I’ve just read the latest post from Doberman Dan and I really think you should read it if you accept paying clients.

He talks about the danger signals flagging potential “bad clients”. For example, clients who try to get you to do some “work on spec” or waive your upfront fee. Or a share of royalties later on.

When they try to do that, they don’t take you (or your skills) seriously. And if they don’t take you seriously, expect further trouble down the line.

If people don’t want to pay full price for you, they don’t value what you do. And if they don’t apreciate your true value to them, they are more likely to quibble, fuss and cause problems which are trivial at best, at worst non-existent.

On the other hand, the best customers, the ideal clients will happily pay full price and consider it worth every penny. They will be less trouble and more enjoyable to work fo.

People who don’t appreciate your true value and who are trying to get you cheap up-front are playing games. It’s simply a mind game to get you to de-value yourself. And once they see they can do that, they’ll do it some more and they will push it just as far as you will let them.

Client transactions are about transactions of value. You give me value for the value I give you.

In the same manner, I find the more clients insist on quantifying your service with an “hourly rate” the less they appreciate the value of the knowledge, experience and expertise you’re bringing to whatever you do.

Value what you do at the level of the value it creates, and not the amount of hours you put into it.

It’s a difficult decision for any small business owner to turn away business in any climate. If you’re involved in any negotation, always have a walk-away figure decided before the meeting starts.

And every client meeting is a two way interview. They are working out whether they want to work you, likewise you should be working out whether you want to work with them.

We’ve all been screwed over at some point into doing some work on the cheap because we weren’t confident of our own value, and accepted less than what we were truly worth for whatever reason.

But I think the lesson here is probably more psychological than financial. And accepting any commission that is less than your value is not only bruising to the bank account, it’s bruising to your self-esteem – which must be preserved at all costs.

Conclusion? You have to value yourself and what you can do. And you have to insist that others do so too if they want to work with you.