Don’t be a vendor. Be a peer. A colleague. A co-conspirator.
More money there. More respect. And also, more money.
You may have to move up a notch in the client organization. Over the underlings.
You are not fawning and begging and bargaining. That’s what suppliers do.
Sell a little grander. Instead of delivering documents, you’re helping somebody kick some butt, make some waves.
First thing, get your head there.
Then leave the vending to the machines in the lobby.
Going for short today.
So true! Around here, “co-conspirators” make twice what “vendors” make…
Never did like the sound of the word “vendor.” Too much like vending machine. Which makes a good point. Like this post does!
Really like this. Not entirely sure how I’m going to implement it, but I like it…
So true. And once you’re aware of this distinction, vendor-folk behavior at client events jumps right out: you can stand a few steps inside the room and watch them being salesy, sometimes toe-curlingly so.
Which immediately cuts them out of the peer action, as Walt points out—or at the very least condemns them to dealing through the procurement officer (cue “What’s your discount for X?”/”Is that the best you can do?”).
I figure anyone selling an intellectual service and capable of delivering really superior quality (as per Kevin Hendzel’s comment a while back) should be aiming higher.
Example: CEOs, COOs and their cohort generally have carte blanche to decide who they want to work with, and bypass procurement units altogether. That’s a good place to be.
When you start out freelancing, you need to enter the profession with your head there and do what you need to do to firmly keep it there.
Thanks Walt! As Chris Durban pointed out in her seminar at the recent American Translators Association conference, there are substantive things that we can do to put ourselves on equal footing with our clients. For example “Let’s try an initial project and see how it goes, then take it from there/see if we click/share ideas on how it worked out.” By saying that, you position yourself as an equal partner in the business relationship, not someone groveling for crumbs that the client throws your way.
Appreciated. (I’m going for short, too)