Sometimes finding the right words can be difficult, especially if you're trying to let someone down gently. This applies to the business world, especially when you're trying to negotiate project terms with suspect clients. To help creative directors ask for more favourable terms, or reject an enquiry outright, letterer, illustrator, and type designer Jessica Hische has created this choose-your-own-adventure style form.
To get started, simply select the budget on the table. If the amount is none or very low, the form quickly shuts down negotiations with a firm entreaty that insists this request for work probably isn't going to go any further. However, if there's a decent amount of cash being offered, more options such as a timescale appear to help you craft your response.
While this isn't a hard and fast solution to pestering emails, it does give you a basis to build on. Considering that different creative industries have their own idiosyncrasies, it's worth adapting the words Hische provides to suit your own agenda. Besides, if everyone used the same rejection message, potential clients are bound to get suspicious!
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