You are here: Home / 2009 / Archives for February 2009

Client Intake: How To Make A Killer First Impression & More Sales.

February 28, 2009 By

When I talk cold calling with people, they have a hard time understanding how I get away with doing so little and still get good results.   It’s becuse I’m thinking all the time.  I try really hard to improve my process.

MY client intake process for paid clients is 21 steps on basecamp, it’s printed and it sits next to my Imac, on the wall.   I make sure that I wow ‘em with a welcome letter that describes what’s going to happen, a clear understanding of hard deadlines, their expectations and requirements, and my own.   I want to make it super simple to do business with me, so however they give me the information is fine.  Even if they’re stuck in 1997 and insist on using faxes.

Some steps:

  • Welcome letter restating the project & deadline
  • Phone call or voice mail restating it to demonstrate understanding.
  • Mutual signed agreement in their box in minutes.
  • First deliverable, first 4 business hours.   (along with the other stuff).
  • Introduction to team members that are also on the project.
  • Reminders sent of their commitments same day.
  • Basecamp set up and calendared.

Not every job is a big one, but every job worth doing is worth processing for a lot of reasons: you get REALLY good at processing jobs when you practice, and even if you’re on a $200 job, everything is an audition for the next gig.  Everyhing is an audition, and even if it’s $300 bucks worth of work, Basecamp makes things easy, and you can be up and going damn near instantly.   Google Notebook, same deal, copy project to a new doc/spreadsheet and go from there.

Now, you ASK for a referral at project start.  “Since I’ve got this project solidly underway, I’m always trying to help more people–is there anyone that needs me to do X?”  Low key, simple, obvious.    It’s sales.  It’s just asking killer questions, showing you care.   The beginning is a surefire way to demonstrate virtuosity.  Here are some simple rules:

  • NEVER EVER EVER make a client repeat themselves. Even if you have other team members.  I use skype to (with permission) record m calls for design interviews, especially when I’m not actually doing the work (most of the time).   We all get that there are multiple people working on something, but seriously, nothing says bad experience like that.  When I’m asked to repeat myself ,I always wonder: what’s going to be faster, repeating myself or finding someone professional.
  • Always rephrase what you’re understanding the project to be.
  • ALWAYS restate terms, delivery dates and payment triggers.  “Ok, so we’re on the same page, $3500 upfront, $1,000 when x happens, and $2,000 when y happens, with X happening before the 15th, and payment due on the 20th”.   Freelancers are ham fisted about money, and don’t communicate expectations clearly, and then get annoyed when clients don’t pay when they imagined they would.

What is your client intake process?    How many referals are you generating at that time?  Even on little jobs?  How many compliments on ‘being an excellent communicator,’ do you get?  Note: this takes WAY WAY less time than fielding ‘where’s my stuff,’ calls.

If you’re not getting many, your results are poor, and you need to rethink the way you’re doing things.

Filed Under: Business Building, selling/marketing Tagged With: , , ,

Billy Corgan, The Killers, Passion & Phoning It In.

February 27, 2009 By

This will be a quick Friday night post, hopefully.   My favorite band is the Smashing Pumpkins.  Big margin there.   Billy Corgan is a world class badass that has the stones to sneer at Oasis, and to sing about love and to crash the guitar, and to force every male emotion out through a nasal whine that sounds about as much like bagpipes as it does like a rock singer.   I love the music, the overblown bloated narcissism, the dreams, the ideas that everything matters.    The first three records, and the Aeroplane boxed set had so much passion and nerve and fire.   It was the music I went to school to, the music playing when I kissed girls, and the music that was scratched into my soul.   I hear the Pumpkins and I’m back in DC, back in Pittsburgh, back scheming to get a girl to come over and make me her happy victim.

I’ll never stop liking the Pumpkins.  Even today’s stuff has the desperate whine, the plea to make things better that’s always there, always audible and the hope for a better world and a better place.   Kurt Cobain was anointed the spokesperson of Generation X, but it was really Billy that made the difference, Billy Corgan that was the most like Generation X.  Maybe he wanted to die, but he didn’t quite have the guts to burn himself up.  Who knows.   But in every song, then and now, there’s passion.

It feels amazing, to listen to that music, every time. My angel wings….

