What's your opinion on (asking for) discounts?

[katakatica]

So…

To start with - I do love a good bargain. My favourite jumper (still overpriced!) I got after haggling in Mandarin with the vendor, which made me realize how fun it could be… But at that moment, I knew that the prices were higher because well - they knew people would ask for a discount.

Fiverr, in my opinion, doesn’t quite work that way. I’ve raised my prices significantly this year (since currently freelancing is my only job and I also felt like I was working much harder than what I was earning and I just wasn’t doing well, quite frankly, both mentally and well, financially.) 95% of my buyers are completely fine with this - and I actually have gotten more tips since the raise (and more people willing to buy the extras, too!)

But there is that 5% - and goodness they are PERSISTENT. I am a bit of a softie- so I often cave in but when someone is asking for half of my current price there’s not much I can do. I do get a decent amount of orders so I don’t NEED to get an order from every single person who messages me - but I do feel bad sometimes. Do you tend to stand your ground or do you try to find the middle ground?

[vibronx]

My view on discounts/haggling/negotiating which I have shared elsewhere before:

I see haggling as a huge red flag that they will be a pain to work with. I do not work with buyers like that. Either you pay the price or you don’t.

I have made an exception to take 10% of the price once because a buyer said that he would give me more days to complete the project in exchange for his price reduction. Also, I will sometimes give a discount if I am letting a buyer wait longer than usual if I have too many orders in queue - that is to say when I am inconveniencing the buyer - but that will also usually be around 10%, no higher.

Negotiating should not just be about one side gaining the advantage, but about securing a beneficial agreement for both parties - example being 10% off in exchange for more time to complete the project. Buyers on Fiverr generally do not understand this, though, so that is why I usually refuse to negotiate with them.

[kometbeats]

Pay less, get less. As @vibronx mentioned already it should be a win win situation not a win lose, but personally I don’t really do discounts, the few times I have were for bulk purchases which I recently decided to start turning down.

[mariashtelle1]

I HATE when someone is trying to bargain with me.
I already offer discounted prices exclusively on fiverr and I do give a lot of freebies actually. Almost every second client get something for free from me but that is totally my decision and only if I like that client.

If someone comes to me and tries to bargain that means for me that they really don’t see the value that they will be getting from me. And there is no point for us to work together.
So no bargaining with me.
And I myself never bargain prices with others. If I think the price is too high for me to buy it I will just walk away.
I just want to take a shower to be honest after spending time in places where bargain, negotiating etc are the core values and I had to go through that myself.

[katakatica]

My view on discounts/haggling/negotiating which I have shared elsewhere before:

I see haggling as a huge red flag that they will be a pain to work with. I do not work with buyers like that. Either you pay the price or you don’t.

I have made an exception to take 10% of the price once because a buyer said that he would give me more days to complete the project in exchange for his price reduction. Also, I will sometimes give a discount if I am letting a buyer wait longer than usual if I have too many orders in queue - that is to say when I am inconveniencing the buyer - but that will also usually be around 10%, no higher.

Negotiating should not just be about one side gaining the advantage, but about securing a beneficial agreement for both parties - example being 10% off in exchange for more time to complete the project. Buyers on Fiverr generally do not understand this, though, so that is why I usually refuse to negotiate with them.

I have to agree with most of this - if it was a win-win situation it’d make more sense (but generally my delivery times are long enough already, and I do require crediting unless they pay extra) so there’s not much they could offer in exchange. Well, most customers do say that they’ll order again, but… we all know that’s never guaranteed! Over 50% off was definitely not something I was going to agree with to, but I guess the guilt-tripping after did work (since now I’m overthinking it!) What many buyers say is that someone else is selling for cheaper, but they want MY work… (which is a bit odd, since why not order from the person who they’ve worked with already, AND has ‘better’ rates.)

[drmashiurrahman]

My opinion is that do not ask for discount in this competitive area. Because those who give more discounts, generally there is a chance for lower performance.

[enunciator]

From my own personal experience, the most common hagglers on Fiverr are resellers, those who promise many more orders, or those who want a discount for their first order as they consider it a testing phase, and then would supposedly accept regular rates for future orders.

All three are completely unreliable as there is no way to ensure a buyer will continue to purchase further orders based on a simple nonbinding, unenforceable messaged promise.

Also, many times, beggars ARE choosers, and happen to also be the most demanding and critical of buyers if you ever do work for them…

I learned my lesson early in selling on Fiverr.

[katakatica]

I HATE when someone is trying to bargain with me.

I already offer discounted prices exclusively on fiverr and I do give a lot of freebies actually. Almost every second client get something for free from me but that is totally my decision and only if I like that client.

If someone comes to me and tries to bargain that means for me that they really don’t see the value that they will be getting from me. And there is no point for us to work together.

So no bargaining with me.

And I myself never bargain prices with others. If I think the price is too high for me to buy it I will just walk away.

I just want to take a shower to be honest after spending time in places where bargain, negotiating etc are the core values and I had to go through that myself.

I agree that sometimes I also feel a bit… not offended but it does make me wonder if my work is worth as much as I ask for (but I am a highly insecure person so just a single bad comment from someone can ruin me for the week. I’m working on building up my confidence in myself though.)

I do seek out products that I can afford - and try not to ask for a bargain. Of course if it’s offered I might accept it (or if it’s minimal…) but I guess it’s also because my one real experience with haggling was positive! But I can completely understand you. Before I didn’t mind things this much but I guess I’m changing as well.

