Ask What do you do when a client uses the economy as an excuse to pay you less?

[Edward22]

It has become common for clients to bring up economic conditions as a reason to negotiate lower rates or delay payment. They might say business is slow, budgets have been cut, or times are hard, and they expect you to absorb that as a freelancer. The problem is that your own bills do not go down because a client's budget did. At the same time, being too firm can mean losing the work entirely. How do you handle that conversation without coming across as unsympathetic but also without accepting less than your work is worth?

 

[Anthony Joshua]

I think the best move is to stay calm and not rush to accept a lower rate immediately. You can acknowledge the situation but still explain the value of your work in simple terms. If the client understands what they are paying for, they may respect your price instead of trying to push it down.

 

[Dean101]

I get that things can be tight, but my work still has value. I usually just stay calm and remind them of my rate and what they're getting for it. Then I ask if their budget issue is temporary or something that's changed for good. If it's temporary, I might suggest doing a smaller version of the work instead of cutting my price. If they keep pushing too hard, I'm okay with walking away. Honestly, a "bad economy" doesn't mean I should do good work for cheap.