What I’m reading: Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck
What’s on the iPod: Better Together by Jack Johnson
I’ve always known I work better when my back is to a wall, but I’m surprising even myself this week. I got back revisions on the Web project, proposed and completed some blog posts, got some Writers Worth Week posts finished, finished a small project, and arranged a few more conference meetings. When my head hits the pillow every night, it’s instant sleep.
Last night was a bit of an exception. Too much hockey, if there is such a thing. I’d like to thank the local networks for showing the Boston/Montreal game instead of the one going on in this state. Super planning, you putzes. Although, maybe it was a favor. My boys did not prevail. A hard-fought series and my team, which showed heart and soul despite losing its best players to injuries about 50 games ago, did what they could, but it was too much. Tampa Bay had exceptional goal tending and they win the prize for penalty killing and defense if last night’s game was any indication.
Oh, and a big congratulations to Dr. Freelancer Jake Poinier. Your Bruins were impressive. Great game!
How do you know when a client offer is a good one or a stinker? Sometimes, you don’t. Sometimes it takes getting to know the client to be able to determine the validity of the offer. And sometimes you can smell a raw deal a mile away.
Take, for example, a recent offer bestowed upon yours truly. I had met with the client about a year ago and it was apparent then that I was too expensive for them. Or rather, they weren’t interested in investing in the right things to improve their business. The relationship dissolved over my fee – not that we got into fits and fights, but rather that they didn’t like what I charged and told me to lower the fee. Call me crazy, but I rather think I’m the one who decides if I lower my fee. I declined their suggestion.
Fast forward – I get a phone call. The client is excited because he has a nifty little project and he needs my help. He’s assembled a great cast of characters to help him with his one-day project. My reward – rubbing elbows with the people in the room. Seriously.
Here’s why this project isn’t a good fit:
– My time isn’t compensated
– The client sees nothing wrong in asking me to work for free
– The client has assumed wrongly his labor of love is one I’m willing to take on labor pains for
– The client has in the past shown he doesn’t respect my business by A) not negotiating professionally, and B) telling me I need to reduce my price
So what makes an offer smell?
Lack of respect. Clients who expect free work, demand reduced rates at the outset, or think dangling a carrot instead of a check is acceptable are not your clients.
Empty promises. If any other client had asked me this, I may have helped them depending on who they are, what our relationship has been like, and what future benefits this may bring to my business. Saying these are “potential clients” is like saying “This lottery ticket could be worth a million dollars.” The chances of someone who doesn’t want to pay at all finally letting the moths out of the wallet are nonexistent. I don’t care what incentive they offer – payment is the only option you should consider.
Faulty assumptions. Perhaps some clients assume that writers are eager to please and waiting impatiently for them to throw us a bone. Why I hate these types of assumptions – clients assume (falsely) they are in charge. They are – of their own businesses. Not of yours or mine. They’re also sporting the idea that we’re sitting idle, we don’t have any professional backbone or business sense and are, therefore, eager to take on just about anything. It’s your job to educate them by letting them know A) there’s a line forming and presently they’re at the back of it, B) you’re engaged with paying clients, or C) you can do it for a fee. Nothing gives them the light-bulb moment like a little professionalism on your part.
The exploitative favor. Wow. You’re really going to introduce me to your business friends as payment for a lot of work on my part? I should be so honored, right? Wrong. This isn’t a favor at all. It’s no more than a method used to get something for nothing. Keep it.
Odd math or weird twists. If you can’t figure out simply what you’re being paid (or IF you’re being paid), or if the project is framed as anything but what it really is, it’s a stinky deal. Example – I communicated with what I thought was a potential client once who promised $800 per project in email. Two minutes later in a chat session, the payment terms changed dramatically – cut in half and contingent on that ever-elusive “approval” clause. When stuff like this confronts you, trust your gut. If it smells now, it’s going to reek later.
How do you know when a deal isn’t really a deal?
Like you, Lori, sometimes I don't. But my BS detector has gotten better over time. Another clue is when I sense I'm being greedy – yes, in that space I can attract real nut jobs, and have.
I think if we get quiet we can hear that still small voice that tells us the truth, about ourselves and about others.
Lori, first off, that was some great hockey last night. I have to admit that I was pulling for the Lighting. Living in the northwest I don't have a home team. I was pulling for Buffalo, but they ran out of gas. My son plays hockey and it is the best sport. I've been thinking about starting a hockey blog, but that is for another post.
