My first client in Denver told me to never give a discount, and they were dead right

I was new and scared to lose a project, so I offered 20% off my normal rate to get my foot in the door. That client ended up being the most demanding, asking for endless revisions and weekend calls. After three months, I did the math and realized I was making less than minimum wage for the hours I put in. When I finally raised my rates for the next client, they respected my time more and the work was smoother. I learned the hard way that low rates attract the worst kind of clients. Has anyone else found that charging more actually improved their client relationships?

2 comments

2 Comments

phoenix_schmidt1mo ago

Disagree hard on this one. Started my freelance thing with super low rates to build a portfolio and get reviews. Got a bunch of chill, easy clients who were just happy to get a deal. My first high paying client was a total nightmare, thought they owned me because they paid more. Sometimes a low price just gets you people who are grateful and easy to work with. It's not always about the money.

emeryp231mo ago

My buddy's "high paying client" made him rewrite a logo 40 times for free.