The Perils of Pushing an Extra Too Hard

There’s an old adage that, “a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.”And that is so so true.We might be able to get someone to outwardly agree to something, but if we haven’t won over their heart, they’ll walk away unconvinced. Or satisfied. Or, happy.

That principle is a cold reality on Fiverr. We may be able to bend a client to our will, forcing them grudgingly the pay the extras we feel are justified. We may even successfully wrap up the sale...but when it’s a hammer job like that, a bad public rating is a distinct result...and that’s just the start of it. Not all sellers realize it, but the buyer is also given the chance to leave something Fiverr calls "private feedback." They are each sent a message and encouraged to rate their experience with the seller just after the sale is completed. Ulp!

Bad marks given in private feedback to Fiverr can have a devastating impact on your search rankings. They're often the reason for a mysterious drop in search, and the undisclosed thing factor has caused many sellers have suddenly seen their sales fall off precipitously.

Standing by your principles is admirable, and I recommend it. But if the buyer is showing clear signs of agitation over an extra you sent them, my advice is to back off, provisionally. Let me give you some example text I use, in the case of the Commercial Rights extra.

"It's clear you just didn't realize, when you placed the order, that this extra was necessary, and I don't want to disappoint you. Let's go ahead and complete the order without the extra on this occasion...and on our next order, we'll just make sure to include it. Fair enough?"

That one little paragraph right there has probably done as much to keep me high in the search rankings and successful on Fiverr as any other. It works like magic. It gives the buyer oxygen and lets them save face. It lets them have a little win, and who doesn't love that? It demonstrates I'm on their side and want them to be happy. At the same time, it also sets ground rules for the future. And the "fair enough?" indicates they must agree this is a one-time thing...that next time, I will get my extra.

How do buyers respond? In my experience, across the board, they react with relief and joy. Some express relief because they genuinely hadn't anticipated paying that much more, because they're operating on very tight margins. We've just taken a load off their minds. Some express relief because they just didn't want to pay the extra, and feel they've "won." That's ok too, once.

Here's an answer I received just yesterday:

"Fair enough! Thanks a lot ! We would like to keep up to work with you for our further needs."

How different things might have turned out with that buyer if I had stuck to my guns through hell and high water and forced the extra through! Now, rather than a one-time sale and a potentially bad public review...or worse, devastating private feedback, I've got a new friend and potential long time customer on my terms.

So my advice is to do whatever you need to, to end each order on a happy note, even if that means some compromise on your part.

There's so much you and I can do together to improve your gig's performance. Schedule your Gig Doctor appointment by hitting the Gig Checkup link at the top of this page for an inexpensive personalized checkup and consultation!

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