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# The C2C Rate Conversation Nobody Wants to Have First
- URL: https://jobfynder.com/blog/the-c2c-rate-conversation-nobody-wants-to-have-first/
- Published: 2026-10-27T20:11:46.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-27T21:57:49.000Z
- Description: Somebody has to name a number first, and both sides usually hope it's the other one. Waiting too long to have this conversation costs more time than the conversation itself.
- Author: Jobfynder
- Tags: bench-sales, hotlist

Somebody has to name a number first in a C2C rate conversation, and both sides usually hope it's the other one. Avoiding it doesn't avoid the rate problem — it just delays finding out there's a mismatch until after a submission has already gone out and stalled.

## Who is this for?

This is for BSRs and recruiters who've watched a promising submission go quiet, only to find out later the rate was never actually going to work.

## Why does this conversation get avoided?

- **Fear of anchoring too low.** Naming a number first feels like giving up negotiating room.
- **Fear of anchoring too high.** Naming a number first also feels like risking getting filtered out immediately.
- **Assuming it'll work itself out.** Both sides sometimes hope the fit is strong enough that rate becomes secondary — it usually isn't.

## What does this look like in practice?

A BSR submits a strong consultant without stating a rate range, hoping to discuss it once there's real interest. Two weeks and one interview later, the client's budget turns out to be 15% below what the consultant would accept. Both sides spent two weeks on a submission that a five-minute rate conversation upfront would have either confirmed or ruled out immediately.

## What actually works better?

State a realistic range early, framed as a starting point rather than a final number: “Looking at $75-85/hr C2C, open to discussing based on the full scope.” This gives both sides a real basis to decide whether to keep going, instead of discovering the mismatch after time's already spent.

## Where does Jobfynder fit in?

Rate expectations live as a structured field on every consultant profile, visible before a recruiter requests an introduction — so the rate conversation happens as a filter up front, not a surprise two weeks in.

Jobfynder is getting ready to launch, starting with a limited, invited group of BSRs and their connected recruiters. If rate keeps surfacing late in your submissions, visit jobfynder.com and open the Live Chat to get in touch.