Tried a paid test project before the real contract and it backfired hard
Last month I offered a new client in Austin a small paid logo test for $150 before signing the full deal, and they came back with 11 pages of notes on a one-page file and asked why the test was not free. I learned that a paid test just gives picky clients a cheaper way to grind you down. Does anyone have a better way to feel out a client before committing to a big project, or is the answer just to skip the test and trust the first call?