c/rate-hikes-negotiation

The one-line email trick that got me a 15% raise after 4 tries

Honestly, I kept failing at raising my rate with a repeat client in Denver. Every time I asked, I got vague answers like 'we'll see next quarter' or no reply at all. Last month I tried something different: I sent a super short email that just said 'For next project, my rate goes from $50 to $58/hr, let me know if that works.' No long explanation, no guilt, no list of my hard work. He came back in two hours saying 'fine' and booked me for two more projects. The trick was making it a simple yes/no decision instead of a negotiation invitation. Has anyone else tried stating the new number like it's already settled, and did it backfire or work for them?

2 comments

iris_barnes87•17d ago

Hot take: is it fair to bill for "research time" or just the actual work?

I spent 6 hours digging through old data for a project last week and only 2 hours writing the actual report. Do you guys bill clients for the full 8 or just the 2?

2 comments

angelamurphy•18d ago

Shoutout to that awkward 3 hour phone call I had last Tuesday

I told a client last week I was raising my rate from $50 to $65 an hour and they kept me on the phone for 3 hours trying to negotiate down to $55. Has anyone else had a client try to guilt trip you into keeping your old rate after you gave them a month heads up?

3 comments

brooke448•20d ago

Why I stopped quoting per hour and started naming my price per piece

I used to bid every job by the hour. $50 an hour, 10 hours, $500 total. But I kept getting pushback from people saying my hours seemed too high. This one woodworker in Portland told me he just tells people the flat price for a custom table and moves on. So I tried it with logo work last fall. I quoted a flat $750 for a complete logo package instead of tracking time. The client said yes in 2 minutes. No back and forth about hours. Now I do flat fees for everything and I make more money per job. It also freed up my headspace because I stop stressing about the clock. Has anyone else dropped hourly pricing and seen better results?

3 comments

vera_green69•20d ago

A designer told me my portfolio was too busy and she was right

She said I should cut half my projects and lead with just three strong ones. I dropped from 12 pieces to 5 and my inbox went from quiet to getting 3 requests last week.

2 comments

patricia_hill60•20d ago

Everyone loves annual contracts but I prefer month-to-month

Everybody in this group pushes for long-term deals. I get it, security is nice. But I made more money in 2023 doing month-to-month video editing work. One client locked me into a yearly rate and I missed two bigger opportunities that popped up. Why are we so scared of flexibility when it can pay off in the end? Has anyone else ditched annuals and seen their income go up?

3 comments

hunt.hayden•21d ago

Hit $200 an hour for the first time and honestly felt weird about it

I landed a $200/hour retainer with a fintech startup in Austin last month (up from $125) and expected to feel pumped, but instead I got this nagging feeling I overcharged. Then they never flinched at the invoice and even asked for more hours, which made me realize I'd been leaving money on the table for years. Anyone else feel guilty when a raise sticks harder than you thought?

2 comments

ruby_bell47•21d ago

Question about raising rates after a bad experience at a coffee shop in Denver

I was grabbing a coffee at this little spot in Denver last week and overheard two freelancers arguing about a client who refused to pay their new rate after they'd agreed to it in writing. The one guy said his buddy got stuck doing $200 of extra work because he didn't put a end date on the pricing in his contract. Has anyone else had a client try to lock in old rates forever even after you gave them a heads up about the hike?

2 comments

jennybailey•23d ago

My buddy Mark told me to raise my rate by 50% and I thought he was nuts

I was stuck at $50 an hour for graphic design work in Chicago for two years, too scared to push higher. Mark kept saying clients respect confidence and a higher price tag often filters out the bad ones. I finally tried it with three steady clients last month and two said yes without even blinking, the third one just quietly faded away. Has anyone else had success jumping their rate by a big chunk all at once?

