chances are they are not going to be a good client. So, you should probably steer clear of them anyway!
