A negotiation is decided before the conversation. What you know about the place, the product and the client at the moment of quoting decides everything else.
Before the conversation
Three pieces of information to obtain, in that order.
The intended use of the video: the establishment's account, paid advertising, the website, a screen on site. That sets the price far more than the length does.
The number of people to convince on the client's side. A decision taken by the owner is concluded in one conversation; a decision going through a group takes two weeks.
And the date by which the content must exist, which is almost never the one you are given first.
The four answers that protect your price
They are prepared in advance and said calmly.
"That is a lot for us."
Do not lower the price: lower the scope. Offer one video instead of three, or a limited use instead of broad distribution. The rate stays consistent, and the client keeps control.
"The next job will be bigger."
Answer that you gladly apply a batch rate, provided it is ordered now. A discount granted on a promise is never recovered.
"Another creator charges us half."
Do not compare prices, compare deliverables: number of videos, formats, revisions, rights, lead time. In nine cases out of ten the difference is there, and it shows in one sentence.
"Can we also use it in advertising?"
That is the most important question of the conversation. The answer is yes, with a price and a duration. Given away, that line costs more than the whole discount discussed before.
The barter conversation
It comes up often here, and it is not illegitimate.
A hotel night, a meal, a lesson, a treatment have real value. But they pay for neither the equipment, nor the transport, nor the administrative obligations.
Two simple rules. Barter can top up a payment, never replace it. And its value is counted at the public rate, not at the cost to the establishment.
Add the tax question: barter is still consideration, and its treatment depends on your situation. It is checked with an accountant, not after the fact.
The currency detail
It is specific to this market and settled in one line.
Many companies buying video here think in dollars, while your costs are local.
So write into the quote the invoicing currency, the receiving currency when it differs, and who bears the transfer fees. Those three elements avoid every end-of-job discussion.
What is traded when the price will not move
| What you grant | What you obtain | Real cost |
|---|---|---|
| A longer deadline | The price held | None |
| A grouped shoot | An acceptable discount | Low |
| A shorter licence | A lower price, knowingly | Controlled |
What you say facing an insufficient budget
Offer a reduced version rather than cutting the price of the full one. A discount granted once becomes the reference price for every order that follows.
What is calmly refused
Unlimited revisions, free exclusivity and a licence with no time limit. Those three lines later cost exactly what they seemed to save.
When to say no
Three situations, and they are recognisable before signature.
The client who refuses to put anything in writing.
Payment conditional on the video's results.
And an unlimited transfer presented as obvious on an entry-level job.
Refusing takes ten seconds and one sentence: that is not a format I offer. No justification, no apology, and without closing the door to a better-framed job.
