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My mentor told me to always charge for a color consultation and I thought it was a bad idea until a client in Portland tried to get me to match a five year old magazine photo for free.
That one hour I now charge upfront saves me from the 'just a quick question' folks who actually want a full custom formula and has anyone else found a good way to explain this fee without sounding rude?
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lopez.mason5mo ago
Yeah, that's the key. I frame it as buying my focused time and expertise, not just a color. I say the fee covers me doing the deep looking, testing, and note-taking to get it right, which I can't do in a free five minute chat. It turns tire-kickers into serious clients.
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avery_fox935mo ago
Jumped in to say @stellaj63 is spot on with that phone story, I had almost the exact same thing happen with a lady in Austin who wanted her bedroom to feel like a 'foggy morning in London' and then ghosted me after three calls. Now I tell people the fee covers me blocking out a full hour where I'm not checking my phone or answering the door, so I can really dig into their space and pull out the right undertones. It weeds out the looky-loos fast and the serious clients actually appreciate knowing you're giving them your undivided time instead of some rushed five minute spitball.
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stellaj635mo ago
Learn from my mistake, I used to give away that time like free samples at the grocery store. I once spent forty-five minutes on the phone with a nice man who just wanted his living room to feel like a 'sunset in Santa Fe,' and then he hired his nephew instead. Now I just say the fee lets me put my full attention on their project, phone away, swatches out. It saves my sanity.
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