How to properly ask clients for proper payment?

[wolfiefeeling]

after working 3 months on upwork, I realize that not every client would like to raise the topic of budget and payment clearly. And I found myself as an adult just don't know how to ask for extra payment for extra work and I have already aware that I was giving free work but still have trouble to fix that. I consider that it is a missing soft-skill so I am asking for suggestions.

Let us assume some scenarios, which i think will come up to a lot of freelancers.

Scenario 1:

"The client is very easy-going. you talk in a very friendly and relaxing tune. and he asks you to implement some algorithms for an IT task. You did what he asked for, payment for that job is in escrow. unfortunately, the algorithm doesn't work out well. The client politely asks for your suggestion. you give a suggestion for a new algorithm. then client asks "can you do that for me?", and never follow with any plan of additional payment. " That happened to me and I simply didn't know what to do at that point.

Scenario 2:

In a long term project, sometimes client underrated the working scope.  he thinks that it is a little additional 10-minutes modification and just give that as instruction, but actually it could be a 4-5 working hours for "small change makes big influence". How you get a fair payment in that case and not being offensive?

My situation:

these 2 scenarios happened to me. the consequence till this moment is I got tons of "thanks" and "great" from that client. but I am just greatly underpaid. 😞 I should fix that but don't know how.

it is not necessary to be in these scenarios. I need general help with how to avoid giving free additional work meanwhile keep good relations with clients.

Thanks to the community in advance.

[michael_skaggs · Accepted solution]

The best bet is to just be up-front yet polite/professional about it.

For example on an hourly project:

"Doing <extra work/task outside scope> would be no problem whatsoever! For what you're asking, it would only take $hours at my rate of $rate!"

Or for fixed price projects:

"Sure! That particular task would be $amount. Whenever you want me to get started, just add the milestone and I'll get it taken care of!

[2a05aa63]

The easiest option is to work hourly. It's easier for both parties, and sometimes cheaper.

On fixed contract, you should politely tell the client that the task it out of the context of the agreed work, so you'd charge XX for the additinal work. You are doing extra, so they should pay extra too.

[prestonhunter]

If you have a fixed-price contract, then I recommend that you do not do anything that is outside of the original agreed-upon task.

If the client asks you to do anything else, ask the client if she wants to create a new milestone for $XX.00? Or does she want to close the fixed-price contract you are using and create an hourly contract with which she can flexibly ask you to do anything she needs.

This a very simple question:

- new milestone or hourly contract?

Don't "train" clients that they can get away with asking you to work for free.

[sparkesusan]

Don't "train" clients that they can get away with asking you to work for free.  

My last client wanted me to do something because she didn't know how.  She was asking me to do something that just wasn't possible.  Needless to say, she won't release the money in escrow.  So I get to wait fourteen days now.  

[wlyonsatl]

Weiling,

It appears clients hire you because you have the expertise they need.

Your expertise should also allow you to know, with some degree of certainty, how much work will be required of you when the scope of a project begins to creep beyond what your initial agreement with the client covers.

Giving the client a little something extra at no additional charge (on a fixed price project) will probably be to your advantage, but any significant amount of extra work should result in extra pay for you.

Others here have given you good examples of the simple replies you could use to get that conversation started.

Good luck.