My old mentor said 'never take a client who asks for a discount upfront' and he was 100% right
I had a lead back in March who seemed great at first, nice portfolio request, clear vision. But right in the first email she asked if I could knock 20% off my rate because she was 'working with a limited budget' for a non-profit. I remembered what my mentor told me years ago in Portland about those being the worst clients. I almost said yes because I felt bad, but I stuck to my rate. She pushed back hard and eventually ghosted me when I wouldn't budge. Two months later I heard from another designer she hired for half price, and then she demanded three full brand revisions in two weeks without paying extra. That designer quit halfway through the project. Has anyone else found that asking for a discount at the very start is always a sign of way more trouble down the road?