Stop Your Damn Haggling

OK, here's the thing that's been bugging

me ever since I started my business.

Many of my wonderful friends are creatives

of some shape or form.

We are all creatives in some way I think.

So it really bugs me when people feel they have a right

to try and barter our prices down, or haggle

over a product they want.

Hey! I love a good bargain, but I would never

barter with a small business or creative/artist/maker.

In the same way if I was having something 

made, I would never haggle. I know that the reason

the price is higher than Target or Walmart is because

I am buying into the whole "process" of something 

being created just for me.

Even if you are a stylist, people are paying to tap into

your knowledge and for you to create a look for them.

Therefore, we should respect that and NOT haggle or

negotiate over the price.

I find it really offensive sometimes.

You see I get between 5-10 emails a week from

bloggers/influencers  asking me for FREE products!

In fact one "influencer" wrote a long email about how she was

getting married and how "she knew" I would "want" to give 

her one of my pieces so that she would promote it to all her

guests!!! Yes really people. This was a REAL email.

Don' get me wrong I know some AMAZING influencers.

But these women NEVER ask for products-that's the difference.

The"influencers" I am talking about appear

from nowhere and have NEVER even read my

blog or visited  my site. So they have never taken the

time to build a relationship with me, but then they feel

they have the "right" to ask for a free product as they

are a "fashion influencer"? Am I missing something here?

 It's the fact that they feel I should be "privileged" to

hat they "found me" on the Internet as in the case

of "Bridezilla" above.

I was always astounded by their audacity.

A couple of times I turned the tables and said

they could have a product if they show me

their stats, or they can have a product

if they pay the trade price.

Of course you never see them again for dust!

They just wanted the freebie.

Here's the thing. When you give someone something for free

 (and it's not given as a gift from you), you de-value

your product/service/time.

People never appreciate something they are

given for free. Even if they have to pay a

nominal amount, they will value the object/

service/person MORE than if they pay nothing.

Other times I have had customers who contact

me saying they like a particular piece, but THEY think

the price should be X!!!

Whooooooa! Hold on Tiger!

 Are you serious?

Would they walk into Neiman Marcus or

Selfridges in the UK and say to the store manager

they would like to purchase X but only if the price is

what they think it should be?

C'mon people get a grip!

If you want to haggle then go to your local market

or ebay (Morocco is also a good place if you like

haggling ;-)

But if you are buying from an artist who is selling their 

product that they live, sleep and breathe through,

then don't haggle.

If you want cheap and mass-produced, then there

are places where you can buy such products with

prices that reflect this. But most creatives are the 

antithesis of Amazon Prime ;-)

So this holiday season my wonderful friends,

please consider the makers.

And if you are the maker remember,

you have set your price for a reason, and if

that sets you apart from the mass--produced

tat that some of the bigger stores sell, then

be proud about it. 

The RIGHT customers

who know value, and who know your worth

WILL find you and they will never negotiate with you.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this (whether you are a creative

or a even "professional haggler ;-"- 

I know they exist. My sister is one of them ;-)