Duct Tape Marketing

As of recent I have been working with a client in the tourism industry. He wanted some intitial logo design and when I spoke with him I converted him into redesigning his website and refreshing his content. I always like when that happens.

I took the time to draw him up a proposal with a list of the services I would provide along with the cost. After he looked it over we had spoken and he asked me if I would go down in price.

-GET READY FOR THE MILESTONE FOLKS-

Without hesitation I actually said the words "NO." Now take note that I have only been in the business of marketing, advertising and graphic design for only about 7 years so I would consider myself fairly young. I can't actually believe I am at the point where I am actually at that point where I just nip the notion of design haggling in the bud!

I have actually only been in business for myself for about 2 years now and luckily I am doing quite well but I have to say I have had my fair share of stupid mistakes in the business. Several clients have gotten away with free design, in part because I simply was not assertive enough of letting them know that OUR TIME = MONEY.

And I have to say I love it when a potential client asks if I can do a design first before they actually pay for it. Well then what if they don't like the design...it is not the design but the time to create it that costs money. This one time a friend of mine who happens to be in car sales asked me if I can do a flyer complimentary for him...I kind of chuckled at him and asked him if he would let me drive one of the Land Rovers in his parking lot. I told him I liked the Pearlescent Grey one with all the extra features. After a moment of sarcasm he kind of get the point I was trying to make.

People are always looking to find a bargain in our industry. I sometimes wonder if those hagglers feel like when they come to an agency that we are just like the local flee market. As it is with the connections I have within the industry it still costs money to procurate things. If someone wants me to do it for them I have no problem charging them a more than modest fee...afterall, if they don't want to take the time to market themselves and go through the same channels which I would utilize then I will charge them the "finders fee."

But it seems all too often that people just nickle and dime. Maybe this is with everything? I mean if I need a service and I can afford to do things properly then I will pay the money to have it done.

Unfortunately, just as in every service business, you can get stiffed if you don't do your homework. You can wind up haggling a real deal which someone is offering you...a designer that knows their stuff and gets things done in a timely manner might actually have the better deal because of their time management. You could ironically wind up giving them the hard time and turning down their service, only to be lassoed in by some bad designer who is not timely and efficient and who charges you an arm and a leg. Well, you look back in hindsight and realize the only good thing about the bad designer was the sales pitch and cover up of the "lack of service."

All to often people are looking to pay at half measures and expect twice the service. Well my friends, it is time to put the foot down on that one. If you would like to pay a graphic designer $8.00 per hour or $50.00 for a logo then I suggest scouting the local supermarket and approaching one of the bag boys. You might get lucky and find a steal!

Hiring a designer for a low cost you are going to get some shoddy design that belongs in a book of bad design. Now that's an interesting thought: I should hire designers for $8.00 an hour and compile a book of bad design. I could call the book Getting the Best Design at Minimum Wage. Then without telling the designers I can take the profits from the book and donate back into the designers. Eh, just a thought