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Chris Benevich speaks at a recent panel discussion
(photo by Ann Mehrman, courtesy of C. Benevich)
Business Time is a weekly Q+A featuring insights and advice from knowledgeable Chicago business owners.
Who
Chris Benevich, President
What is your business?
Number of years in business?
Six
Tell us about a business lesson you learned the hard way.
I signed a contract with a new client, a small, start-up business, that prevented me from promoting the work I did for them in any way. [Their contract stipulated] not only could I not post samples of my work, but that I couldn’t even discuss with anyone the nature of our relationship. In addition, I could not discuss my contributions to that company. This was a very heavily-written contract. I signed the contract because I was very eager to grow my business. I had a great rapport with one of the owners, and I thought it would be a great test for a new service I was developing at the time, which was essentially pre-priced and packaged copywriting services that could be marked up, resold – this was a model I wanted to test, so I was willing to, at the time, take on a restrictive contract.
Unfortunately, that was a good amount of work that clearly demonstrates the Compelling Storytelling(sm) model [one of Panache Writing's products] and the benefit it provides to small businesses, and I can’t show any of that work.
We had a very strong relationship for over a year; I was their primary source for copywriting.
What did you learn?
Of course, that was a learning experience in a number of ways.
I learned how much I wanted to emphasize cost versus value. “Cost” is how much I charge. “Value” is much broader than cost – it’s, "What level of service do I provide within that cost?" It was a real turning point and a lesson.
What, if anything, would you do differently?
I wouldn’t go back and change anything. Going forward – I have a new contract, with my attorney, that she designed, and that is the one starting point for negotiations with a new client. Now, of course, global enterprises or well-established companies will have their own contracts and needs, and, obviously, the kind of relationship we want to have, whether it’s long-term or one-time, there’s discussion on whose verbiage gets used. That’s not so much about “claiming territory” but it’s about what type of interaction, what type of relationship we want to have – and that’s what a contract is for.
Sounds like a good lesson! Tell us a business book you recommend.
Attracting Perfect Customers: The Power of Strategic Synchronicity
By Stacy Hall and Jan Brogniez
To learn how to apply Compelling Storytelling(SM) to your business
communications, sign up for a free Panache Writing, Inc. teleseminar.
Comments
As owner of PerfectCustomers, Inc and being author of the book mentioned in this article, the value of attracting a customer that is 'less than perfect' is that you can use the mistake to open the door for determining who is your 'perfect' customer and how you can eliminate costly mistakes in the future. When creating a Strategic Attraction (TM) Plan using our proprietary method, clients report more satisfaction with their their clients /customer relationships and that they were more effective in avoiding expensive mistakes. Let's face it, when you have even one customer that is a mistake, it costs you in many ways! Additionally, having a Strategic Attraction plan will guide the way when situations like this one happen, so that in the future you have a better understanding of what is a perfect fit for you in your business relationships. Thanks for the post! Jan Stringer. www.perfectcustomers.com
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