[thelist] Project Price

[Portman]

Hi Fred,

If you are still sticking to the fixed price you quoted over a year ago, 
just remind him that you both agreed to that. You could also break down 
for him the different costs that a big internet company would have 
charged him and show him in "black and white" that it would not be just 
$2.5K. Also explain that you can give him more individual attention, 
personalized service, etc.

I had an experience once where someone asked me for a quote on redoing 
their website. I gave them a fair price. The person wrote back and said 
that he couldn't afford what I had quoted. I *almost* wrote back and 
lowered my price, but instead just said that I was sorry that we 
couldn't work together and wished him the best of luck. About 3 months 
later I got an e-mail from him saying that he now had the money and 
wanted to do the website! I have since worked on 3 - 4 sites with him.

BTW, I often tell people that if they think that my price is too high, I 
will work hourly for them. It ALWAYS comes out more....

HTH,
Riva

On 12/3/2007 6:59 AM, Fred Jones wrote:
> I have a unique situation with a client. He wanted a website over a year 
> ago and I began it, for a fixed price. After a bit of work, he said he 
> would get back to me with a new graphic design. That took him over 6 
> months. I then couldn't work on it so we tried to outsource it, three 
> times. All three failed.m :(
>
> Finally I felt bad, as he was waiting for a year, and he's also sort of 
> a friend, and I said to him I will make time and do it. The project had 
> changed, however, and we didn't discuss the new price, because anyway I 
> will accept what he wants to pay. He is very trustworthy and honest and 
> I know him.
>
> My bill (according to hours worked) is now $4K and he says that he spoke 
> to BIG internet companies and they said they would have done his job for 
> $2.5K. He preferred to stick with me, but now he doesn't think he should 
> pay more than he would have paid with them.
>
> I tried to explain that in the end of the day, he would NOT have paid 
> $2.5K with them--he would have paid more. He has a hard time accepting 
> that. Can anyone back that up with experience? I know myself that not 
> one project of mine actually came out in the end as simple as we thought 
> in the beginning, save perhaps a few very small ones.
>
> This is also why I don't (almost never anyhow) work on a fixed price 
> basis. See here too, "The Cone of Uncertainty":
>
> http://www.construx.com/Page.aspx?hid=1648
>
> Thanks.
>