How common of an occurrence is it to have clients offer alternative payments? I'm just starting freelancing and assumed you negotiate a fee and that is it. Does this happen because most people don't understand what it means to be a professional writer? Great post. I learn of more issues to consider daily.
Ah, sorry for the bad outcome in your game, Lori. It was a hard-fought tilt. And the scheduling is just silly.
As far as Da Broons, thanks! I went from thrilled to devastated to terrified and back to thrilled in a span of about a half hour. (And my dog had to hide in the other room from me hootin' and hollerin'.) My fellow Bostonian-turned-Phoenician buddy Chuck said it best in a text right afterward: "that game took a lot out of me no more OTs please."
WRT steaming-turd-deals: You hit the nail on the head. I'd add a variant to the "empty promises": When people try to leverage "lots more work down the road" as a reason to do "just this project" at a lower rate. Run, don't walk, when you hear phrases like that.
I'm getting better at smelling bad projects. Anne is right though – that little voice in my head warning me about potential clients is right more than not.
Anne, I surprised myself this time – I smelled that raw deal instantly. Lord knows it would have been easy to miss. He's one of those "nice" people. You know the ones – so friendly, but has no qualms about asking you to work for nothing. It's that innocent look pasted on the face that almost gets me.
Wade, I've not had it happen a lot, but it does happen. I think the best advice I can give you is to know your bottom line in your head and walk away if the client tries to go under it. Seriously, there's no reason to work for less than YOU can afford to because the client doesn't want to pay for what you're worth.
And if you start that hockey blog, you'd better let me know where it is! I'll follow.
You must be in hog heaven today, Jake. 🙂 Good on you guys! And your wisdom is right on. "Future work" is never a reason to take a crappy job. I fell for that a few years ago. Turned out the "future work" was full of "We don't see the difference, so we're not paying" and plenty of nitpicking.
Kim, my little voice was screaming bloody murder! LOL I'd say you're very good at it. I've not seen you take guff from bad clients.
I had a potential client who, in addition to the writing work he offered, wanted me to do a few "marketing side jobs." In the end, it amounted to cold calling. I told him I was willing to discuss the writing, but not the telemarketing.
Shockingly, I didn't hear from him again. Even if I had, I wouldn't have taken the job. I would've run for the hills.
Are you serious? He wanted you to cold call his clients? That's absurd!
I think there are times clients don't realize that we're not employees who are there to perform all tasks. We're specialists. Our skills are in writing, not in performing sales tasks.
You were all too kind. There was a typo in the title all day and not one of you mentioned it. 🙂 Never write before caffeine.
Oh wow. Well, if they didn't get the hint the first time, hopefully they did this time around at least.
This post is from Devon, who had troubles getting Blogger to work:
Jake's team and my new home team and going to Round 2 — whoo-hoo!
As far as exposure, when that's what I'm offered, I say, "Sorry, I'm not a flasher. I'm not looking for exposure. I'm looking for cash."
As for "great" opportunities (choke, choke) someone recently offered me a blog spot — if I PAID for it. Um, no, I am PAID to blog, or I guest blog under certain circumstances, but I do not PAY to blog.
Blogger was mighty hateful yesterday. Here's Ashley's comment, as well:
I got to read this post early in the day and wrote a lovely (and long!) comment. Blogger thought it would make a good snack, though, and ate it. So here I go again…
An anecdote about one of the worst cases of client price-setting: When I was a budding entrepreneur at the age of, oh, 7 or 8, I set up my little table and chair at the curb and sold different things (lemonade, stickers, bubble gum, etc.) So one day, I had my shop all set up, selling stickers for 10 cents each. A "customer" came up with two children who wanted stickers. The parent handed me a dime, but thought I should give the children each a sticker, a buy-one-get-one-free deal. In my innocence, I didn't say no, but even at that young age, I was dumbfounded that someone could be so cheap as to cheat a child out of 10 cents. Perhaps the parent had only one dime, and if so, that would have been a great "teachable moment" for the kids – you can't get something for nothing.
That situation would not happen again today. I'm no longer afraid to tell clients no when I see I'm getting a raw deal, and when I give something for free or discounted, it's on my terms, not the client's.
If you've not seen Kathy Kehrli's post about AOL latest AOHell move, check it out. It's Huffington Post all over again.
http://irreverentfreelancer.blogspot.com/2011/04/aol-joining-free-freelancer-bandwagon.html
Blogger apparently ate my comment, too…but I can't remember what it was!
I read your blog and found it very informative and helpful to me .Thanks for such an effort