OK, here's the deal. I have a big proposal tomorrow.
I have two choices:
go for the money or go safe
My first presentation. Better to leave money on the table, yet at least leave with something? Or chance walking away with nothing?
Thoughts?
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I'm an enthusiastic proponent of 'go big or go home' when its only just important, and not life-threatening. And if you get there with a go-for-broke attitude, and then decide to dial it back, you've lost nothing.
ReplyDeletedon't go half way. do it!
ReplyDeleteDive in head first! What do you have to lose?*
ReplyDelete*if you could have MAJOR repercussions for going all in dont do it, but if its just a lil risk... go for the whole she-bang!
Just wrote you a long post to tell you how it went and to thank you for your feedback and it disappeared! ACkkk!!!!!
ReplyDeleteTry #2:
I went for it, just as you all encouraged me to do. Here's the rundown:
Night before the proposal I contacted a professional event planner who had been in the biz for ten years. Heretofore known as Kind Event Planner. I called to ask her one small question. She asked why and then spent the next 25 minutes, very generously giving me all sorts of advice and insight for all three of the items I was giving bids for. She insisted that the absolutely lowest price I should bid for the first event be $1,500. I was relieved to know that my bid of $1,400 was NOT ridiculously high at all. (You guys were really right about going for it!)
Kind Event Planner even went as far as to invite me to send her all three proposals and she would look it over and change anything. After she looked at them she told me they were awesome.
That gave me such confidence as I had never so much seen a proposal for anything in my entire life. I was told it was thorough and there wasn't a thing that should be changed.
The next morning the first two people I saw at our meeting were the two women I had met with the week before. They told me that they were so excited about what I was going to do at their event that they had been talking about it at the office for a week.
Then she came in. She would be their event planner. Since she's the second event planner in the story, let's call her Event Planner #2.
Before she even spoke, I could tell that my immaculate, well planned out proposal was probably a fruitless endeavor. But I didn't let that stop me.
(Continued in next post...)
(Cont'd.)
ReplyDeleteWe shook hands and she gave me a dazzlingly, white, toothy greeting. (I'd call it a smile, but there was nothing happy about it- just a well practiced, much used greeting, which, in spite of the application of lips, teeth and gums could not be confused for a smile any more than a crocodile's grin could be.)
Before I even took the proposal out she asked me if I would take $100 to do event number 1. That would be 15 times less than the lowest amount I was told would be acceptable. At first, I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, that maybe she just didn't know what she was saying. Later, though, I reminded myself that she had been an event planner for years and she knew exactly what she was doing.
I told her no and told her about the hours it would take to prepare for the event, etc then the bid of $1,400. She didn't flinch at all. She knew exactly what I should be asking for. She had no interest in using my services. Only in control.
Looking back it was really a fascinating study in interpersonal communication. I wish I had had a camera set up for review. She essentially lifted her leg and tried to mark her territory. SHE was in control of this event, and the two women whom she was working for were about to be made perfectly aware of whom the boss was.
She did a good job. They quieted down immediately and were instantly subdued. The one who told me they had been talking about me all week, never spoke another word.
Item number 2 was cut down as well, but in a slower manner. Though she did tell them at the beginning that they were never again to ever even consider it for future years. Then she spent the next bit of time convincing them why they didn't need me for the job and how I would be better used elsewhere.
Again, how this was done was fascinating. Though Event Planner #2 was sitting directly across from me, she turned her entire body to face the woman who sat beside her. She caught her gaze and then spoke only to her, though she addressed me (going so far as using "you" to refer to me, though her entire gaze and body was directed to the woman beside her who nodded obediently). It was sad, as this other woman is truly a lovely human being but was being used by EP#2. I hated to see this lovely woman being demeaned so poorly.
After all this was done EP2 announced that she really needed to get going. But first she mentioned that the "small" budget they gave her was $50,000 for this one event. Certainly not an enormous amount, but given the constraints of what they are doing, (no dinner served, etc.) mentioning it after offering me $100 and not countering with any other offer, was her way of, once again, making it clear that she and she alone was in control and if she had wanted me, she could have gotten me.
It wasn't until my drive home that I realized EP#2 had intentionally insulted me with the offer of $100. As I hope I have too much dignity to do that to another human being, it took a while to realize that that is what she had done.
(To be continued on the next post...)
(Final post to the update.)
ReplyDeleteNice Event Planner had written to ask me how it went so I told her when I dropped flowers off at her house. (How could I not thank her for her so very generously sharing her hard earned expertise with me?)
Her first response to hearing about the meeting was that EP#2 had just slapped me in the face. What a relief to hear it wasn't my imagination! (Figuratively slapped me in the face. I'm able to figure out on my own if someone were to literally slap me in the face.)
Nice Event Planner then went on to ask me the name of EP#2, but before I told her, NEP was already describing EP#2 to me. Turns out NEP knows EP#2 and she informed me in a polite way that I was not the first, and assured me I would not be the last, to suffer disrespect at the hands of EP#2.
All this to say, I am QUITE HAPPY that I went for it. Can you imagine if I had lowered my prices below was what acceptable and still have been treated so horribly? I would have regretted it. It wouldn't have mattered what price I put down, this woman was not going to use my services anyway so I'm glad I stood by my guns and put the worth of my services down on paper.
After all this I think it was a great experience. I got to write and partially pitch my first proposal. I've learned a whole lot about how I would handle a bully in this situation. I think I did quite well, in spite of the fact that it took a while to sink in that someone was intentionally trying to use a situation to prove a point about themselves. (Did I mention that she started out the entire meeting by telling the other two women about an encounter that she had with her romantic partner that proved that she was the top dog in any situation she was in. Very awkward. But fascinating study in human behavior!)
So there's the wrap up. I wasn't hired for a thing. But I learned and I grew and that made it all worth it.
And the advice and support you guys gave me is a wonderful bonus. Thank you so much.
E
PS. Nearly forgot to tell you: Nice Event Planner has added my services to a bid she is doing for an event in Old City. I may get work out of this after all. Woo hoo!