rocknbil - 7:07 pm on Nov 20, 2009 (gmt 0)

Wow . . .

I see the other side of the fence more frequently. As a freelance provider, I use many resources that involve a worldwide marketplace, competing against sometimes anonymous entities in countries where $50 USD will feed their family for a week. In these scenarios, people are b****ing to high heaven about clients who pay pennies for what they value as quality work.

I survive by submitting proposals that address the client's problems best, instead of saying how great I am and "pick me pick me." I set my pricing on what it takes me to dedicate the time to that task, and ignore everyone else, high or low priced. In some cases, the proposal says "here is why you can't have it for that price, and here is why I'm asking three times that."

The largest problem I face, though, is not competition with a world economy, it's exactly what you describe - clients who have been put through the wringer by designers/developers with heads the size of Michigan and skills the depths of a glass of water. They've already been shafted with little or zero results, and are extremely gun shy by the time I get to them. My largest hurdle is convincing them that I can truly help them without having them donate an important body part.

All this, of course, without actually saying they've been robbed or that the previous designer is a hobbyist.

Five grand for five pages, sheesh it must be for Amazon or something . . . either that or I'm doing everything wrong . . .