I had a photographer call me today because he didn’t know what to do. While he’s not a client, I have spoken with him a few times in the past, and I guess he thought I might be able to help him with his situation. Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone really could.
See, he was talking with a potential client, a large company with whom he really wanted to work, when they started talking about how much it would cost to shoot the project. Now, rather than telling the potential client “Let me go over the information and write up a detaled estimate–I’ll have it for you within 48 hours” he did what some creatives have been known to do. He told the client that he’d have to talk with his business manager “Betty” (not the name used). The client said that would be fine and that, in fact, they’d very much like to talk with Betty themselves, “Have Betty call us back.”
Here’s where the trouble lies–there is no business manager, no Betty. He lied because he wanted the company to think his company was bigger, with staff and the like.
“What should I do now?” this photographer asked. I told him he had two choices: come clean now or continue the lying and make a bigger hole for his business, because the truth would eventually come out. He didn’t sound thrilled with either choice. I recommended calling the client back and being completely honest: say that he was so excited about the project and so wanted to work with this company that he was afraid that if he didn’t have a staff that they would reject him out of hand; he should also apologize for not trusting that they would not be that shallow and for lying to them.
I don’t know what he’ll do, but let his mistake be a lesson to all of us. When you lie in business (just like in life), it won’t make things better in the long run. Sure, you might get away with it now and again, briefly, but I’ve never not seen lying end up bad.
One thing he mentioned, as part of his thought process, was reading where someone had written that a photographer should say “My business manager says I have to price it this way” when defending one’s prices. I say that’s a lousy idea. It immediately tells the other party that you yourself do not even believe your numbers are what they should be–you are just “following orders.” Talk about losing your negotiating position! Instead show your strength and faith in your value and, thus, your prices. I like what Tim Olive (and others) said when a client tells him his is the most expensive estimate on a project: Yes! Woo hoo!
You must learn to be your own best advocate. If you don’t clearly have faith that what you are bringing to the table is special and valuable, how is anyone else supposed to figure that out? Can you imagine going to a fine restaurant and having the waiter apologize for the prices? No! Stand up and say “My work is worth the big bucks–I’m not cheap, I don’t work for cheap, and my clients get what they pay for.”