#024
Same Street, Why Do Other Design Firms Charge Double Your Fee?
同一条街，为什么别人家设计费比你高两倍？
一个做了八年的设计公司老板来找我。聊了两小时。
他说：“市场太卷了，客户到处比价，设计费越做越低。怎么办？”
我问他：“你有问过客户对你的真实看法吗？”
他愣住了。
“……没有。我不敢问。我怕听到答案。”
我说：“你怕听到反馈，还是怕公司继续这样卷下去？这两个，你如何选？”
他沉默了很久。
后来我们做了一件事：演练怎么开口问客户。
不是问“你满意吗” - 那问不出真话。而是问：
“如果未来我们要保持或提升设计费，你觉得我们哪里可以做得更好？哪里可以比同行强？”
他担心客户会翻脸、会尴尬、会再也不找他。
结果都没有。
客户说：“你是第一个问我这个问题的设计公司。”
他拿到了真实的反馈，终于知道自己哪里值钱、哪里不值钱。改善的方向，一下子清晰了。
他说：“以前我怕听到答案，现在我怕听不到答案。”
如果你也在价格战里越卷越低，却从不敢问客户一句真话，与我联系。一起找到问题的根。你的时间与精力，应该花在高回报的目标上。
(案例已脱敏，经本人同意分享)
徐敏聪
成果教练 ｜为赢而练
我帮创始人及CEO先赢，再长。
A design company owner with eight years of experience came to see me. We talked for two hours.
He said, “The market is too competitive. Clients shop around and compare prices. My design fees keep getting lower and lower. What should I do?”
I asked him, “Have you ever asked your clients for honest feedback?”
He was stunned.
“…No. I didn’t dare. I was afraid of what I might hear.”
I said, “Are you more afraid of hearing the feedback, or of your company continuing to spiral downward like this? Which one do you choose?”
He stayed silent for a long time.
Later, we did one thing: we rehearsed how to ask clients for feedback.
Not “Are you satisfied?” - that won’t get real answers. Instead, we practiced asking:
“If we want to maintain or even raise our design fees in the future, where do you think we can improve? And where can we be stronger than our competitors?”
He was worried clients would get angry, feel awkward, or never hire him again.
But none of that happened.
The client said, “You’re the first design firm that has ever asked me this question.”
He finally received honest feedback and clearly understood where his company was valuable - and where it wasn’t. The direction for improvement became crystal clear.
He said, “I used to be afraid of hearing the answers. Now I’m afraid of not hearing them.”
If you’re also stuck in a price war, charging lower and lower, but never daring to ask clients for the truth, feel free to reach out. Let’s find the root of the problem together. Your time and energy deserve to be spent on high-return goals.
(Case anonymized with client’s consent)
David Tsui
Result Coach | Coached To WIN
Helping founders and CEOs WIN, then GROW
