How to skip the sales conversation as an introverted freelance UI/UX designer
“So, how much …”
Selling design services is a skill in itself that most creatives don’t have and see as a cringe thing they don’t want to do.
If you ask me, the ability to hold your own in a sales conversation is a superpower. Your potential client takes you more seriously and sees you as a peer business owner not so much as an order taker. And you negotiate a deal that both sides are happy with.
Unfortunately…
…selling is seen in creative circles as something you need to deal with begrudgingly to get to the fun part.
And also…
- Selling is done only by super sleazy people and I’m not one of them.
- The value of my work is obvious only by looking at it.
- Whenever I try to negotiate, the situation always turns on me and I end up doing a lot more work for a lot less money than expected.
But don’t worry, there is something you can try that might work for you.
Productize service!
Productize service is a service with a pre-defined fixed price and pre-defined scope of work. You can have a detailed description and terms of service of what you are delivering, with a price attached to it.
This way, your potential client can make a decision without negotiation. So when they reach out, they are already sold and you can get to the fun part.
I’m guessing this sounds cool but still a bit abstract. So here are a few real-life examples for you.
UI/UX as a monthly subscription service
The value proposition to the Client:
- Ongoing UX/UI Design Projects
- Unlimited Revisions
- No Contracts, Cancel Anytime
- Design updates every ≤ 48 hours (Business Days)
Price: $7975/per month
Example: Fairpixels — fairpixels.pro
Done For You User Testing
The value proposition to the Client:
- Get all of the value of user research without any of the hassle. Actionable reports by experts based on usability testing you can easily implement or delegate.
Price: starts at $899 per test
Example: Conversion Crimes — conversioncrimes.com/managed-user-testing/
UX Audit
The value proposition to the Client:
- Solve one problem of a website or an app
- Answer our questions for 2 min
- Wait 3 business days
- You get a detailed report
Price: $500 one time fee
Example: UX Audit — ux-audit.com
Downsides of productize services:
- You leave money on the table by not pricing individually
- If it’s in the lower price range, you need a bigger volume of clients
- You need a reliable marketing channel to drive leads.
If you pull it off you never have to sell yourself again.
