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03/06/2006: "Never Fall for these worn out gambits."

There are some lines that have become a part of American life. Some lines are so cliché as to be laughable and yet people keep passing the lines and some very ignorant people keep falling for them. To quote a famous con artist, "There's one born every minute."

I won't do every line but here are a few:

"My wife doesn't understand me."
"My wife is frigid."
"I'll use protection."
"I'm sterile."
"I'll give you a lot of business."
"I'll get you other clients."

Well, I'll concentrate on the last one or two for now. The other ones don't even deserve any attention they're so perfectly stupid and yet men still use them. Oh well, let them think women believe these cock and bull stories.

But I digress. How often do you have a prospective client tell you something like, "I'll have lots of business for you if you'll do a good job for me on this one and come down on the price." Oh yeah? And I've got a bridge in New York I'd like to sell you cheap.

Fact: You ain't gonna' get more business because you lower your price. All you accomplish is that the prospect has a sucker. Oh yes, he'll give you the business alright. But it's not the kind you want.

You don't make money on promises of future business or referrals or anything else. You make money when it's in your hand and you can keep it from a chargeback artist or a stop-payment-on-a-check scammer. Only then have you made a deal.

A very old negotiating gambit that old men used years ago was the old more business if you drop the price gambit. I do wish people would come up with new lines. But don't fall for this one. Don't come down on your price because someone promises you more business or offers to bring you more clients or customers. It ain't gonna' happen my friend.

"Aaron Jay" Lieberman tells us on his site in discussing this type of client, " I believe he had charged back his deposit, and said if it wasn't done immediately, the many hours of work I had done for him would be unpaid. I know he had charged back one deposit without cause, but can't remember if it was this time specifically or not. I wound up doing "one more thing", then "one more thing" under threat of not getting paid anything."

Yes, some people will do anything they can to get their way and use you up. Never lower your price unless you take value off the table. Don't be one of those who are born every minute. My readers are too smart for that.