Another band–the Killers–looked to take a real shot with their first record. I heard it and thought “who the hell is that,” a when they first came out. Mister Brightside had it. The way I felt when I was 24, and I was sweating every girl. I wanted to hoard all of the affection around me, it was never ever, ever enough. I wanted every kiss from anyone, and that song, painted that picture perfectly. Here it is:

It feels like 24. That was a good start. But then, something went awry with the newest (terrible) record. You take your passion, and get all entitled making shitty quotes about how it was time for U2 to hang it up. Not focusing on channeling the passion, and they come out with forgettable mediocre & passionless drivel like this:

Boring. Tedious. Rich placated rockstar that can’t find something to care about. Talented, sure, but he’s just diddling around with it. He’s gone all adult contemporary on us, and because he’s the “it” band right now, nobody’s gonna tell him. The Anfernee Hardaway to Michael Jordan. He doesn’t even give a crap about what he’s singing, only whimpering about his place on the rock charts and who’s giving him his props. Maybe some critics were impressed, but this was skillful and soulles music.

What I want to know: What are you passionate about? What will you STAY passionate about so you don’t turn in an “Are We Human,” trite performance. What burns so bright in you you can’t wait to change it? That’s what you should be doing, if you got the skill. That’s where you need to be.

Filed Under: miscellany Tagged With: , , ,

Sonia Simone at Copyblogger Misses the Boat, Big, With the Tribes Post.

February 27, 2009 By

I don’t know why Brian Clark and the Copyblogger people are going on this high school motif. Yes, there is differentiation and branching off going on in the Internet right now.   Yes, the rules are evolving on how we make money.  Yes, the “Fresh off The Used Car Lot” types are here. Yes, there are groups of people that are not communicating with others.  Normal, human, don’t you think?

Sonia talks about how–ultimately–there are cool kids vs. Internet marketers.   The cool kids get attention and the IM crowd gets paid.   I get paid on the Internet.  I’m not getting private jet money–but I do very OK thankyouverymuch.   I…am in a tribe obsessed with human connection.   You know, the one that didn’t get mentioned…the one that uses Facebook.  The one that gets more and more leverage.  Oh, sure, I did the book thing and made money selling ebooks, and I’m launching the **** out of my next ebook. I’ll do six figures from F#@% Therapy, if I hustle.

But ultimately, my income and security will be found in a third way–by connecting to people I meet on the Internet.   No mention of that tribe.  I’m working towards getting rich.   I’m working towards running around with a cool group of people.  Helping things grow to a higher and higher level, getting cool things made, cool people connected with, and keeping it REAL.

By growing my social media presence in depth, I, too am an Internet marketer.  I am an unlimited freelancer, an unlimited salesperson.   Sure, I get a little rush when my Blackberry pings from my e-junkie account  And sure, I’m probably missing the boat by not putting affiliate linkseverywhere.

But…you don’t have to worry about my motivations.  If I tell you that HeapCRM is the best thing since ACT 6.0, you can bet your sweet ass I mean it and why.  I don’t lend my reputation to anyone, unless the product is F#%@ing great.  You’re not thinking I’m going to be after some affiliate commission.   I care about people, and it’s making me rich. I’m not saying that Brian and Sonia don’t care.   I am saying that the best way to sell on  Internet is to build your  robust social media presence and sell to it, protect it, guard it, and add more value to it than anyone else can.

That’s the easiest way to make big cash on the Internet, and all it takes is caring, using Facebook, connecting and….helping.  The best part is that the skills from both crowds come in handy.  The cool kids crowd can help ya get an audience, and the IM crowd can help you sell.   Provided that you care, you’re beyond contempt.

Filed Under: Business Building, selling/marketing Tagged With: , , , , ,

More Cold Calling Stuff….Freelancer Cold Claling

February 27, 2009 By

Couple things I didn’t mention:

  • Be F#@%ing intense.  Don’t back down, don’t be average.
  • Be doing things with a purpose.
  • Make moves towards the final sale..

Also, oh, I’m as serious as a heart attack about this:  http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=7167

Filed Under: Business Building, Products, Projects and Process

“You’re Too Fat” and 5 Other Nice Things You Can Say to Others.

