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By Root 4029 0

copyright demands, all-rights grabs, and even demands that reprints from magazine articles be included in the assignment fee already agreed to. All are deal breakers. But it's not my employees' role to convey this; I do it. In fact, there is sometimes a keen relishment among my staff when telling me about a call and my need to call them back to resolve the issue. We have a policy in our office that those in the office may request to be on the line when that conversation takes place, so that if I'm not available to handle the issue at a later date, my staff and interns are versed in how to pinch-hit, and they then learn how to engage their own clients on the issue when they "leave the nest" to run their own businesses. They all know how the call will end—either I will succeed in conveying how those needs are not consistent with our policies, or we will part ways. My staff and interns enjoy hearing how circuitous the route can be to either destination. It's important that you make sure your staff goals are in line with your business goals, or you will have problems.

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NOTE

I suppose everyone has his or her price. I have had clients indicate that they wanted all rights forever to an image. My quote of $25,000 to $30,000, along with the encouragement to reconsider their request first by limiting the geography to where their company does business, then by limiting the timeframe to, say, five years, and then limiting again to all uses except paid advertising placements has often still resulted in a comma in the licensing figure and a deal being struck that is acceptable to both parties.

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We do turn away a quantifiable amount of business each month because of these demands. We—I—want clients who respect the value we bring to the assignment. Clients who demand copyright are dangerous. Clients who insist they must have all rights are wrong, and clients who insist that reprint rights be included without an additional appropriate fee are not right. I don't want these clients in my sandbox. None of them is playing fair.

They're Your Clients: Treat Them Like Gold

You must do everything within your power to honor the convenience of the client. When I get an unusual request from a client, I always respond, "I am more than happy to make that happen for you. That said, here are some options for you to consider." The first words out of my mouth are an affirmation that I will work to achieve what they've requested. Then, I outline alternatives, such as those that are a lower cost or a better choice they may not have considered. In this instance, when clients make a choice, they do so having considered options they might have not thought about before.

For example, suppose I am on assignment and a client representative is there, but he or she is not the final arbiter, or there are multiple stakeholders. At the end of the shoot, the representative might say, "We need three sets of CDs; can you ship them to these addresses?" My "I am more than happy to" ensues and then I outline an option. I'll suggest, "Here's a more efficient and more cost-effective solution: Why don't I put up a web gallery of images? That way, all the people involved can literally be on the same page at the same time, and then we can deliver (or retouch) just the images you need. It will cost less and save time." Frequently, the response will be, "Wow, that's a great idea!" And sometimes, the client really does need multiple CDs, and this dialogue also informs them that there will be additional costs associated with this request. It's a two-fer, because it attempts to solve a client's needs and it advises them of additional potential costs in a non-threatening manner, so they don't feel as if they are being nickel-and-dimed on additional charges.

Further, remember this: Once someone says he or she is your client, always treat that person like a client. Regardless of whether you're up for more work with them in the future, make sure you always hold that respect for their position. I can see in very rare instances that the client extent of the