Tried the 'sandwich method' for negotiating and it backfired hard

I started with a compliment, then dropped my number, then wrapped it up with how much I love their vision. They heard the compliment and the fluff and totally ignored the actual quote. Now I'm stuck doing a $600 job for $400 because I didn't say the price clearly the first time. Has anyone else had that awkward moment where being nice just made things worse?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_felix5d ago

Wait, are you me from six months ago? I did the exact same thing with a logo redesign - told the client their current branding was "bold and refreshing" (god, I still cringe), gave my rate, then threw in how pumped I was to modernize it. They latched onto the fluff and now I've got a $200 piece in my portfolio that I basically paid them to let me design.

angela7285d ago

Wait, is nobody going to talk about how the client might have honestly thought they were doing you a favor by taking the lower price? Like, some people hear excitement and they think you're offering a discount because you love the project so much. They don't see it as manipulating you, they see it as you being generous. I had a client once who was genuinely confused when I got upset about the low pay because they kept saying "but you seemed so happy to work with me!" It's like they think enthusiasm and fair pay are opposites or something.

robin8965d ago

Totally been there... I tried the sandwich thing with a client who wanted some custom furniture work. Said how much I admired their taste, gave my price, then talked about how excited I was to tackle the project. They just heard the nice stuff and said "sounds great!" and I ended up building a whole dining set for way less than my normal rate. Learned the hard way that you gotta just state the number flat out with no sweetener around it...