andye - 2:32 pm on Jul 12, 2007 (gmt 0)

Thinking about this, another option would be for you to offer him a deal that's better for him than the original one, as well as meeting your requirements better.

For example, let's say:

- Your standard rate is $75.

- You're now doing work for him at $50 basically because he's a valued client.

- You could say to him: "I can offer you an even better rate of $45, but you'd need to buy 20 hours paying up-front. You'd have up to 3 months to use the time".

Then he can choose whether to agree or not - if not then you stick with the existing terms.

BTW, you might find the book "getting to yes" is useful for these kinds of negotiations.

Best wishes.