DESIGNER TALK. When Clients Say You're Too Expensive

DESIGNER TALK

How to Respond

When Clients Say 

You're Too Expensive

I. Lead-in.

A) Why can clients say that a designer is too expensive (when they are discussing a designer task with those clients)? Is it a good idea for a designer to talk to clients who say that he or she is too expensive?

B) How should you answer if during your talk a client says that your work is too expensive?

C) Is it a good idea to change your price if a client says that your work is too expensive? Would you do that? Why or why not?

D) How should you respond if clients ask you to do a job for less money but say that in future you’ll get more work from them? Would you agree to do it for less money hoping to get new jobs in future? Why or why not?

II Vocabulary focus. Key words. Read the sentences (1-16). The words in bold are used in the video. First guess the meaning of the words. Then match the words with their definitions (a-p). For example, 1-k.

1.    So how much you think you can charge us for that?

2.    You got a really good deal, you got a really good deal, Mr. John Smith.

3.    He didn't deliver.

4.    I’d be willing to pay a bit more than $200 to get people to submit on deadlines, but not ten times that…

5.    You're a successful entrepreneur.

6.    How much is your time worth?

7.    What I think I'm going to give to you is something that's on par with what international standards are at a much more affordable price.

8.    What I think I'm going to give to you is something that's on par with what international standards are at a much more affordable price.

9.    Because, you know, what I'm a young guy, I'm fairly new at this.

10.If you should start to feel like you're spending too much time managing people or getting subpar work …., please do reach out. I will be here.

11.I appreciate that.

12.So if we're happy with you, we'll definitely hire you back.

13.Most of my clients are repeat customers of mine because I give them what they need.

14.You know what's at stake. And you have the resources.  

15.I appreciate you accommodating me.

16.I'm making this concession.

a)    to employ someone to do a job

b)    not expensive

c)    to make a reduction in the usual price of something

d)    in a situation where something valuable or important might be lost

e)    someone who starts their own business

f)     an agreement to get something much more cheaply than is usual

g)    to achieve or produce something that has been promised

h)    to recognize how good something is

i)      the same as something

j)     people who buy again from a company or a person that they have used before

k)    to ask an amount of money for a service

l)      below average, low quality

m)  to some degree, not extremely or completely

n)    having a particular value in money

o)    to fit in with someone's wishes or needs

p)    used to show the difference in amount of two things, by multiplying one of them by the stated number

III Watch the video and answer the questions.

1.    What do the freelance designer and his client talk about? What does the client want the designer to do: take photos, make a video, create a logo, create a poster?

2.    How much does the designer want to charge for this task in the beginning of the talk? Does the client agree to pay that sum of money?

3.    How does the client explain why he wants to pay only a small sum of money?

4.    How does the designer explain why his price is so high?

5.    Why does the client speak about future projects with the designer? Does the designer agree to take a small sum of money for the current task and later work with the company?

6.    How does the conversation end? Will the designer and the client work together on this project?

IV Watch the video and fill in the gaps in the dialogue with the words  and phrases from the list. 

A.   communications, and marketing goals

B.   How much does that cost you

C.   How much is your time worth?

D.   So how much you think you can charge us for that?

E.   When you're not focusing on your business,

F.    why are we talking?

G.  Well, let's evaluate this solution.

Client: Hey, Chase. So now we need the logo for this new thing we're doing. 1)_____________

Designer: OK. Well, based on our conversation and me analysing your business, 2)_____________I'm thinking it's probably going to be anywhere between a thousand to two thousand dollars.

Client: Oh, that’s crazy. Last month we did some work with another guy for design. And he starts this like $200.

Designer: Yeah?

Client: Yeah.

Designer:  $200. Wow! You got a really good deal, you got a really good deal, Mr. John Smith.  I'm just curious though if you worked out so well, 3)_____________

Client: Uh… He didn't deliver. Like on the deadline. He didn’t meet it, he was a little bit late. But we’d like to work after all, I guess.

Designer: OK. So you're okay with missing deadlines. 4)_____________ in terms of opportunity when a deadline was missed? Have you thought about that?

Client: Well, perhaps, I guess, I’d be willing to pay a bit more than $200 to get people to submit on deadlines, but not ten times that…

Designer: OK. 5)_____________I don't want to let this go just for one second.  You're a successful entrepreneur. 6)_____________

Client: Emm…

Designer: 7)_____________, when you're not doing business development, when you're not managing your operations, what is that costing you?  I have to imagine it is probably costing you in excess of $500 an hour. Am I correct?

Client: Yeah. Definitely… But we've done more work with other graphic designers who start around the $ 200 mark, and not all of them missed deadlines, so…

Designer: That is great!

V Watch the video and choose the correct option to complete the sentences.

