One of the scariest things a solopreneur has to do is start the discussion of how much a project will cost. You might be having a great conversation with your client, in which you learn everything your client needs and you figure out how you can delight your client with your deliverable. Then comes the big moment where one of you has to start talking about cost….
Do you choke?
I used to. I would stutter and ramble and eventually get around to saying “Well, I guess we had better talk about how much this is going to cost.” It would feel awkward, especially when the client would turn around and say “What do you think it should cost?” and I would have no idea what to say next.
Now, I have a better way to handle the discussion of price – I own it. During my conversation with a client, I focus on what her goals are and how she is going to measure success in this project. I listen for opportunities to offer something she didn’t think to ask for that would really enhance the outcome. I focus entirely on what my client is trying to accomplish, not on what specifically I’ll do. (The description of the deliverable will be in my proposal.) After I have a really good sense of my client’s biggest needs in this situation and how I can amaze her with what I provide, then I just ask the next question.
“So, what kind of budget do you have in mind for this?”
Just like that. Then I shut up. Virtually every time, clients share with me what they expect to spend for this project; one recent client told me his entire marketing budget for the year and said he just wanted to have a little left over after my engagement for one other expense.
If a client hesitates, my response is along the lines of “Knowing how much priority this has in your overall budget helps me understand what level and depth of work is appropriate. Rather than my trying to guess a number and then design a deliverable around it, I can know exactly what this is worth to you and I’ll show you how much value I can pack into that budget.”
In my experience, after I have proven that my focus is on my client’s best interest and not just my own bottom line, clients are more than willing to share with me what they plan on spending. Every once in a while, they truly have no idea what a project will cost. In those cases, I am happy to spend the time required to scope out several options. But in most cases, when I write up a proposal, I already know how much my client values the solution to this problem and I can design something that they can’t turn down.
Perfect timing for this info. Thanks.