February 26, 2009 By

I’ve battled my weight off and on all my life.  Actually, I’ve battled it all my life, but I’m currently winning the battle.  I’ve reached the “end of the beginning” stage where I’ve taken off about 35% of what I want to lose overall, and I’m heading in the right direction with reasonable speed.  But, I carried excess bags around since probably mid-2004 (when I crossed the line from a little out of shape to fat).  And the thing is…nobody told me.  Nobody pointed it out or put any pressure on me.  [Note: The fault of being fat was 100% mine.  This isn't passing-the-buck b.s.]

People were afraid of hurting my feelings, likely.  Nobody says, “you’re too fat,” even when it’s painfully obvious.  Even an “I love you, but you’re too fat,” doesn’t get said as often as it ought to.  Because honestly?  People in trouble need to know that you’re aware of their condition.  I know that I self-rationalized my weight all the way up to 275# by saying things like “I’m not that fat,” and “Kohl’s still carries my size.”  Let ‘em know that this is hurting them.

It’s not that you want to jab ‘em all the time, but a simple “you’re too fat – what are you doing about your weight?” once in a while can bring it to the forefront.  “You’re too fat – would you like me to help you get to the gym?”

Had my friends and people who I respected said that, I don’t know if anything would have changed, but who knows.  I was too fat.  It was and is painfully obvious.  I am doing double the work now to overcome that.

How to Tell Someone Something That Is Unpleasant

You have to just deliver the message.  Don’t prep them.  Make it matter of fact.  “Oh, by the way, you’re too fat, and if you ever want my help getting the weight off, let me know.  I still love you.”  Having a long windup gets people’s defense mechanisms and ego invested.  So don’t say, “Um, there’s something that you may not like that I gotta tell you, but I still love you.”  That puts ‘em on edge, and they’ll dismiss it.

Just deliver your damn message, and let ‘em know succinctly that it’s holding them back.  And don’t be wedded to telling the story of a low-carb, alkalizing, special fitness program.  They’ll find their path when it’s time.  Deliver the message quickly and leave them to find a solution.

Make sure you’re not being gratutitous — and that you really care about them…and not about being superior…then ‘let ‘em rip.’

5 Things You Really Ought to Say to People (and They’ll Thank You)

  1. “You’re broke because you spend money like a moron.”
  2. “Your girlfriend is a do-nothing piece of trash, and you can do better, so have some balls, man.”
  3. “Everyone thinks you’re an asshole, so tone down the type A bullshit.”
  4. “Your clothes went out of style when Seinfeld was popular.”

and of course…
5.  “Your butt really does look fat in those jeans.  Ditch the jeans or get a new butt.”

Please feel free to mixx, Stumble and Digg this stuff.

Filed Under: miscellany Tagged With: ,

GenuineChris Video Post: Freelance Sales Stuff Cold Calling For Freelancershow

February 24, 2009 By

Just don’t insult us all by asking how you are doing…!

Filed Under: selling/marketing

Don’t Go Halfway to War: Focus on What You’re Passionate About.

February 24, 2009 By

If you’re having trouble hitting a goal, maybe it doesn’t matter that much to you.  Or maybe, you’re not being honest about the reason that you want it.  Or maybe, you’re too afraid to hit it.  In either case, I’m learning that it’s correctable.  At any given time, people have loads of goals.   You probably don’t focus on your goals as much as you should, and you probably have too many goals that burden you that matter too little.

If you’re not willing to be passionate about a goal, give it up.  You can’t win the game by going halfway to war.  You’re just going to frustrate yourself, and spend time doing things that don’t energize you, don’t make you better, and dissipate your energy.   WHEN you focus on something that doesn’t matter to you, you will be less likely get a decent outcome.   That means whatever energy you spent on it will be put into a sieve, and just burned up, and wasted.

Focus Only On What You’re Passionate About

Instead–focus on the few goals that you’re passionate about, for the real reasons.   I’m passionate about a few of things: 1. helping people be independent and free from big institution collectivism,  2. getting fit, 3. raising my kids to be kind, generous world beaters.   (Under these ideas are things that I gotta do, and sub goals and projects that I’m working on, but nothin’ really matters beyond this).   Nothing else should matter.   Any connection, flirtation, other part of that is probably a distraction.  Any other goal (earn $50,000 a month) might be nice, but it’s not a focal point unless it supports the other goals.

