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Client told me my payment terms were "aggressive" - so I changed them
This freelancer I met at a coffee shop in Portland straight up told me my net 15 terms were scaring off new clients. I thought offering a 5% discount for early payment was generous but she said it came off as desperate or pushy depending on who reads it. So I switched to net 30 with a 2.5% late fee after 45 days and put it in plain language instead of legalese. Within two months I signed on three new regulars who said they appreciated not feeling rushed. I kept the 5% early bird discount but as a separate checkbox they can opt into. Has anyone else had to adjust their payment window based on feedback from a stranger?
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casey3425d ago
Wait, so some random person at a coffee shop convinced you to change your whole payment setup? That's bold. I get that net 15 can seem pushy to some folks, but a 5% early bird discount is pretty standard in my book. Sounds like you swapped from being "desperate" to being a bank that gives out 30 day loans with a tiny late fee tacked on. If that works for you, great, but I'd be careful letting one stranger's opinion rewrite your terms. Next thing you know they'll tell you to do the work for free and call it "community building.
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