Client Pricing Skill

Purpose: Prevent rate collapse. Enforce anchor-first pricing. Automate the quoting decision tree. Origin: Assignment 15 rate collapse ($83/hr vs $310/hr benchmark). Assignment 19 floor-as-opening ($250 vs $300+ anchor). Both were preventable.

Core Principle

"AI commoditizes labor. It cannot commoditize judgment."

Pricing Hierarchy (defensibility axis): Time (❌) → Output (❌) → Deliverable (⚠️) → Outcome (✅) → Access (✅✅)

Never price at the Time or Output layer. Price at Deliverable (minimum) or Outcome (preferred).

Tiered Pricing Table

The Negotiation Decision Tree

YOU: State anchor price
↓
CLIENT: "Too high"
↓
YOU: "What's your budget?" (NEVER counter against yourself)
↓
CLIENT names their number
↓
├─ (A) Within 20% of anchor → Counter midpoint, settle ±10%
├─ (B) 40-60% of anchor → Counter at floor + 20%, settle at floor + 10%
├─ (C) Below floor → "Sorry, [floor] is the lowest I can go"
│   ├─ Client accepts → Done
│   └─ Client walks → Let them (Dignity Premium)
└─ (D) Client ghosts → Follow up once at 24hr. No chase after.

Three rounds maximum. After round 3, you're haggling, not negotiating.

Anti-Patterns (Reflexion Archive)

Activation Rules

1. Auto-trigger: When academic-delivery Step 2 (SCOPE) identifies commercial work
2. Manual trigger: "/quote", "how much should I charge", "client is asking about price"
3. Exit: Output a formatted quote with anchor + justification + scope boundary

Quote Template

Hi [Client],

Based on the scope ([deliverable type], [word count/test count], [deadline]):

**Quote: $[ANCHOR]**

This covers: [explicit scope list]
Not included: [explicit exclusions]
Turnaround: [timeline]

Payment: [deposit]% upfront via PayNow, balance on delivery.

Let me know if you'd like to proceed.