[thelist] Re: Spec work...?

[Ben Henick]

Pardon me while I de-lurk.  (Mail server's been crap for two months now, I
switched to digest until things get better.)

isaac wrote:

> They probably won't value something they don't pay for. Also, there is a
> risk of getting a reputation for doing stuff for no upfront charge, and
> if you don't get burnt in this instance, you'll get burnt soon after.
>
> Sit tight, provide the explanation as Robert has above, and if they
> don't bite, wait for another opportunity.

Me too.

I grant that it can be tough when the economy's soft and none of your
clients want to spend money, or when you have no local references, etc.

But... whether you like it or not, you *do* need to pay your bills, and
spec work sits at the top of a slippery slope.  Such an approach more
often than not attracts bad clients before good, and each client begets
more of his (or her) type.

You want the good ones, I'd think.  Good clients will see through bullshit
as if by magic, will usually be able to make a solid, meaningful, candid
decison off-the-bat as to whether or not they want to give you their
business, and will have done their homework so that they know how much
they can expect to pay (in hourly terms).  But... good clients are
definitely a minority.  *sigh*

Besides which, what of contracts?  Quite often verbal contracts are worth
the paper they're written on... especially here in Oregon, where they
carry no legal standing whatsoever.

If you're hard up for references, you might put together a comp or a
(small! only a few frames!) storyboard in Photoshop or Illustrator, and
send it to the client as an attached storyboard.  Perhaps they will soften
a bit.

Otherwise, your references had damned well better be able to vouch for
your integrity and skill, which by itself should make it simple to bill in
a more "traditional" way.  For a prospect to say "I got burned before so I
want to be the exception to your normal practice if you want my business"
sounds to me more like, "I'll pay you if I feel like it, when I feel like
it."

Now, I love building sites.  "Will Build Sites For Food" describes me
pretty well, though I try not to let my clients find that out.  And I'm
getting better at hiding it, albeit sloooooowwwwly...

P.S. Direct to the guy who started the thread:  I'm in Portland, as are a
few others on thelist.  If you ever make it across the river, say on a
weekend... let me know in advance.  I'd be glad to get together, drink
coffee, and b.s. for a coupla hours.  [I'd offer to go up there, but I
don't have a car.]


Good luck,
-- 
Ben Henick
Web Author At-Large              Managing Editor
http://www.io.com/persist1/      http://www.digital-web.com/
persist1 at io.com                  bmh at digital-web.com
--
"Are you pondering what I'm pondering, Pinky?"
"I think so, Brain, but... (snort) no, no, it's too stupid."
"We will disguise ourselves as a cow."
"Oh!" (giggles) "That was it exactly!"