How to reject a friend's request for free design?

Editor's note: After reading the story of the predecessor, the editor suddenly remembered the movie "The Godfather"--friends are benefits swaps. As a full of electrified designers, to help friends a busy is also very common, do not dispute. But what happens when some friends get used to treating you like a free labor? Take a look at the story of a ten-year advertiser who never talks the same thing.

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At 20 years of age, it is unlikely to be able to discern the value and market price of all labour, and the costs contained therein.

If a person at that age is asking for free, it is not necessarily in the mind to belittle the other person's intentions, or deliberately take advantage of it, it is possible that he did not know the value of it.

Most people, especially those who have never had experience in business, have no sense of human, mental, and experiential costs. Look at the previous time, CCTV disclosed the cost of Starbucks and some of the cost of the luxury industry, see how the official media is the word cost. Then we are even less surprised that the people around us are ignoring the cost of manpower, brainpower and experience.

There is a saying in China called interlacing as Foster. In the middle of the two line of the mountain, in addition to representing the professional qualities, but also embodies the understanding of the value created by different professions of social experience and the awareness of the hidden costs.

Of course, in this free request, there are many, because of the fear of arbitrary pricing to the other party caused by the meaning of the concern.

But if the other party knows you value content, still hold the mentality of taking advantage of you to ask, it is time to review their own, why not around such a crowd appeared.

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This article, I slow wrote for nearly one months, during which the deletion and subtraction, and happened to have many indirectly related things.

Long time no contradiction with the client I, finally did not control their temper last week, had a temper.

A few weeks ago, received a Western Restaurant Vision project, docking with me, is the client side of the total. After several conversations, the basic determination of the client side of the demand, because it is a friend referral, I also promised to give some of the design and quotation, in recognition of prices and signed a contract based on the specific work. It has always been the basic principle of our company not to write a draft, to sign a contract to collect money and then to do things.

Among them, the need to customers will be the original document of the logo provided to us, in the urging of many times after the operator, the other party will only a map of the logo to me, the picture about only less than 60x80 pixels, a little magnification, then the details are all. I had to contact the other side again, to tell me the original document must be provided to my logo. In this conversation, some of the other's remarks made me not able to control my temper.

First of all. Customer a top hat son buckle down, the United States its name Yue This is the test of my company's strength. This thing I am not unwilling to do, but really cannot do, is like a dozen mosaic face, wants us to help restores to the clear facial features, this is not the level not level question, but simply does not have the question.

I still have the patience to tell customers my difficulties, but the other side said that early he also learned Ps and CDR and other software operations. It was this remark that annoyed me greatly.

Tao, Law, operation, device, potential. In layman's eyes, people in other professions do their job, at best, only by using the "device".

It's good to lose a customer who doesn't understand our value.

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In most people's cost consciousness, mastering the time and cycle of "the device" determines their understanding of the term "cost" in their mind.

A pianist, in the eyes of others, he "device" cost, but buy a piano, hard practice for several years.

A hairdresser, in the eyes of others, he "device" cost, but a set of knives, hard practice for several years.

A designer, in the eyes of others, he "device" cost, but a computer, a set of software, learning for several months.

Someone to ask you for free help, it is only because, in his eyes, your skills are only mastered the computer operation, the natural with a capacity bale. The idea in their minds is that if they also have time to learn computer operations, they can also do your thing.

Learn computer and software operation is not valuable, naturally they will be comfortable to put forward "free" demand.

Therefore, this question, in fact, is not asking, how to avoid to become a free labor, and more, because of their ability and value is not recognized and affirmation of the tangle of distress.

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I, I only say myself.

I help most of my friends, and they are free. Since I can be called a friend, I will not have to move the idea of charging him any fees.

This is the experience of my college graduation:

University just graduated, self-sustaining too high, there are a lot of creative ideas in mind, often complained that the eyes of the silly force in the society why all do not understand? No cases, no experience, no unmanned veins, in addition to physical strength, almost nothing. The first year classmate party, I from the black: "I sit in the office of my two head muscle all to sit out!" A classmate acquaintance to ask me for a favor, I paste his face. "Don't you know I'm expensive?" I'm so talented, how do you treat me like a cheap labor? My heart often steeds but the face is calm. Endless Vicious Circle, no experience, no chance, no experience, continue to have no chance.

Poor, afraid to go out, go out to spend money. A college graduate nearly a year, eating at home, can you imagine? Luckily, when I was rich, I was a man of righteousness. See I can't go on, a friend in the clothing factory to find me, intend to design a group of calendars. About two weeks of time, from design to production, I completed one-stop. Made 6000 bucks. Ten years ago, 6000 dollars would have kept me up for a while. After taking the money, I don't know who I am anymore. Whenever there is such business to find the door, a question price, profit less than 3000, do not answer.

I'm very expensive! I used to paralyze myself. At that time, even if the money, I have made myself like a master, can not imagine the so-called unpaid, help a busy situation. If now back to 10 years ago, I must have swung arm to the time of their own a big mouth, side fan and scold: "I call you to the mother of ignorance when personality!"

"I am very expensive!" In the range of my contacts, but those who speak through their mouths are often not expensive.

Your value, expensive and not expensive, not yourself to put a price without a market tag even if finished. Value of the high and low, and ultimately need to be recognized by the market, and the premise of the market recognition is that you have caught the opportunity to show their own.

