by Mark W. Lewis
1. "Do this one cheap (or
free) and we'll make it up on the next one."
No reputable business person
would first give away their work and time or merchandise on the hope of making
it up later. Can you imagine what a plumber would say if you said "come
in, provide and install the sink for free and next time we'll make it up when
we need a sink." You would be laughed at! Also the likelyhood is that if
something important came along, they wouldn't use you.
2. "We never pay a cent
until we see the final product."
This is a croc, unless the
person is leaving the door open to cheat you out of your pay. Virtually every profession
requres a deposit or incremental payment during anything but the smallest
project. Once you have a working relationship, you may work out another
arrangement with a client. But a new client should not ask you to go beyond an
initial meeting and, perhaps some preliminary sketches without pay on the job!
3. "Do this for us and
you'll get great exposure! The jobs will just pour in!"
Baloney. Tell a plumber
"Install this sink and my friend will see and you'll get lots of
business!" Our plumber friend would say "You mean even if I do a good
job I have to give my work away to get noticed? Then it isn't worth the
notice." Also the guy would likely brag to everyone he knows about how
this would normally cost (X) dollars, but brilliant businessman that he is he
got if for free! If anyone calls, they'll expect the same or better deal.
4. On looking at sketches or
concepts: "Well, we aren't sure if we want to use you yet, but leave your
material here so I can talk to my partner/investor/wife/clergy."
You can be sure that 15
minutes after you leave he will be on the phone to other designers, now with
concepts in hand, asking for price quotes. When you call back you will be
informed that your prices were too high and Joe Blow Design/Illustration will
be doing the job. Why shouldn't they be cheaper? You just gave them hours of
free consulting work! Until you have a deal, LEAVE NOTHING CREATIVE at the
clients office.
5. "Well, the job isn't
CANCELLED, just delayed. Keep the account open and we'll continue in a month or
two."
Ummm, probably not. If
something is hot, then not, it could be dead. It would be a mistake to *not*
bill for work performed at this point and then let the chips fall where they
may! Call in two months and someone else may be in that job. And guess what?
They don't know you at all.....
6. "Contract? We don't
need no stinking contact! Aren't we friends?"
Yes, we are, until something
goes wrong or is misunderstood, then you are the jerk in the suit and I am that
idiot designer, then the contract is essential. That is, unless one doesn't
care about being paid. Any reputable business uses paperwork to define
relationships and you should too.
7. "Send me a bill after
the work goes to press."
Why wait for an irrelevant
deadline to send an invoice? You stand behind your work, right? You are honest,
right? Why would you feel bound to this deadline? Once you deliver the work and
it is accepted, BILL IT. This point may just be a delaying tactic so the job
goes through the printer prior to any question of your being paid. If the guy
waits for the job to be printed, and you do changes as necessary, then he can
stiff you and not take a chance that he'll have to pay someone else for
changes.
8 "The last guy did it
for XXX dollars."
That is irrelevant. If the
last guy was so good they wouldn't be talking to you, now would they? And what
that guy charged means nothing to you, really. People who charge too little for
their time go out of business (or self-destruct financially, or change
occupations) and then someone else has to step in. Set a fair price and stick
to it.
9. "Our budget is XXX
dollars, firm."
Amazing, isn't it? This guy
goes out to buy a car, and what, knows exactly what he is going to spend before
even looking or researching? Not likely. A certain amount of work costs a
certain amount of money. If they have less money (and you *can*) do less work
and still take the job. But make sure they understand that you are doing less
work if you take less money that you originally estimated. Give fewer comps,
simplify, let them go elsewhere for services (like films) etc.
10. "We are having
financial problems. Give us the work, we'll make some money and we'll pay you.
Simple."
Yeah, except when the money comes,
you can expect that you will be pretty low on the list to be paid. If someone
reaches the point where they admit that the company is in trouble, then they
are probably much worse off than they are admitting to. Even then, are you a
bank? Are you qualified to check out their financials? If the company is
strapped to the point where credit is a problem through credit agencies, banks
etc. what business would you have extending credit to them. You have exactly
ZERO pull once they have the work. Noble intentions or not, this is probably a
losing bet. But if you are going to roll the dice, AT LEAST you should be
getting additional money for waiting. The bank gets interest and so should you.
That is probably why the person is approaching you; to get six months worth of
free interest instead of paying bank rates for credit and then paying you with
that money. Don't give away money.
Now, this list wasn't meant to
make anyone crazy or paranoid, but is designed to inject some reality into the
fantasy.
You are GOING to be dealing
with people who are unlike yourself. Their motivations are their own and their
attitudes are probably different than yours. There are going to be demands,
problems, issues and all the hassles that go with practically ANY work/job/money
situation. Too many times I see the sad example of someone walking in to a
situation with noble intentions and then getting royally screwed, because what
they see as an opportunity and a labor of love, the other party sees as
something else entirely, not at all romantic or idealized, but raw and simple.
How can you deal with this
stuff and still do good creative work? Good question. THIS is why an education
is important. You learn, out of the line of fire, how to deal with the art at
it's own level and also how to deal with the crap that surrounds it. You may
have tough teachers and think that it can't be worse, but wait until a business
person has a hundred grand riding on your art! Then you will know what
"demanding" means. You will then thank all those tough teachers for
building up the calluses that enable you to enjoy the job rather than just
feeling like it is all a big waste of time!
In the end, working
commercially, being a terrific artist is about 25% of the task. If that is the
only part of the task that you are interested in, do yourself a favor. Don't
turn "pro."
Stabuxguy
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