Logo Pricing For Picky Customers

[Dan Antonelli]

Yeh Lance admitting to doping. Kind of like a news bulletin telling everyone the sky is blue and the sun is yellow, in case they hadn't heard. I had admired the guy for a time many years ago, but he made his own bed. I think it's sad what he tried to do to those who testified against him, especially his teammates. I would have had more respect for him if he manned up earlier. But the truth is, everyone in the pro peloton at the time was doping. Conversely, his foundation has done amazing things for countless people.

Well John, you know our weather today. 40 miles in this slop, and I'm going to bed!

 

[GypsyGraphics]

Tight budget and picky? I'll give you the best advise you're gonna get for this type of customer.

Ask them nicely to take their business elsewhere. Move on to the next project.

Oh my God, anybody telling you to pass on this customer obviously has no confidence in their own skills. I think the best advice you got here was this is a challenge. Not the end of the world. Generally "picky" customers have big mouths. So WHEN you come through for her she will brag you up and tell everybody.

i have to disagree, it's not a question of confidence in one's skill as much as knowing a PITA when you see one. i've been designing for more than 15 years and a client who is cheap and picky is NOT a client i choose to deal with. picky isn't such a bad thing but if they are the type who can't make a decision to save the life.... they'll drive you nuts, even if they are paying hourly.

i had a client who told me upfront that he was extremely picky but patient. i should have picked up on that.... as it turned out he was a nightmare to deal with. endless emails that he wanted instant responses to, lengthily phone calls and wanted meeting after unnecessary meeting. i spent months working with this guy (on multiple projects)... i slowly put my foot down, but eventually my feeling was...
go away happy or go away unhappy... just go away!
i gave him more files than he was entitled to just to be rid of him.

so knowing when to "pass" on a potential customer.... not a bad thing at all!

 

[Techman]

2 revisions for errors and omission only. All other will be billed at normal rates.
No reformatting of the ad after initial discussion.
No moving this text line 1/16 of an inch or more in any direction.
No bolding of text after initial discussion.
No photos with the white graphic squares around it.
No reformatting of your add you submitted via pdf.
No we will not "just go with it as it is" when the text overruns the column widths from your home made copy ready layout.
No we will not use email as an instant chat system. We do not respond to emails instantly.
No we do not use text msgs as a way to make a deal.
No we do not stand around anticipating your text msg.
No we will not txt you back if you do not answer your phone.
No we do not accept emails as a way to cancel a layout in progress and give a refund.
No we will not guarantee anything you submit camera ready.
No we will not accept a check in two weeks.
No discounts in anticipation of any future work or promise of future work..

 

[John Butto]

Logos & Picky people

Have any of you ever been to A Dude or Hunting Ranch or to the ocean for the Blue Marlin. Not one in the Poconos or upstate New York. One where ordinary people go and get transform to believing they are having the ultimate experience. You will see the pickiest people on earth as an overweight powerful jewish lawyer and his red headed wife and daughter who looks like a young Barbara Streisand and of course their redhead son, all dress in cowboy gear with smiles from ear to ear. Or the guy who owns a construction company and goes to Bass Pro Shop and buys all his gear to go hunting an African endangered species on a 60,000 acre ranch in Texas. These ordinary people spend tens of thousands of dollars to have this. This place that make them feel like they are part of it and they are the cowboy of the past or the hunter or fisherman from a Hemingway book. My point being is that this a business, everything is set up for them, they don't sleep in a five star hotel room, they wash dishes on the trail, sweat while they track the animal. Everything is supplied for them, a trail boss, gear, horses, a guide, the right rifle or saddle or fishing gear and boat. That is the way the big advertizing companies sell their product. They make their client feel like this is it, this is the experience that no one else has, and something brand new. They even now take people to the top of Mount Everest. You think that the group of people who picked that last logo for the London games were all just going along with it. You think that none of them were picky. You think that company said "take your millions and go somewhere else". You don't think that when Dan sells a logo to a Signs 101 member they were not picky, they think it is the best logo since sliced bread. And talk about picky, throw a logo in amongst ya"ll and you guys are like a pack of hungry wolves. "Move this over, can't read it, new fonts, color is off, go read Dan's book and come back when you have more talent". And yes, that is my glass house at the top of the hill.

 

[bleeth]

A picky customer on a tight budget can be a pot of gold in disguise.
How do you know they are on a tight budget? If they said so then the logical response is "What is your budget?" You may not get a direct answer to that direct a question but you should be able to lead around to it. What is tight to her may be generous to you!! Regardless, you should limit revisions.
One should never pre-qualify a customer without sufficient information. I have done huge amounts of work for people who started with "I don't need much, I only need someone to...........and I don't want to spend too much money."

 

[Si Allen]

Life is too short for me to put up with that kind of customer!

 

[Gino]

The whole thing is much like everyone has mentioned, but something they've left out is what our trade is all about....... communication[s].

Your initial meeting is gathering information, but so is the customer. He/she is determining if you are a push-over, qualified or a master at your trade. They are sizing you up as much as you are figuring out if they are a picky PITA.

You really should be collecting all the information you can about their likes, dislike and do's & don'ts.

Once you have that, then you can determine which set of policies you are going to impose on this particular client. That's why you give them a three tier approach. In less than five minutes, you should be capable of figuring out if they are going to need 2 hours or 20 hours of your time. Then you tell them you will get back to them with a package deal. So in the back of your head, you pull your itemized policies out and give them three choices. Either make it worth your while... or make it high enough, if they're gonna be a real nit-pickin' son-of-a-b!tch, it's worth your time and effort.

In this fashion, you have laid the groundwork and should they accept.... you'll be fine..... especially on the way to the bank.

It's all about how you handle yourself, how much you have on the ball and can produce.​