Client: I don’t  want you to just sell me that  you  submit on the plot line/deadline/delay. Or before the deadline…

Designer: I'm not trying to sell you anything, Mr. John Smith. I just assume that you and I are talking because you're looking for a better pollution/solution/solve than what you are currently getting either in design quality, in professionalism/professed/professor and customer experience or just basic business practices of saying what you gonna do and then doing what you're going to say. That’s what I do. What my customs/customize/clients come to me for isn't necessarily for the logo, which I think you can get lots of that stuff done. I'm not going to argue with that. And you can pay any kind of praise/price/pride from $ 5 on a site like Fiverr on up to a couple hundred thousand dollars if you hire an international branding firm. What I think I'm going to give to you is something that's on par with what internationally/national/international standards are at a much more affordable price. Because, you know, what I'm a young/youth/younger guy, I'm fairly new at this. I only have a couple years of experience, but I think I can give you, guys, an amazing customer experience and give you some really smart/star/fact solutions.  But to do that I do need to be in that range of $ 1,000 to $ 2,000. If that's not a good fit for you, I totally understanding/understood/understand. Use the options that you have available to you. And I will continue doing what I need to do. But if things should change on your end, if you should get frustrated, if you should start to feel like you're spending too much time managing people or getting subpar work or missing deadlines that cost you real monetary/money/mini, please do reach out. I will be here.

VI Designer talk: explain what makes you special (and expensive). Restore the word order in the sentences. Watch the part of the video above or use task V to check your answers.

1) than / currently / are / looking / getting. / what / for / You're / better / solution / you / a
2) what / That’s /  do. / I
3) come / me / What / to / for / isn't / necessarily / logo. / clients / the / for / my
4) / affordable / that's / par / can / standards / what / at / more / give / much / to / I / something / on / price. / with / are / you / a / international
5) I / can / give / experience. / amazing / an / you / customer
6)  / give / really /  can / solutions. / you / smart

VII Watch the video and fill in the gaps in the dialogue with the phrases from the list. 

A.  if we're happy with you, we'll definitely hire you back.

B.  It was a pleasure.

C.  we'll think about this one.

D. Sounds good.

E.  I see that you want to work with me and I appreciate it.

F.   because I give them what they need.

G. Would you do that deal?

H.  How does that sound?

I.   What’s the maximum amount of money that you're willing to spend on this?

J.   Would you be okay with that?

K.  I appreciate that.

Client:  Listen, Chase. We really do like your work and we know ...

Designer: 1)________.

Client:   OK. But then you can think how if you help us this time, perhaps we can have more business for you later if you give us a better price than what you're asking now. 2)________.

Designer: It sounds horrible. How many times have you gone in to buy something where the guy gives you a half ... I'm sorry. As a vendor, when you sell something to one of your clients where somebody says: “I’ll give you half of what you're worth. And if I like it, I'll come back and give you something more, maybe”. 3)________.

Client:  No. It doesn’t sound good.

Designer: It doesn't sound good, right?

Client:  We're an established business and we always work with graphic designers. And you  know that. So 4)________.

Designer: Sure. I hope so. Most of my clients are repeat customers of mine 5)________. I totally do. And that should just be part of a working relationship. OK?

Client:  OK.

Designer: And I like that you're an established business. So you know better than I do what the value of the work is and what happens when we don't deliver.  You know what's at stake. And you have the resources.  Let me ask you this one question before I say goodbye.  6)________.Client: Errm.  I'd say, perhaps around $ 500-600…

 Designer: OK.  I'll tell you what.  I appreciate you accommodating me. You came in saying it's a $200 thing. And I was saying $1,000 to $ 2,000. I see that gesture you're making. And I want to meet you somewhere in the middle.  Here, let me just think about this for a second. So if we did something for say $75. 7)________.

Client: Sure. Yeah.  I need to think about this, because …

Designer: Take your time.

Client: It doubles in the initial budget we have in mind, but yet 8)________.

Designer: Yes. OK. Let me know.  I'm making this concession. 9)________. And I'm glad you like my work. This time for the first time I'm willing to do for $ 750, but I also want to just be very clear and state this. Should you want to work with me in the future, and you do like to work, I have to charge you where I normally charge, which is probably somewhere between a $1,000 to $ 2,000. OK?

Client: Ok. 10)________.

Designer: Thanks a lot.

Client:  Hopefully we start working together.

 Designer: 11)________.

VIII Watch the video. Put the tips from the talk in order (1-7).

A.   Establish budget range.

B.   Make the client doubt their argument that low price is always better.

C.   Explain that clients are paying the price for getting the job done on time and to highest standards.

D.   Be flexible with the budget, offer a concession.

E.    Let the client know that the price reduction is only for the first project.

F.    Remind the client why they are calling you.

G.   Say what makes you different from other designers (your competitors).

IX OVER TO YOU.

a) Work in groups of two. Read the dialogue in roles (task IV, V, VII).  Then swap roles and read it again.

b) Write and act out a similar conversation between a client and a designer (use tasks IV and VII as examples).

c) Write what makes you different from other designers (your competitors). Use tasks task IV, VII. Focus on examples from tasks V and VI. Get ready to share your ideas with other students in class.