Tried a flat fee for discovery calls last quarter and it backfired hard

I figured charging $50 per initial call would weed out tire kickers in my contract review work. Instead I lost two solid leads from a small tech firm in Austin who just wanted a quick vibe check. Learned the hard way that some people need that free 15 minutes to trust you with their stuff. Has anyone else messed with upfront fees and regretted it?

4 comments

4 Comments

garcia.cameron16d ago

Pulled the same move with my editing side gig and watched a solid referral ghost me completely... Charged $30 for a meet and greet and the guy was literally writing a check for a bigger retainer before I even brought up money... Some people just need that free 10 minutes to feel you out.

craig.parker16d ago

$30 is the sweet spot where the tire kickers disappear but the real clients don't even blink, lol.

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xena_hernandez9814d ago

Ugh feel that. Free vibes checks really do matter.

paige_bell8114d ago

Oof, been there. Charged $25 for a "quick consult" on my freelance writing and spent the whole 15 minutes apologizing to a guy who was literally ready to hire me right then. My wallet learned that lesson real hard.