And there are not forty $100 hours in my work week. Ever.
No matter what you charge, client’s will always think you charge too much. Way too much. Tom Meyer offers a fantastic response when questioned about his “job-killer” photography rate.
As a graphic designer, you should prepare yourself to have the “why I charge so much” conversation with a potential client. You will have the conversation one day, so it’s best to be prepared.
Actually, I have to side with Margaret on this one. I think it’s “naive and presumptuous” to assume clients take the time to consider our relationship with them from OUR point of view. In my experience, they don’t. You may be a self-employed freelancer but they aren’t and probably won’t care about your problems/issues. The bottom line is really quite simple: if you’re charging so little for your services that you’re in danger of being “homeless or broke” then that’s on you. Either your talents aren’t good enough or you’re simply not charging enough for your services. Sure, there will always be clients that complain but, once again, the responsibility lies mostly with us as creatives to help educate our clients on the value we bring to the table.
I don’t think the author of the article has a talent/experience problem. I think he simply took the time to explain the reason he charges what he does.
I’ve had to have this conversation more than a few times in my career. Generally it’s with a client that I’m on good terms with, explaining what goes into a catalog design (for example). For the most part, I get the “wow, I had no idea” response. Luckily, the conversation was at their request, not me “defending” what I charge.
Now that I think about it, I hear of this conversation more at companies where the marketing/design employee is explaining to the sales/admin/VP people why a photographer costs so much, or why a web developer charges what they do. They simply have no idea what’s involved.
Seriously? How is this a “fantastic response”? Clients don’t care how much you make a week, they only care about what you’re charging THEM. Do you care how much your doctor or auto mechanic makes a week? No. You only care about what they’re charging you.
Not true. I do actually care that the people who provide me services are not in penury because I am self employed and I know what kind of money it takes to pay the rent and eat food.
The “clients” that don’t care if you’re broke, homeless and can’t pay your taxes are not actually clients. They’re what we in the industry refer to as a “waste of time” and can go elsewhere to get their art and photography.
After they send their nephew with an iPhone out to take product shots or get the girl in the office who knows how to draw to generate their corporate identity, they will get exactly what they pay for.
That’s a naive and presumptuous response, Margaret.