Friday, November 02, 2007

Your Bottom Line

If the quality of this post leaves something to be desired, I am apologizing beforehand. My dog I've known and loved for 16 years was put to sleep yesterday. He lived a good life, but I am still processing everything. I apologize now, and hope you still enjoy the post, for what it's worth.

Yesterday, I wrote about the price of quality and asked for your opinions regarding how much quality costs in the writing world. I appreciate those of you who commented, but now I'd like to take things a bit further.

While the definition of quality will differ from person to person (as will the price people are willing to pay for it,) I'd like to ask you about your bottom line.

How much are you willing to negotiate on rates? This will obviously vary depending on the circumstances. There were several comments on the blog post yesterday about certain benefits of working with a particular client may outweigh the financial gain.

Has this ever held true for you? Do you ever work for less than you usually do because of different benefits a particular client offers you?

While I am usually a stickler with the rates I charge and rarely renegotiate, there are a few clients who I continue to work with that pay me substantially less than I usually earn. Why do I keep working with them?

For the side benefits, of course! These vary from client to client, but several people I've worked with in the past have been enormously helpful to me in ways different from monetary gain.

Now it's your turn. Let me know your thoughts and where your bottom line rests.

Best Wishes,

Denise

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2 Comments:

At 1:21 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Denise,

This is my first time reading your blog. I'm enjoying it.

First, my condolences on the loss of your dog. My pets are my family, so I know it's not easy to lose a pet.

Do answer your question, I don't bend my bottom line very often, but I will sometimes compromise for someone who offers me steady work that I truly enjoy.

I'll also make an exception if the job could open bigger doors. For example, I've blogged for small law firms at a lower rate than I normally charge, because it means I can use those clips (if you can call blogs clips) to get better paying gigs for bigger firms.

 
At 1:52 PM, Blogger Denise said...

Amy,

I'm so glad you stopped by! Thank you for your kind words, as well.

I'm like you - I rarely bend my bottom line unless it's for a client I've worked with in the past on a long-term basis. If I enjoy the work and it's steady, I will occasionally lower my rates.

I can also understand your reasoning behind lowering your rates in order to garner better opportunities. Thank you for your insight, Amy!

 

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