For a long time, I (and maybe you) have focused on all the ‘nice to have,’ BS goals, and I didn’t hit them with any regularity.  Partly because I wasn’t willing to be passionate about it.   The word passion’s origin from Late Lattin: physical suffering. Do you want your goal so bad that you’ll give up something for it?  That you’ll work your ass off?  That it’s more important than food, sex, sleep?   If not, then you probably don’t want it that badly.   If not, it’s not at the core of your being.  And if not, you gotta figure out how to connect with the stuff that really matters, nto the stuff you want to matter.

You can’t win by going half way to war.  You’ll lose, you’ll be beaten because you have to give up everything to the goal.   Having something that would be nice someday isn’t going to get you there.   Simplify, drop from your list some things that don’t matter, and focus harder on the few things that do matter.

Easier said than done, I know, but doing starts with saying, with writing, and it’s time for me to put that together.

Filed Under: Achieving Goals Tagged With: , , ,

Radio Deli: 610 WTVN: Dirk Thompson

February 23, 2009 By

[display_podcast]

I got the chance this week to invade 610WTVN’s studios and speak with Dirk Thompson on social media.  It was interesting.  He’s an interesting cat, and I had a blast.   More on this stuff in a day or so–really slammed right now doing a variety of stuff.

Installed podpress again.

Filed Under: miscellany

610 WTVN POST: Introduction To Social Media, Blogging and 2.0 Stuff.

February 22, 2009 By

This is a special post for those people that are listening in to the radio deli on NewsTalk 610 WTVN.   Welcome to the blog, for those that are getting here from google or wherever.   Glad you’re here.

Web 2.0 is made up a combination of tools that helps you tell your story online, and to bring more of your personality online.   You can reconnect with people that you know, you can connect with your customers, and you can easily tell your story with words, pictures and video online.

The biggest opportunity there is for author originated content.   You are telling your own story.  You’re being real.  You’re being yourself, and real people love it that.  The biggest mistake people make is to try to be all things to all people, to not let their real personality come through online.  You won’t win if you’re not yourself.

I make my living on the web, doing everything from helping people get online and teaching the selling e-books to building websites.   All of the stuff I do is easy.  I’m not particularly technical.  You don’t have to be to do an amazing job online, to find all the opportunity that is there for you.  You just have to find a way to tell your story.  If you do the best job on video, great.  If you do the best job in writing?  Great.  If you do the best job just causally putting your observations out there on Twitter?  Great.

People are craving authentic, real voices right now.   And you’ve got a chance to be that voice for them, to connect, to hustle.  To find the people that need what you do, and to serve at the highest level possible.

I’ve created a ‘getting started,’ newsletter with a little bit of homework each week that will take you from a beginner to someone that’s profitable on the web.  I’m giving it away, free, if you give me your email, and name in the box below:

Feel free to email me at chris@genuinechris.com for more questions.  If you’re more of a ‘phone,’ person, feel free to call me at 614-312-1941.

Filed Under: Achieving Goals, selling/marketing

Jack Bauer, 24, DiSC, Prospero & Other Thursday Ramblings.

February 19, 2009 By
24.  I have a love-hate relationship with the show.   I hate the notion that the answer to everything is torture.  The same government that can’t be trusted to run a post office from a monopoly position has no business deciding when to torture people, ever.  They have proven themselves incompetent, time and time again, and they have occasionally proven themselves unethical.

I did love it though: I loved the first season, its novelty.  I love the excitement, the pacing.  I love the real time(ish) nature.  I love how preternaturally competent Jack Bauer is.  A chemist, bomb expert, computer expert, hand to hand, mechanic.   I loved how he performed some type of “killing Russians” help-desk action aboard a submarine.  I love the linear focus ruthlessness. At least part of me does.

DiSC Profiling

I’ve been thinking and messing with the DiSC profiling system sinc probably 2003-2004.  Howard Brinton, Star Power does DiSC stuff.  It’s a quick shortand for typing people, and the shorthand often works.  It’s not perfect. Over-labeling people dehumanizes them.   DiSC has been called other things.  (BOLT, ETC), but the basic premise is this:

D- Dominance.  Classical Type A.  My way/high way,
i – Influence.  Artsy type, wants to be the life of the Party.
S- Supportive.  Think: people pleasing, maybe submissive. (always thought supportive was submissive.)
C- Contentious.  Analytical.  To a fault.  Loves them some rules.

