Hilarious Video on “Vendor Client Relationships”

This video was passed along to me by Gina Shreck. It is a hilarious look at what the world would be like if people negotiated with everyone they negotiate with professional speakers (it was created by the people at Scofield Editorial):

Hilarious!

Are there lessons here? Sure:

Lesson #1 – For Purchasers of Services

Realize that anyone that anyone who provides a service, as opposed to a physical, tangible product, is still providing value. Don’t insult them by addressing the low fixed costs they may have – you are paying for expertise and results, not time and materials.

This isn’t to say you shouldn’t negotiate. But what makes a lot of the bits funny in the video is that most of the negotiating comes from the buyer talking about themselves (i.e. “it’s not in our budget”), as opposed to explaining why the other side should do it for a discount. Remember, anytime you want someone else to do something, couch it in terms of their best interest, not yours!

Lesson #2 – For Providers of Services

Realize that the world is the way it is; there is no point in getting upset about it. We can laugh, commiserate, and complain with each other, but to be morally offended when someone tries to get you to cut your fee for no reason is a lesson in futility. Most people are conditioned to buy things as commodities, or based on costs. They have trouble understanding the concept of paying for results and don’t get why we charge what we do. Plus there is always a glut of low-priced (and free) options that make people look at our fees and say, “wait a minute, I don’t understand…” Sometimes this makes us want to rip our hair out and scream at the buyer (if you are wondering, yes, this would be a bad thing).

A much better approach is to educate the buyer as to why you charge what you do and why you are a better value than any of the low-price budget options. If you can’t articulate these two things, then you have bigger problems than buyers who negotiate with you.

Those are two lessons to take away from this video. But mostly it’s just really funny…

About

By Avish Parashar. As the world's only Motivational Improviser, Avish uses techniques from the world of improv comedy to engage, entertain, and educate audiences on ideas around change, creativity, and motivation. Connect with Avish on Google+

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