How To Be Generous: Decide in Advance

Over a year ago, I stumbled on a wholesome idea that freelancers should not be generous when clients ask them to be. It doesn’t sound wholesome, but it is. Let me explain. 

“I used to be a freelancer who was generous in the wrong way. When clients asked for a discount, I gave them one and justified doing so under the flimsy idea that I was being “generous”. This wasn’t the case. I wasn’t being generous. I just didn’t have the confidence to negotiate back, so I took the loss and wrote it off as generosity.”
–Me

The idea is simple. Clients who don’t have budgets for your services will often ask you do be generous. Maybe they know someone you know. Maybe they went to school with you. Maybe their idea is “going to change the world.” Whatever the case may be, lowering your rates under the guise of generosity is a quick way to burn yourself out producing mediocre work for clients who don’t appreciate it. 

Religious practices of tithing have existed for centuries, and are basically a foolproof way to hack not being a generous person. You aren’t naturally generous? That’s fine, most people aren’t. Just set aside 10% of your income and then when someone needs something, you have money to spare. 

You can take the same principle into your work. If you can decide with who, and when, and how, and with what, and why you will be generous in advance, then when those opportunities arise, you’ll feel great about taking them. 

For me, I almost never turn away a young creator or marketer who is asking for advice. I also consult my friend who runs an after school program for underprivileged students. Being involved in these initiatives brings real value to people and makes me feel good. 

What gets you excited? Where is there need in your community? Who is doing meaningful work and needs services like yours, but could never dream of paying for it? Decide in advance to be generous to those people. Then, when the opportunity arises, you can make a real difference.