VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Philip Banks]

You no doubt take a look at your business in terms of who ,what, where, when and how. As it was the end of the month and the end of the first 4 months of 2008 I did precisely that and in doing so noticed an area of weakness and a area of potential conflict between clients. The area of weakness is not a major problem it simply a case of one client giving too much work. It's a nice position in which to find myself so all I needed to do was see if I could do without the work if the client suddenly decided to move on. Not a major problem if the account went elsewhere and I've turned the marketing temperature up in order to to try get a few more clients.

What was interesting was the area of potential conflict. Two businesses in Europe, both sell me to clients a their British voice of choice, nice. One pays promptly, provides a volume of largely problem free work and it's always at an agreed minimum session fee. The other always pleads poverty, the scripts are usually bad, never pays promptly and wants the best of everything for the lowest price. Both these companies are selling in the same market place. Client goes to company A and get me at a fair price then finds out he could get me via company B potentially at a lower price. For different jobs there may well be different rates but to sell myself at 2 diffrent rates for the same job is STOOPID!

On Friday I sent two emails. To company A I wrote that they would never be in a position where the Philip Banks rate would be lowballed by a different Philip Banks rate. To company B I wrote and told them that with effect from 1st May my minimum session fee would be X and should the budget for a job be below the minimum do not suggest me to clients.

All is now happy and fluffy in my world again. My own fault that it wasn't for a while as I took my eye off the ball or lowball.

[Deirdre]

This is an interesting saga.

You certainly don't want to jeopardize your excellent client's ability to sell your services at the best price!

Making adjustments across different markets can be a tight-rope act.
_________________
DBCooperVO.com
IMDB

[bobsouer]

Philip,

Very interesting. And a potent reminder to keep our eyes on our clients, the markets in which they operate and the budgets at which they work.
_________________
Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
Source Connect, phone patch, pony express

[Philip Banks]

Here's an update. On 2nd May I sent an email to the accountant and senior producer at the "Philip Banks - Cheaper here and with two free wine glasses" production company. Last sentence in the email read "....advise your producers that from today (2nd May 2008) my minimum session fee is 250 Euro."

Today a corporate voice ove job arrives - Fee 120 Euro. OK it's for a client with little money? No. It's for a company that sells hi-tech military hardware. Ten times my minimum fee wouldn't hurt. Having pointed out the wealth of this particular client has just made me ponder, what sort of business is so cash poor that it is unable to pay 250 Euro (about $350)?

It's a choice. Company chooses not to pay $350 and I enter into the spirit of the cost saving enterprise by choosing not to do the job at all - Net saving 100% - Philip Banks the accountant's friend.