[katakatica]

From my own personal experience, the most common hagglers on Fiverr are resellers, those who promise many more orders, or those who want a discount for their first order as they consider it a testing phase, and then would supposedly accept regular rates for future orders.

All three are completely unreliable as there is no way to ensure a buyer will continue to purchase further orders based on a simple nonbinding, unenforceable messaged promise.

Also, many times, beggars ARE choosers, and happen to also be the most demanding and critical of buyers if you ever do work for them…

I learned my lesson early in selling on Fiverr.

Also, many times, beggars ARE choosers, and happen to also be the most demanding and critical of buyers if you ever do work for them…

Unfortunately, that’s my experience as well, it’s mostly the ‘beggars’ who ask for multiple revisions and try to get more than what I’d ever offer.

I often overdeliver as well (so if a story is supposed to be 500 words but the plot’s not done yet, I’ll finish it and so on, but I feel like the more I do that the more I get ‘used’ for it.

[teachernita]

No bargaining for me! I feel that you pay for a service and if your service is good, why must you reduce your prices? I also did not find a decrease in my clients when I upped my prices. Another thing I noticed is that the clients wanting my services for nothing, were actually the difficult clients. They always want more for less.

[mateusbl]

Well if you receive one order and give an discount… and after that you received another order from a Buyer that pay what you charge… who you will focus more: the person that you give discount or the person that pay exaclty what you charge?

I remember the most worst client here in the Fiverr, the buyer ask me one page and i sent the price… the client ask for discounts and i refuse because the tax of platform… so the buyer just said: “So make 3 pages for this price” and i was like wtf this price is for one page… not for 3 pages.

Guess what? Before get this order i gived an discount… this is why i don’t give discounts because this type of client will just try all the time to get some thing for free or get some discounts.

The other reason is that i always do something more in the project for free just to give an complete experience… so if i don’t be paid for what i do… i don’t will feel motivated enough.

---

In the sunday i added and increased some prices of the “GIG Extra” and yesterday for my surprised one buyer purchased the “Fast Delivery” that made the order be more expensive.

So you see some clients will pay what you charge and some times will pay even more to get your work… so why work for this clients that refuse to pay your value?

And in my conception, you ask discounts for products not for services!

[catwriter]

If they ask for a discount, I tell them I’m not a good match for their needs.

[english_voice]

I’m not interested in working with anyone who can’t respect my already fair prices.

I tell them this and then block them.

[looseink]

I will give the odd discount (in a Custom Offer) to long-term, good clients.

I can count how many Buyers get that deal on one hand.

Otherwise, no.

I have one Gig that offers a “reduced rate” for a limited time but even that rate is still reasonable for the service it is attached to.

[melanielm]

No one who asks for a discount gets one. They get a quick, “Your budget doesn’t align with my price” before I move on.
I occasionally give discounts to regular buyers.

[benedictrm]

Sadly most people think that asking for (or demanding) a discount is Negotiation - or at least making them a cool-tough businessman.

From my “Indie Musician’s Guidebook”

People get the idea that business is always done on a win:lose basis. Yes, even many people who talk about win:win. If you set out to make people lose then they know and will:
a. set out to beat you, i.e. make you lose,
b. refuse to play, i.e. walk away from you.
Either way, you lose.

As @vibronx notes above, to get one has to give. To get without giving something of equal value is no negotiation at all.

Discounts in shops may seem like you did nothing to get the lower price but in reality, you usually do have to do something, like get off the couch and go to the shop. There is, of course, the fake discount (which is actually illegal in most countries) where the price is really always the “discount” but that is simply an unscrupulous trader and you don’t want to deal with unscrupulous people one-on-one as they will burn you every time. Even a good Mobster knows that he must have honor in his dealings (illegal as they may be) or pain will follow.

I just got this in response to a BR sent last night:

Hello of course this being my brand and all I would like to see something closer for me. Can you create just a 1 verse and chorus with intro of what you feel the title track would sound like. The song needs to have the tone that everything and all seems lost but there is always hope just sometimes you need to go through the broken times to get to the hope. I feel like a low to mid tempo sound that slowly accelerates to epic.
Let me know if this is something you can show me. I am asking everyone that I like their vibe to do this. If not I understand.

I bet he will not “understand” my denial of his request for a Five-Finger Discount

Thanks for your reply but asking for free work is outside of a professional relationship. I am sure I sent you Portfolio to show my capabilities. Many of those show a balance of despair & hope. Past that, I can not go as it is against Fiverr TOS to do free work seeing they are a platform based on paid jobs. I value my standing here.

UPDATE: he did not understand and kept sending messages at me about how great a person he was, even after I asked him to stop. Reported.

🙂

[psykkopatte]

I don’t like when buyers try to negociate prices because i already give 20% to fiverr and 2,9% to paypal…

[mattboa]

My opinion is that discounts are only acceptable for “bulk” or loosely applicable orders. If a buyer with a good track record shows up and politely asks if I could do X number of Y things for Z bucks, I may accept the deal if it sounds reasonable.

Otherwise, haggling for any single/other type of order, no matter for how much less, is plain wrong: imagine going in the logo design category, with a quarter million designers available, and asking for one person to lower their rates to you. Not excusable in my book unless you’re very naive, plus a red flag on various other accounts.

I am the ultimate authority on the price I set for others. Never have I made a discount – the closest I came to one however was with a great buyer, whose order I had made I felt was a little overcharged, and to whom I said I will perhaps knock a literal fiverr off the price shall he ask for a custom order in the future.