Friends and Family Discount: Yes or No? (And how to navigate it, either way)
Three things are certain: death, taxes, and someone's going to ask for a discount. Your inner circle includes your favorite people and it’s absolutely understandable that you may want to throw them a bone. But should you? Here are two perspectives & how to navigate the road you choose:
NOPE. The people who support you, want you to succeed & should be willing to pay full price. Asking for a discount is taking money out of your pocket that you could be earning from regular clients. Cutting your price says that you don’t believe that you deserve what you are charging & that other people get to decide what you are worth. Stand your ground. If all else fails, ask them if they’d like to pay you 15% EXTRA just to “help you out”. No? Didn’t think so. Remember that it’s easier to never offer a discount than to take it back when it gets to be too much.
Here is how to do it: “Thank you so much for thinking of me to do this work, but I have made it a policy to not offer discounts. I have put a lot of consideration into my pricing to make sure it is fair to both of us, and I’m confident that my work is worth the price.”
YEP! Money is money. If you are just starting out, or not at “full capacity” friends & family are a great way to build a customer base & ease into pricing. Set super clear guidelines about limitations on who gets it & when. Or your best friends-sisters-cousins-3rd grade boyfriend will definitely show up looking for the same deal.
Here is how to do it: 10-15% is a very nice discount that isn't a big hit to you. You might set aside a particular day (maybe once per quarter) for “friends and family” work / discounts so you aren’t taking prime days away from full price clients. Be sure to make note of these discounts, so you can pump the brakes if it’s getting out of hand.
There’s not a right or wrong answer here. At the end of the day, you’re the boss, and you have to do what feels right to you and works for your bottom line. What do YOU think? Drop a 👍 in the comments if you think you SHOULD give a family and friends discount and a 👎 if you think you SHOULD NOT.