So, Jack Bauer is a D.  A machine, do whatever it takes, break the rules, bend the world to my will.  I’ll torture, the mission, the objective is all that matters.  I’ll cut you open, if you have one nugget of information.  I’ll rack up a body count.  Whatever it takes.

I’ve DiSC’d myself, and I generally identify with D and I.  Or I and D.  Depends on the day, the mood, and if my wife’s responded to me.   I used to want to be more D.  More of a ruthless bastard.  Now–not so much.  Oh, sure, when necessary, I’ll break ‘social conventions,’ to get my way.  If you cheat me, wrong me, or if you wrong a friend of mine, I’ll tear you in half.  Try it some time.  It’ll be fun.  Seriously.

Debt Collection Methods for the Insane.

Quick example: guy cheated me out of cash, was a Realtor.  Cost me $5400 bucks through his own deceit.   Same Realtor® had 14 listings.  Same Realtor® happened to have beaten the hell out of his mom, his first wife, and his second wife.  A copy of the court records and a cancellation form for everyone.  How unfortunate. For reasons unrelated to beating the shit out of women, this dude is no longer a Realtor® because he has landed in Jail.  As an aside: I would not do this these days, I was 26 or 27, and this was kind of a fun art project.  It didn’t get me anything, but it was seriously fun to watch his listings drop off his MLS.

I did collect on my last debt by using ruthless methods.  I was shorted big cash, and i had it in minutes by being the most important event in the debtor’s life.  It took little time using modern tools to, and an anxious story to get everyone in his office complex knocking on his door, letting him know that I wasn’t kidding.  D’s count on that, and if you can convince them that you’ll go as far as it takes, they’ll acquiesce.  I am not kidding.  I don’t go to war often. OK sure, the method used was illegal.  I don’t care,  it is also illegal to charge back a credit card after you’ve had your cash refunded.   It’s also illegal to drop a deal after you run out of money.   Side note:  ths was way, way more than a simple misunderstanding.   This was a corrupt sociopath that I damn well should have avoided.

A written agreement–as Austin Realtor Eric Bramlett suggested…would NEVER have solved anything.  Sociopaths are not really bound by what they said, put in writing, promised, vowed, or affirmed.   I’m a heartbeat away from being a sociopath.  It’s a daily battle. I’m winning currently.

A Life Past Type A

Back to Jack, though, cause he’s the subject header, and I just used Hulu to catch up on 24.   He’s ruthless, and this season has him even more so.  D personality.  F#@% the rules, it’s time to go to war.

Now…a D type has some place in the world.  When you’re trying to hit a deadline or achieving a goal, it works.  Channeling some ‘whatever it takes,’ into your brain helps a ton.   When you’re trying to deal kindly with people?  Well, let’s leave that personality at home.  When you have to build teams, you need some I and some S.

D b.s. doesn’t work.   It pulls you into drama land.  “How Dare You Do This To Me,” crap.  I’ve been there, and I’m mostly gone from that world.  Mostly.  I think that the “D” type was the baby boomer personality.

I wrote a book about mostly that.   Which will be live tomorrow, it’s for sale now, but the website looked like it was done by a kindergartner.  In 1997.  More later, as is always the case on teh inter-web.

Filed Under: miscellany, selling/marketing Tagged With: ,

Peak Experiences: Why We Work So F#@%ing Hard.

February 18, 2009 By

[[I wrote this earlier this year on a blog I'm no longer maintaining.  I brought it over here because it's important that we bring it up.]]

The enduring memories that we have that we live for. The time we were able to push ourselves to run a marathon, to do our jobs better…peak experiences are why we’re alive. Some of ‘em are found at work. Some of the things that we live for are in our jobs, but some things have nothing to do with the loan business. Peak experiences leave us with a permanent mark, changing us for the better. And let’s be honest. Making money is fantastic, it’s fun, but it’s not an end-all be-all. Having an extra $600 bucks from a closing in your checking account isn’t the point.

…the freedom money allows is the point.

