If the client’s  initial response to your ball park quote/similar project quote or proposal quote is a query that the price ‘seems high‘ then you really need to have a crafted response armed & ready.

Where I went wrong…

In the early days I think I would be offended when a client queried the price; I would want to shake them and say “now listen buddy, did you see the car I drove up in? Yes, that shit heap. Well, I’m not driving that because I’m trying to save the environment!“.

But there is no point in taking a price query personally. Many clients just don’t know what goes into the process of building a decent website. As mentioned before; if they don’t know, then we need to educate them.

So, instead of getting pissy,  what about responding with something like:

“I really don’t envy your position. It’s very tricky comparing website prices between suppliers as it’s so easy to end up making false comparisons as not all websites are the same.

For instance, my quote includes audience research, branding, keyword research, copy writing, monthly web strategy (etc etc) as I feel  this is what your business needs to achieve it’s goals. If the other company is simply quoting to serve you up a quick website template, without really getting to know your business, then it’s no surprise that they are going to be cheaper. And cheaper is not always better.”

Process

Talking clients through your process allows them to buy into the extra value which you are adding into the project mix. And I do mean “talk through” here (more on that in a future post).

Some people say that a client who questions price is always going to be a problem client; I don’t agree; people have every right to ask what they are getting for their money. You, of course, have every right to charge the amount which you believe your services are worth. And, better still, you have every right to elect to work with them or not.

Next week we’ll jump on to another topic but you can bet your boots that we’ll be returning to price again.

Joel

(*I didn’t really own an hat)

Errrrrrr?

The first time someone asked me this I was completely flummoxed – my mind was turning over thinking “yeah, but surely they know you can’t just give a price?“. But the confidence with which some people ask this question can be disarming; lulling you into thinking that this should be an easy question to answer.  To someone new to running a web design business it can feel like you are somehow wrong or lacking for not being able to answer it.

“Why can’t I answer this simple question? I’m crap at business aren’t I!? I KNEW it! I’ve never been able to haggle! Is that the problem?! I should give up! ARRGGH!! (etc)”

…all because someone asked you the price.

SO, what IS the price?

It’s not unreasonable to be asked how much our services cost. Now,  if the answer is not simple then it’s up to us to frame the answer and to help educate the client. E.g. if I feel it will benefit the client, I’ll explain to them that the question is a little like asking “how much is a house?”; it depends. But bear in mind, the goal here isn’t to make the client feel like an idiot because they don’t know how to engage our services.

And bear in mind that the client is sort of used to talking about prices because of:

• What his/her last website cost
• Or what ‘man down the pub‘ says a website should cost
• Or what Mr Site charges…

So many clients have been conditioned that there is a finite cost to these things.

And that’s fair enough; there IS a finite cost; it’s just that different people add different things into the mix* and, hey nonny nonny, the end result cost is different.

(*And explaining to the client all those different things which go into your mix which make you better than the competition, that’ll be for another article).

Answer the bloody question!

But an answer to this question is quite rightly needed; we have to get used to talking about money; it’s not a dirty word. In fact, if we don’t get the money question right then our business won’t be around long anyway.

In the early days I think I would dance around the topic of money for quite a while as I knew it would be an uncomfortable conversation (for me rather than the client). End result? Time wasted on meetings etc with people who are simply not in your budget range; you can’t let your time get wasted like that; as that is time which should be spent on something more productive.

Cut to the chase

So, with a new potential client, one** of my prime goals is to make sure they are not a tyre kicker; to make sure that their idea of budget and mine exist in the same financial solar system. I’ll do something like this:

“Ok, have you seen my website? There are some previous projects on there as well as example costings“

or more bluntly…

“As a guide, my marketing websites are typically around £5K but that obviously does depend on your particular needs”

…if that doesn’t scare the horses then it is time for a meeting. I like to go for a meeting with (sensible) clients early as exchanges of emails (and indeed the telephone) just isn’t as warm and engaging as a face to face meeting; people buy from people. If you’re like me, you’re quite uncomfortable with the concept of selling but you are comfortable talking about web stuff and how it can benefit people; potential clients pick up on that enthusiasm and knowledge and buy into it.

In an upcoming article I’ll talk you through how I next shape their requirements into a proposal. E.g. I have some packaged services but I tend not to introduce these until face-to-face meetings as they are really a scope guiding tool.

Anyone else have any nuggets with fielding “how much does a website cost” type questions?

Joel

p.s. oh, there is also a school of thought that says if there is not an intake of breath when you tell someone your costs; you’re not charging enough. Just because other people are cheap does not mean you have to be.

(**there are other goals at this stage, i.e. do I want to work with this person? Do I think we are a good mix? Not every client is right for you. )