Hi again
It depends – some contacts don't want to see the value in a personal relationship with their designer. It's then hard to convince them, and I have to say, I don't try it anymore after one try. From experience I know that none of us would be happy.
And others realise that it's a good investment in the long run. To get a tailored logo, where the designer has done some research, checks that there aren't any competitors with similar logos around, helps with trade marking, etc.
I get most of my logo design orders through word of mouth - so people who contact me, often know from the referring person how much I charge.
Some people who contact me through the net, ask for a quote and those who think I'm too expensive don't get back to me after seeing the estimate. I have then to decide if it's worth ringing them up. If it's a start-up I do, if I see that it's just trying to get the cheapest price, I don't.
The bad thing behind it is not just the driving the jobs out of the country, but also a decline in quality after a while. That's not just something that happens in the design industry but also with photographers, copywriters, etc. People get used to see standardised and probably trendy designs, but the unique part is slowly going to disappear.
Don't get me wrong, I know that to keep the costs low is a very important thing for start ups and small businesses.
Cheers
Astrid