The reason we’re in this business is to fuel those peak experiences. That’s it. The reason we do what we do The picture you see is e on May 1 2008. I’m holding my brand new baby daughter, Ruby. A peak experience to be sure, she was born healthy and happy. Raising my son, shown on the right is the most joyful and important thing that I’ve done.

Not Every Peak Experience is found at work! The work that we do–even in the mortgage business–can make it so we can be around for more and more peak experiences. If we are ALWAYS having things that change us for the better, exposing ourselves, pressing ourselves, and doing whatever we can to have new and better experiences…life becomes a fulfilling playground of wonder and joy. And that’s what L.O.S.T is all about. I created a program that was going to give you more Peak Experiences.

Know Your Peak Experiences

Often, the worry about money, the worry about ego driven “junk” can hide from us what the peak experiences we’re after really are. We elevate other things that don’t matter, and we strive for stuff that doesn’t really make us tick because we think we oughta have it. Some people who don’t care about cars buy a Mercedes. Some people that don’t care about houses buy a big house. These decisions are made because they do what others do, they don’t take JUST a moment to figure out and connect with what really turns them on.

The business planning that we do at Loan Officer Survival Training STARTS with YOUR peak experiences. We anchor how you spend your day in such a way that you always are weeks away from what could be a peak experience.

Sometimes peak experiences cost (i.e. Christmas shopping in Manhattan), and you need to arrange your budget to include them. Sometimes, Peak Experiences don’t cost much at all (taking my kid to the park, playing baseball with him). The point is, we need to have a peak experience to look forward to.

What If I Don’t Know What My Peak Experiences Are?

Be adventurous. Try new things. What might your peak experiences be? What do you think you’ve always wanted to try to learn? Don’t think about what other people are doing–what turns YOU on?

What are the best memories that you have?

What things do you want MORE of in your life?

What things do you want to have in your life?

What is going great right now?

Spend some time thinking about this–how can other people be served by your peak experiences?

You’ll come across goals that really charge you and really turn you on when you’re always asking the question: what next?

A List of Peak Experiences

To help you get started, here is a List Of Peak Experiences.

  1. Shopping in New York City
  2. Paying off A credit card
  3. Running a 5k
  4. Running a Marathon
  5. Being completely debt free.
  6. Being recognized as #1 in your office.
  7. Starting a scholarship fund in your community.
  8. Competing in an Iron Man Triathalon
  9. Giving Money To Church.
  10. Completing A Course on Being a Public Speaker
  11. Running in a Road Race.
  12. Making amends with family members
  13. Buying a Sports Car
  14. Performing our Art in front of a good audience.
  15. Getting the recognition of our peers.
  16. Getting in world class shape.
  17. Reading 500 books.
  18. Learning a new language.
  19. Renewing wedding vows.
  20. Taking a month long vacation
  21. Meeting a famous mentor
  22. Helping a famous mentor.
  23. Creating a new church program
  24. Quitting Smoking.
  25. Going to Mardi Gras.
  26. Going to a World Series Game
  27. Teaching your child baseball.
  28. Re-finishing family heirloom furniture.
  29. Becoming an expert in a sport or game
  30. Getting an article published in a magazine.

This List of peak experiences is just few things–but they come in a wide variety of things. What are your peak experiences? Let me know in the comments!

Filed Under: Achieving Goals, Business Building, Start Here Tagged With: , ,

Who’s on your board of directors? Please Tell Me!

February 17, 2009 By

Who’s on your board of directors?

One of the things I did last fall was to create–on my wall, in my space and in plain sight, a board of directors.   We’ve all heard the exercise, have inspiring people out there so you can make sure that you’re plugged into the best things that the best people are saying.  I’ve put up a wall full of people, mostly men, that I’ve long admired, thought of and wanted to learn from.

If I could get advice from anyone in the world, who would it be?   Mostly, it’s people from history (George Washington, Winston Churchill), but there are contemporary people like David Allen , Seth Godin, Scott Adams and Randy Pausch. And I’ve done that for a while now, but I’ve not blogged about it.

I’ve been thinking and producing more lately (go buy a mac if you want to be productive, really), and trying to take my act to the proverbial next level.   I want to do stuff that my grandkids are proud of, as recent addition to my board “Gary Vaynercuck ” says.

