by Deborah Ng
Not all employers are cheap. Many of them have a good idea but not a lot of money. When it comes to start ups and the web, it takes time to build up advertising dollars or a customer base. Before you turn down a lower-paying gig, you might assess the situation and consider whether this client has the potential to pay more later. Think about this: I had one client who went from paying me $500 a month to paying me $3000 a month.
So how do you turn a lower paying client into a higher paying client?
1. Remember his success is based on your ability to produce high quality work. Many times web writers look at a lower paying client and think “I’m not going to give this my all, after all, he doesn’t pay as much as some.” Sure that’s one way to look at it. Another way is to put out the best piece of writing you possibly can. If a potential advertiser stops at a website or blog and sees it riddled with typos or grammatical errors he might be inclined to pass. If he sees well-written informative pieces he might decide it’s a great investment. More money for your clients might mean more money for you.
2. Make your client feel as if he can’t get along without you. It’s true, everyone is expendable. You don’t want your client to feel that way about you though. If you meet all your deadlines, provide clean copy every time, do everything promised and make your client’s job as easy as possible it will be in his best interest to keep you around.
3. Ask for a raise. Most business offer incentive and cost of living increases every year, but many writers don’t raise their rates. If want a jump in your wages, you may have to take the initiative. After you have established a good relationship with your client, raise your rates a little. A decent amount of time should pass before making an announcement about a rate increase. Raising your rates after a month might not be fair. You also don’t want to raise your price too drastically. Assess your client and decide what’s affordable.
When I looked for freelancing work, I looked at more than what they were paying. I looked at what the job entailed, who the client was and the gig’s future potential. Sometimes, there’s a lot more to the bottom line than a price tag.
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The timing on this is funny. I was just approached by a guy looking for articles and he actually told me: “Right now I’m looking for quantity over quality and therefore must pay writers accordingly.”
@ Ann – It’s my experience that those who aren’t looking for quality probably aren’t looking for a long term relationship with good writes and thus won’t be paying you a whole lot in the future either. It’s silly to not want quality.
You’re right and the key is to really look at all angles of the project or client before agreeing or disagreeing to do the work.
I can command an extremely good hourly rate and yet – much to the disgust of some colleagues – I will take low paying jobs from time to time because I weighed the pros and cons and the pros win out.
For example, I do take on a certain number of start up companies. I’ll discuss business plans, ideas on where the potential client thinks he or she is going and so on. I can’t say I’ve not been burned, I have, but I’ve also done quite well with a start up. The trick is going in with your eyes open and with the knowledge that it may not work out the way you wanted it to.
@Deb – I have every intention on turning him down now. As soon as the words – quantity not quality – came out, I knew that it was a pointless job. Those are the people who don’t even like paying a dollar an article usually.
This is very timely for me… I just got an assignment that I WAY underbid on (I could tell because of how immediately the editor agreed to my price!) In fact the magazine doesn’t usually pay writers at all, so I’m telling myself – better to make myself useful at what seems like a reasonable price now, so I’m more likely to get future assignments – get them used to actually paying me, and ask for more money later. Right? (I’m still kicking myself about not asking for more, of course, but how are you supposed to judge when their usual pay rate is zero?)
@ Wombat: You just got a magazine that usually doesn’t pay writers to pay you! Give yourself a big pat on the back, write a great piece and use this experience to propel you to the next great gig. It’s all good!
Make your client feel as if you can’t get along without him. –> Don’t you mean make him feel as if he can’t get along with YOU? Or am I misunderstanding?
That brings up another point… the “small guys” want to feel like a big guy. When you’re working with him, make him feel as if he is your most important client. Nothing else matters. Give him your all. (Within reason–clients who call at 6 AM or midnight have issues and should be dealt with). When he becomes big, he will remember you.
What would you recommend as a *starting point* for a raise? (I know it’s tough to talk specifics.) I usually try for about 10 percent, sometimes going as high as 15 or 20.
This is a great blog and I agree with the point about start-up companies having the potential to grow. Case in point, one of my clients, an IT firm, started his company around the same time I started mine. The first thing he hired me to write was his elevator speech for networking events. Things progressed to the point where I wrote ALL of his materials – website, letters, brochures, press releases, etc. Here is his testimonial which I think also supports what Deborah is saying:
“Christine Ink has provided System Resolutions, Inc. with Sales and Marketing written content that has been instrumental in growing my business 30% a year, every year since 2005. Our hat off to a job exceptionally done!”
-Kennith G Armour
Systems Resolutions, Inc.