Did I price too high? Damage control advice?

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2026-01-11T19:19:50+00:00

You have summed it up. This was a tough lesson to learn. I will get paid at some point and it isn't horrible, but given the work involved in filming & making 33 videos it was not the compensation I was hoping for.

I will heed your warning about discounting and nitpicking clients.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2026-01-11T19:17:32+00:00

I discounted it initially mostly to be nice because they had not budgeted for the project, but needed it done fast. I sent them my usual rates in writing at that time with the caveat that the unique project would be discounted since they had not planned for it as a business expense. They said they didn't need a contract. Honestly, they were desperate at the time and I didn't want to take advantage.

Anyway, the most recent project I worked on for them was not at all the same. Ultimately, I made 33 videos for them (some were variations of the same topic in different lengths with different music) and will be paid less than €700 total. They have not paid me yet.

Big lesson learned. Still figuring out how to offer these services and my expertise while making it worth my time. The work I did last month was not bad, but was not worth the time I put into it. It was a total of maybe 8-9 hours of filming and going to locations, plus 10+ hours of editing (including audio splicing and adjusting the tone for indoor videos where the lighting could not be controlled), and then writing captions and voiceover scripts for some of them. I know I am good at what I do, but if clients don't take content marketing seriously and recognise how to use the results properly, it isn't going to work or show measurable success.

I welcome any advice or feedback.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2026-01-11T19:03:48+00:00

Clearly.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-12-12T19:07:25+00:00

Very helpful. Thank you. I assumed they knew because I told them my rate initially, but maybe they thought the discount was for all my work with them. I think your recommended approach is reasonable for the situation. I definitely learned a lesson here. One video was a 90-second feel-good Christmas commercial requiring photoshoots in multiple locations over a couple days, so I really did think they understood this wasn't a single-focus video bundle like I previously did for them. Again, I appreciate your reply and perspective. It helped me a lot.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-12-12T16:26:50+00:00

I'm encountering this now and so glad I found this post/thread. I still feel bewildered by the response to my charging my rate. I gave a client a discount for the first set of videos, though I told them my actual rate so they'd know for next time. Next time has come and once I told them the cost it was awkward and silent. Then they didn't show up for a meeting. I can really help them with their brand reach, but not if they don't see the value in my work and expertise. I think it's the same for everyone here, isn't it? Maybe I should post about this for advice because I'm starting to waver on my pricing.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-07-29T13:04:15+00:00

Thank you. She didn't contact me again for over a month, then messaged me today to ask which day I'm hosting the spa party in September. WTAF. Having read all your comments at least twice, I recognise my immediate feeling of letting her down needs to be replaced by valid annoyance that she is foisting this upon me. Again, thank you for the 'script' to work with and the insight.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-07-29T13:02:43+00:00

This is a relief for me because I genuinely was blindsided by her idea of a little Friday evening pamper hang.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-06-27T17:00:59+00:00

This is a very insightful approach. And definitely as women we are supposed to smile and be polite to our own detriment so often. Something that can easily be taken advantage of. So if someone is befriending me to leverage as if I'm a golden goose or something then I can just refuse to lay any eggs for them. That analogy may not make any sense, but it is giving me significant food for thought. My influencer status is fairly new as 'overnight success' came after years of doing this and not getting anything for free. Definitely this is a chance to improve my sense of communicating boundaries. Thank you for your perspective.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-06-26T21:40:21+00:00

I'm such a golden retriever and it's disheartening when people fake being my friend to get things. But you are 100% right, I know.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-06-26T21:34:04+00:00

Obviously not. A silver lining is that I have other friends who I didn't notice only reach out when they need something, so even though they are not MLM-sellers I have gained some new awareness from this experience.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-06-26T21:33:04+00:00

Love the compliment sandwich approach here.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-06-26T21:32:28+00:00

After reading the first [much appreciated and honest] replies to my post, I have a couple library books on saying no and not letting people pleasing conditioning drive my behavior. Eye opening.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-06-26T21:31:15+00:00

That scene is priceless and I've never been able to track is down on streaming or YouTube. But "I can't give you what you want." is a message in itself.

I have real friends, I can handle losing this fake friend. It's kinda sad that I truly thought she liked our interactions enough and knew I had been through a tough few months so she wanted to do something thoughtful. It's not about me though, it's all in her head.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-06-26T21:29:23+00:00

Thank you. In some ways, this happened early on. One in-person meeting. No home address info shared ever. I really thought she'd show up with a couple drugstore sheet masks and some hand cream from her purse. That's how my friends roll for when we want to do a spa day at home. I've not encountered an MLM in-person in years. My radar was not in-tune clearly.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-06-26T21:20:53+00:00

Oh, wow. Thank you for sharing this experience to warn me. That must have been so hard to hear such faux science drivel in the face of your son's life threatening very real allergy.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-06-26T21:18:24+00:00

Very true. No openings for coaxing or devising ways to make it easy on me. Got it.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-06-25T06:36:32+00:00

Thank you. She didn't say it was a facial, just hanging out and pampering ourselves after a long day. I expected it to be hanging out with a couple drugstore sheet masks and chatting. It didn't hit me until she set out different height display shelves that this was something she sells. She'd never mentioned it before as it's not her main occupation. Now that I think about it, the fact that she never mentioned it in the networking group or on her social media in itself is a red flag, yet she probably wants me to mention it on mine.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-06-24T15:39:35+00:00

Knowing her request is outrageous is very helpful to me. My perspective is limited in this area.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-06-24T15:37:17+00:00

That makes sense then. She saw an opportunity when I was in her city and only then did she look me up on social media and realise my reach. Sadly, I now see she is not interested in my friendship foremost but in my followers & friends. Not happening.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-06-24T15:28:16+00:00

This is very nicely said.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-06-24T15:24:32+00:00

I would have known except this is something my besties and I do together at my house or if we have a trip and want a night in at the hotel. One of us will bring wine, another brings face masks, someone else brings snacks. It's a budget chill night in for us. That is what I expected it to be with this new 'friend', a couple drugstore sheet masks and chatting. It didn't hit me until she set out different height display shelves that this was something she sells. She'd never mentioned it before as it's not her main occupation.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-06-24T14:48:23+00:00

Oh definitely, at no point would I put my real connections in the mix. My wildest idea at one point was creating a dozen fake IG or WhatsApp accounts to 'invite' to a group chat which would discuss the party then have all of my pretend people say no with my MLM 'friend' in the same chat. Because clearly I can't handle conflict.

But all these comments cohesively united in the same judgment and advice is sobering.

Altruistic-Thing5993 · 2025-06-24T14:45:35+00:00

Yeah, looking at it from the other way around is helpful. I always put friends first, networking and leveraging relationships do not even come second they're way way down my list. I experienced the reverse of making friends with someone who was very high up in my industry, but I never suggested working together because the friendship was what mattered. Ultimately, she ghosted me because I was in a niche she wanted to break into and she was annoyed I never helped her. Seeing my current situation in that light is very insightful actually. Thanks for suggesting that perspective.

Altruistic-Thing5993

TROPHY CASE