Now, I’m not delusional.  These people don’t talk to me all “Coldwell Banker” style.   But what I can gain from, say looking up at Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan is that you gotta focus and work.  Or from Oprah–that I’m a survivor and not a victim.  The achievements of people I think are really cool is fun.   Working on something till the effort is good enough for Steve Jobs, for example is a daunting task.   But, that’s what it’s there for.  Being good enough for the coolest and best, an getting out of the pull of gravity.

So let me know something–who is on your personal “board of directors.”  Let me know in the comments.

Each Tuesday I’ll be listing and profiling my board of directors, alternating between the living and the dead.   There are over 90 right now, a portion of them is here.   I put ‘em on foam board so I could take them with me when I travel.  I have yet to do so, but I do plan to move in a matter of a few months.

100_0931

So tell me in the comments Who’s on your board of Directors…!

Filed Under: Products, Projects and Process, selling/marketing Tagged With: ,

Bad Deals In The Freelancer World. What Would You Do?

February 12, 2009 By

I got hosed.  Hammered, even, by someone who wanted to be a client of my nascent business.  I was asked to do & organize work for a guy who was going to help his (honestly) used car, MLM, Real Estate and Mortgage businesses all at the same time.  Something didn’t jive–and not just because of the professions.

I couldn’t place it–there was something wrong with the approach, and I was uncomfortable.   Right now, though, I’m behind on my profitability goal.  I’ve made decent revenue this year, more than expected, but I’m not currently good at estimating jobs for subs.  (There is a lot of variance in small jobs.)   So, I’ve paid out about 70% of revenue, +/-, which has caused me some angst.   Like anything, it’s easy for a realtor to brag about their GCI…but piss it all away on ads.   It’s part of the process.  As I acquire skill, I’ll get out of it quickly…or at least that’s the hope.

There were questions that were a little off, and there was an attitude that was just a little wrong.   But still, we proceeded, and I was paid the initial deposit on time and without incident.  Generally, I follow the rule where you can be slow to pay or be a dick, but not both.   Still, I was uncomfortable, and I remember thinking specifically that there was something coming to bite me in the ass.

Two weeks go by and I’m on the hook for delivering a set of blogs.  The roadmap called, though, for him to have done some work.  I called for it.  “What, you don’t have my blog done?”   I blew it off–”remember, you needed to provide me with copy.”  “Let me see what you have.”

I had nothing. I knew I had nothing.  So I said, “I have nothing. We’re in waiting-on-you mode.”

“You took my money and haven’t done anything with it?  You #!%!ing thief.”

At that point, I was out.  Done.  I had sent reminders through basecamp and had done the setup accurately.  But I wasn’t going to be called a @$^ing anything.  I wrote the book on #@%$, anyway.

So I said, “I’ll just refund your money, and we’ll call it a day, fair enough.”

Fine, he said…but he’d need a check.

A check I provided, and then…

…he charged back his credit card.   For those of you who aren’t in merchant services and haven’t dealt with that, chargebacks are one of the things that customers do when they are extra pissy and claim that they’ve not gotten their work handled.  So, he got his check, and then claimed he never got the goods.

I called him, “Hey, this is pretty serious stuff here,”

“You’re just lucky I didn’t sue you,” he said.

Maybeso.  He hadn’t had too many plaintiff’s suits here in Franklin county.  And, if we’re going to get all mafia on people, I’m probably, honestly, the last guy who is to be crossed.

Sometimes I take the path most bloody and go there.  My instinct told me to get away from this guy, so I said, “I’m not negotiating, you need to call merch services and undo the chargeback, and say it was your fault.  This will become credit card fraud otherwise.”

I hung up.

And, I did have to deal with him one more time on a conference call with Paypal.  I ate about $80 worth of junk fees, had my PP account tied up for about 10 days…while the drama played out.

The whole thing was my fault.

I knew the guy was off.  I don’t know how I knew, but I knew.  I knew that this was going to end badly, and I needed to be gone.  The problem was that this was a job where 85% of the revenue woulda stayed with me.

So let me ask you:

[poll id="2"]

The other thing I’d like to know is this:  How can you detect when a deal is going awry?

Filed Under: Business Building, selling/marketing Tagged With:
Next Page »