This is one of the harder things for me when starting on a contract. I dont want to appear pushy and turn them away nor interested in going back to negotiating.
Ps. I am from south asia so I also think there is a expectation of a need for haggling.
If they're reasonable, they may agree to just go hourly then upon hearing a reasonable explanation. Sometimes they'll try to negotiate on the price. I tend to be very wary of clients that try to negotiate rates though because even if you get your rate you'll find yourself later arguing about hours, features, etc. Your rate can effectively be lowered if they pressure you into feeling that you are not working fast enough and bill 1 hour for 2 hours of actual work. People who like to haggle tend to haggle over every detail to get a bargain - not just price.
" I feel that my standard rate is justified due to my knowledge, the quality of the code I produce, my flexibility and my ability to learn and pick up new skills and technologies quickly. I have other clients who are paying my full daily rate and they very satisfied with the work I produce.
I completely understand if this is non negotiable. And I realise asking for an increase on the rate you offered may mean I may miss this opportunity to work with some exciting new projects, technologies and people which would be a great shame. "
Any feedback on the above would be greatly appreciated.
I don't really see why I'd say more than that. If a client kept pushing after that, I'd start saying things like "I understand; let's figure out how we can get your work bundled up efficiently into a day" (or, in my case, more likely: I'd bill a day for the time-consuming stuff and just let the single hours go).
I know if you try to sell a product in some cultures and refuse to budge on the price it could be considered an insult.