Photographers Need To Stay On Budget

Be ready for changes

Often after you have booked a client there will be some possible changes. Just because you quoted a price does not mean you have to keep that price if the client makes changes to the scope of the project.

"I will be more than pleased to make it happen for you. Since this is a change to what we agreed on I need your approval for the changes before we proceed," is important to say to the client. You can phrase it however you want, but you need to communicate a few things.

1. You want them to get what they want.
2. With changes to the original estimate there are changes to the contract.
1. Price
2. What is delivered
3. Deadline
4. Possible new expenses
3. They must approve of the changes in writing for you to proceed.

Willingness to serve

Don't respond with no to a client unless they are asking you to do more for the same amount of money. Just tell them you need just a minute to revise the estimate to give them an idea what they will cost and any other changes they need to know.

This is why you want to estimate on a project and not give day rates. The only thing you can do on a day rate is if you have additional expenses to meet their request, otherwise when you have the time to do more for them you must.

Give yourself time to respond

It is quite common that a client might catch you off guard and don't feel bad about asking for a moment to consider their request.  

Sometimes the request may mean not just price difference, but to meet their request something else must come off the project due to time constraints. 

Sometimes I have to point out while we are running ahead of schedule for right now, but I will not know until the end of the project if I have time to add on this request. I will ask if they mind waiting to see if we have time. If they push then I let them know one of the situations we have scheduled might not get done.  I then give them the quote for the price change and wait to see if they want to proceed.

Bait and Switch

If you have given them a written estimate you do not have to worry about them feeling like you have them over a barrel when you give them the increased price quote. There are some people who are actually trying to get more out of you than you estimated. This makes them feel like they got their money's worth. 

You don't need to feel the pressure to give in to them, you just tell them the price difference and let them decide.

What happens if you forget to communicate a price difference?

You will most likely eat the cost, because you failed to communicate.

It is professional to communicate price changes before doing the work. I have watched too many freelancers turn in invoices that were higher than the quote and the relationship with the client is tarnished at best and destroyed at the worst. 

Take care of the paper work as much as you do the creative and you will have customers who will hire you again and again.