PPB January 2018

How to get paid for creativity and strategies, even if you don’t get the order. by David Houston We didn’t charge a penny for our branding work or creative ideas.We didn’t even recognize the value of the serviceswewere really providing. Then the light bulbwent off andwe realized ourmodel was broken—we were giving away massive value. 62 | JANUARY 2018 | GROW H ow many times have you poured your energy, creativity and strategy into a customer’s request, only to have them say, “Thanks, but no thanks”? It’s all too common— after all, we want to impress potential clients with unique, creative ideas and insights that we’ve gained from our experience in the industry. One of the biggest mistakes distributors make is giving away ideas for free. If you’re not charging for your creative services, you’re missing a huge opportunity. Your creativity and ideas are worth something to your prospects, and clients don’t recognize the value of the services you’re providing if those services are given away for free. And if you don’t address up front how much your creative services will cost, it is too late to be compensated for those services once the order is placed. Where Is The Disconnect? If you find yourself giving away strategies and ideas to prospects for free, you’re far fromalone. For 22 years, our company played the part of a traditional distributor. We didn’t charge a penny for our branding work or creative ideas. We didn’t even recognize the value of the services we were really providing. Then the light bulb went off and we realized our model was broken—we were giving awaymassive value, and our clients weren’t seeing the impact it was having on their businesses. Why does this happen? Too often, the distributor is happy for the chance to quote an opportunity. Many of us have been in this industry for a long time, and we’ve picked up valuable insights that we are eager to share with prospects. Let’s take the example of a prospect who is looking for trade show giveaways. Distributors often share ideas with the client about goal setting, how to capture leads, how they should dress at a certain event and which promotional products their buyers would enjoy the most. We have so much knowledge, but many Your Ideas, Your Value