Setting Prices for Design Services

By: Kaye Z. Marks Posted on: 2008-03-13 Downloads: 46 ** Print Article ** ** Copy Article ** Please Rate this Article 5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5  Not yet Rated

Article Summary: If you are looking at hiring a professional designer for your color printing ad for example, or if you are a designer yourself, how would you set the price for the color printing design service rendered?

If you are looking at hiring a professional designer for your color printing ad for example, or if you are a designer yourself, how would you set the price for the color printing design service rendered?

You have to remember that you get what you pay for. As a designer, you are offering your clients something special. Your skill is the most important reason why they hire you. That is why it is not unusual that you should be able to set a price to it. If you undervalue your price, you are also giving your skill less value. Consumers are relatively willing to pay for your service. It does not matter how much, as long as you get the job done. Believe me, they will be willing to pay for it.

So how much is appropriate? How much should your charge a client? You would want probably to get fully compensated for your skill and experience, and yet affordable, enough to attract clients to your service.

When do you tell your prospect your rates and fees? When should you convey your service costs? Right away, during the initial call or conversation? Or should you wait after you have gotten enough information to help you provide the most precise quotation.

Most graphic designers are hesitant to give their fee range right away for fear that they will turn their potential clients off. The price may not be within the prospect's budget range that they are afraid to lose the opportunity to convince them of their worth.

But the thing is, you will be able to avoid getting disappointed later on when you have done everything only to find out that your client has only this amount for his or her budget. Not to mention that putting your fee range forward at first contact can save you both the time and energy of going through the process of coming up with a great design for your color printing ad.

One way to do this is to provide an initial offer on each of your services. Your customers will appreciate that they will be able to know at first how much your range will be. But emphasize that this is only an initial offer. You will have to provide an accurate quote later when you have seen and evaluated the details of the project.

One graphic designer tells outright of her design fees. If your budget is below that range then you are better off looking for another designer because she would not even entertain queries below her rate. She even had several options where you can choose your project according to the budget range provided.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Kaye Z. Marks
Learn more about how to set the prices on commercial color printing design services.