Should I bow out of this situation?

[graphicsmama]

Okay I've been talking to this guy for a few weeks--he wanted to do a direct mail piece targeting 10,000 households with a specific demographic profile. Up front he told me (when I specifically asked him about his budget) that he wasn't concerned with the cost, just to let him know what my estimates were. So I've done quite a bit of research getting the pricing and all....including the mailing, postage, list from the list broker, design...etc.

So I gave him the pricing for 10 and 5 thousand and he was like oh no, how about 3,000 households. Gave him those figures...then he wanted 3,000. Gave him that info as well...each time having to modify the list from the list broker because he's targeting Hispanic people with a certain income and there are only so many in each city that he's interested in.

The long and short of it is that he changed his mind and now wants to do a flyer and insert it in his magazines/newspapers that he delivers every month himself. It's about 10,000 pieces so I figured I could still make some money on the printing..(just got my reseller's license...) because designing the flyer is only going to cost so much (don't know if I can post it).

NOW he's saying he wants to go with another printer he's worked with before...I haven't heard yet if they came in under my pricing, but if they do I'm just about ready to say forget it! I've done a lot of work already and I don't know if it's worth even a small amount of my time MORE to do the silly flyer.

Or should I just suck it up as part of the up and downs of the job and do it and let it go? The flyer won't take much time...I could snap it out in an hour or two and he's only going to get one design out of me.

[Logo-Mechanix]

I usually charge more if I am not doing the printing but I would certainly not turn him away at this point because like you said, you already put so much time in it and if you turn him away now you will get nothing. Who knows it might lead to other work by word of mouth and if you just blow him off that word of mouth will not be praising you thats for sure.

[jlknauff]

You need to price your jobs so that you are making a fair amount on everything you do. Don't just give a rock bottom price with the intent to make it up elsewhere. You can do that with established clients that have a good track record with you, but certainly not new clients. You never know what will happen.

[greyghost]

Time is money, my friend. If people want me to do a lot of extensive research for them, I charge. I think you are being taken advantage of.

[Drazan]

I charge for R&D time. It's called creating a marketing plan - even one as limited as aquiring specific lists and information. The only thing I don't put on the clock is the initial sales consultation - everything else is billed time.

and it's in a contract.

Good luck with this guy, I'd lay it out straight that if he keeps asking you to change the senario that there is upcharges to consider. If he walks - he walks, there's tons better clients out there.

Jade

[graphicsmama]

I didn't think I was underselling myself with it...it's just that it started out being a trifold mailer and then it got bumped down to being a flyer now....and now he's changing his mind from half page size to quarter page...I'm almost wondering what's the point! But like Logo said it could lead to other word of mouth work I s'pose.

*sigh*

He is a CHEAP client, I will say that for sure.

thanks for the input--I'm definitely learning a lot as I go along...

[greyghost]

The problem with cheap clients is that they then refer you to more people like them. Cheap clients know other cheap people, and suddenly you wake up one day realizing nobody pays worth a shit and you are working your ass off.

I learned this, I have one last cheap client and she knows she is always at the bottom of my pile, she's ok with it because it's "an honor for me to even bother with her." lol.

[mattbing]

And make sure you get some money (25%-50%) up front. A client like this is constantly shopping around, and you never know they might decide to go with another designer (cheaper) althogether even though you might be 1/2 way through the project.

I learned this once and only once (hopefully).

[graphicsmama]

The problem with cheap clients is that they then refer you to more people like them. Cheap clients know other cheap people, and suddenly you wake up one day realizing nobody pays worth a shit and you are working your ass off.

You know, I thought of this after I posted this...good point!!

And make sure you get some money (25%-50%) up front. A client like this is constantly shopping around, and you never know they might decide to go with another designer (cheaper) althogether even though you might be 1/2 way through the project.

Yeah....definitely...I learned that lesson a couple of projects ago, it always hurts to learn those things the hard way.