3 comments

margaret551•23d ago

Pro tip: Always triple check the blueprint measurements before you quote

I took on a job installing a custom fence for a backyard in Austin last month. The owner said it was a simple 150 foot run, so I quoted $900 for labor. Turns out the survey was off by 40 feet and there were three tree roots I had to dig around. It took me six full days instead of two because I kept hitting rocks and had to reroute the posts. I lost money on that deal for sure. Now I always bring my own measuring tape and double check before I name a price. Has anyone else gotten burned by a client's rough estimate?

2 comments

patricia_hill60•25d ago

That $50 retainer agreement template I bought off Etsy was a total scam

I paid a graphic designer $50 for a retainer template last month and all I got was a Word doc with typos and zero legal protection. Lost about $300 when a client ghosted me and I had no way to enforce payment. Anyone else fall for those cheap template sites and regret it?

3 comments

garcia.wren•27d ago

The "no quote without a chat" rule that doubled my close rate

I used to just send price quotes over email and hope for the best. Maybe 1 out of 10 would actually respond back. Then I tried something different: I told every new lead I needed a quick 10 minute phone call before I could give them a number. Not a hard sell, just a conversation about what they actually needed. On the call I could figure out their real budget and explain why I cost what I do. Out of 6 calls last month, 4 turned into actual paying gigs. Has anyone else tried forcing a conversation before quoting?

3 comments

knight.uma•27d ago

Just walked out of a coffee shop meeting where a guy was bragging about paying freelancers $12 an hour

I was at Common Grounds in Portland yesterday and overheard this dude on the phone saying he always offers $12 an hour first because 'someone always bites.' That's less than minimum wage after self-employment tax. Has anyone else run into these bottom feeders trying to set the market price?

3 comments

kim_davis•27d ago

The noncompete scare that made me ditch a steady gig

Was at a Starbucks in Austin last March. Signed a 3-month project with a local agency. They slid in a noncompete clause on page 8. I almost missed it. Told them I wouldn't sign it. They threatened to pull the offer. I stuck to my guns and walked. Found a better paying gig two weeks later with no strings. Has anyone else had a client try to sneak in a hidden clause like that?

3 comments

casey342•29d ago

Last week I invoiced a $500 retainer client and they paid 2 days early

Been working with this guy for 6 months, always pays on the 30th. He sent the money on the 28th with a note saying he appreciated my quick turnarounds. Now I'm wondering if I should bump my rate for him or risk scaring him off.

3 comments

davidshah•1mo ago

Vent: Lost a negotiation because I brought my kid to the meeting

I was meeting a potential client at a coffee shop in Austin last week and brought my toddler because the sitter cancelled last minute. The client spent the whole time making faces at my kid instead of talking numbers, and when I brought up my rate of $75 an hour he just nodded and said "sure." Has anyone else had a weird distraction totally throw off a rate discussion?

3 comments

kevin_williams•1mo ago

Warning: raising rates by 10% each year is a trap I see everyone falling for

I keep seeing freelancers in here brag about a yearly 10% hike like it's some golden rule. Last year I tried that with my main retainer client in Portland and almost lost them because they felt nickel and dimed. Why does everyone assume a flat percentage works for every client situation instead of just negotiating based on the actual value you delivered?

3 comments

samreed•1mo ago

That one time a client said my fonts were 'too distracting' and I actually listened

I used to use all these fancy display fonts for headlines, thought it made me look creative. Last year a client literally said 'your reports look like a birthday card' and I switched to just Arial and Open Sans for everything. Has anyone else had a client's random comment totally change your whole design approach?

3 comments

jana509•1mo ago

Flat rate vs hourly, I finally picked one after a bad job in March

I had a project last March where I charged hourly, but the client kept asking for more changes. I ended up working 10 extra hours for free because I felt bad tracking every tiny revision. Next gig I switched to a flat rate of $500 for a 3-page website, and it went way smoother. I finished in 8 hours instead of 15, so I made more per hour. The trick was listing exactly what they got upfront with no surprises. Has anyone else seen better results with one method over the other?

3 comments