When Their Influence Doesn’t Exceed Their Bank Balance

I run a business online selling handmade items. I’m firm in my prices, and I only do free or discounted work for personal friends. I get an email one day regarding a product I have listed.

Sender: “Hi. I’m wondering if you could do any customization for [product]?”

Me: “Depending on what you want done, yes.”

They send a brief description of what they want.

Me: “I can do that. It’ll be [amount] for what you want.”

The cost is only a tiny bit more than the standard version of what they’re requesting.

Sender: “Oh, can I just pay you [low amount]? I’ve got a few hundred followers on Instagram that I can promote you to!”

Me: “Unfortunately, I only accept monetary payment.”

Sender: “But you charge so much! I’m sure some of my followers will buy from you when I post about it!”

It’s pretty clear that they just want cheap stuff. I’ve had people try to haggle, both online and when I do in-person sales.

Me: “I can’t take a loss over a few more potential sales. [Low amount] wouldn’t even cover shipping for [product]. And I have a few thousand followers on Instagram, plus other social media. I set my prices to what they are based on the cost of materials, the time it takes to make it, and what similar products average at. If you would like a custom [product], you can pay [amount].”

Shockingly, they stopped replying.