For 20 of young people, the opportunity to obtain is often fleeting, put aside too utilitarian mentality, encounter opportunities, then to grasp.

I always remember @ Liang Bian Demon in why so many people willing to share knowledge? The answer is written in such a few words.

1. Public occasions, obviously can show you the limit, why not?

2. Your share is not free, in the long run, it can bring you a positive impact is priceless.

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Next, it happened at the end of 2013, and I had an experience with Z.

Z is my friend who grew up together when I was in junior high school. This guy experience quite legendary, early committed great things, to Beijing, become a North drift clan, with the previous boss introduced the new boss work, the first year 800 yuan per month, the second year 5000 Yuan monthly, seven or eight years past, now every year millions of income.

Friends living in the north, I do not know whether to pay attention to the TV shopping channel occasionally recommended a mahogany furniture products. This advertisement is from my hand. In about two months, we will be able to see the new image of a series of ads in the northern mainstream electric-purchase channel and network.

At the end of 13, Z found me, he was a chance in Beijing, began to contact the mahogany furniture business, the attitude of stability, so he just want to simply design a set of logo and product manuals. My relationship with him is here, there's nothing in my mind to talk to him about the price, to help him get things done first. I took my notebook, from the company to the hotel to find him, two hours all buttoned up, all the original documents directly to him. The next day, he flew back to Beijing with documents, and when confronted with material and workmanship issues, the guy called me, and the rest of the time, this guy disappeared.

And after about two months, he returned to Wuhan, which outlines the main marketing channel resources and future short-term planning. Advertising industry for nearly more than 10 years, a variety of media outlets are not proficient, but if I speak frankly, still not a problem, plus the home is engaged in furniture manufacturing and sales, these two points together, just for his mahogany furniture business some help. He also listened to the dragged, the next day he helped me to book a ticket, and I get to Beijing.

On the first day of Beijing, the first thing he did was pull me to visit the Li Tian Hotel. At night he accompanies various channels customers to eat and drink, drunk, incredibly want me to help him drive, I rub Ah! This is a stranger, I even do not know the road name, even if you give me a GPS is useless ah! In a week in Beijing, I became a driving driver every night. And during the day, he is helping him to deal with the existing sales channel resources, to help him find a factory, and he counted the investment ...

On the fourth day of my trip to Beijing, the product officially landed in Beijing, a local three-wire electric purchase channel, a program down, sales of nearly 400,000. A restaurant in the body, a huge pizza called trash cans, sent me away. I muttered in the heart, how to also give me to find two beautiful girls to serve me a night!

I remember in Beijing one night, I and Z were both drunk, silly Hu Yu. Z has been expressing his thanks to me. I told Z, how many years of friendship, talk about these, too outsider.

On the evening of May 19, 2014, this guy went to Wuhan mysteriously and cut me off on my way to work. He was describing his grand goal two hours a night. 20% shares. I turned it down. What does a 20% stake mean? The mahogany furniture business has now averaged monthly sales to 4 million.

On ability, z in Beijing to find people who are more powerful than me a lot. But Z said two points.

1). I need a friend who can not care about the same, but also with Gan, can be altogether bitter.

2). I owe you, I am not yet relieved.

Added, after I thanked Z for his kindness, I helped him run off the trademark registration issue. Still no charge.

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Speaking of which, I need to emphasize that I am not a nice guy. I only help friends. A friend does not mean all who know me.

This is one of the things that happened in the last few days, and it was my classmate who made the request to me.

The first paragraph: Brother I am quite picky ah is not the heart of people I do not ask for taste. The key is to really need to point your aesthetics not necessarily to draw you. I need you to give me some advice.

Although I often go to bed late, I am not used to being disturbed after 10 o'clock in the evening. If you ask for favors, you must have a way of begging. Ripe and not ripe, not to cry brother can be a pen to take. You home House, I reduced to a free labor, but also thank you for your gift Ah! I am deeply honored to be with you. Learn how to speak first, then send a message. )

The second paragraph: I will do the map is the layout of the need for your advice

(This sounds like a kind of, I will CAD will be interior design feeling Ah!)

The third paragraph: the hot weather after the delivery of the general layout I'm done to find you little loft delay you for half an hour (eat time does not count)

(I need your meal?)

The opportunity to show your ability is important. Although I do not have much utilitarian heart, but at my age, I also want to see who to show to see. Dancing in the Opera House, I will become an artist. Dancing in the square, I can only become an aunt.

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Back to the question, how to reject a friend free to do design requirements?

Self-damage? (I'm just a xxx!)

Self-lift? (I am very expensive Oh!)

This way is still not the case.

Usually, I will first judge whether the other person really needs my help. Yes, although I have stressed before, I help friends are free. But the premise is, I will first judge whether they really need, or just a whim.

A friend, suddenly lovelorn, whim want to tattoo something on the body, give me a call, I help him to draw a pattern. I believe that I do not need to say, you can judge, this demand is his real needs, or gag whim, for such a request, I naturally will not agree, since it is a friend, I can certainly speak their own reasons.

If the other person's needs are real, and need you to help him solve a difficult problem. Do not hesitate, if you are within your power, if the time you arrange to come over, if you really treat him as a friend.

Help him, but also help yourself.