Business Tips for Developing Lasting Relationships: Do Not Be Afraid to talk about or receive money for your work.
Many people like you for a moment. They are responding with emotion. Many people will flood you with “opportunities” but will not follow through. And when they do not follow through, you cannot follow through. Our connections are fluid.
Every broken promise or lack of integrity that affects our personal or professional relationship will impact the environment for which that connection was supposed to flow. This is why we become disappointed. We have plans for the money and resources that we earn or were promised in a contractual agreement.
Business Tip:
If you have family (who will be affected by your income), do not operate in good faith. People intentionally or unintentionally lack integrity. Here is the reality: The only promise we should put expectations on are those that have been given by God.
To be responsible in business you cannot fear asking for income that makes you feel valuable to yourself when you sleep at night. To be responsible in your personal life, you must put requirements on your income as a business person.
This means that unless you have a “good faith” deposit from THEM, don’t take the time to put together a contract that will be ignored as a piece of paper and not honored as a binding agreement.
In other words, as noble as it is to desire connections from people who have a heart to get your message out, let them continue to share, comment, like, email others as your evangelists. There is a difference in business between an evangelist, and a disciple.
When people call you, they should already expect to pay your fee, they should expect a deposit, and they should want to honor you with payment.
When I go to a restaurant, I expect to tip the waitress 15% because that is the standard, and I know that it is how she is paid. If she’s awful, and I know I would not want to pay her, I call the manager and ask for them to send over the best waitress in the building or ask to be served by someone else. (This doesn’t happen often by the way.) If however the first waitress is more than standard, and blew me away (anticipating my needs etc) I will give her more.
You should have a standard, and if you are finding that your standard is not honored two things happen:
1- They don’t get to see you BE. Extraordinary!
2- They won’t pay you the offering even if they did
The other thing that you should know is that if your standard is not honored by someone well intended you may:
- Have the right audience but the wrong customer
Using tithes and offering as an analogy only based on the above example, your fee is your standard and based on how blessed someone is by you, anything else is an offering or in the world a waitressing a 20% tip.
While there will be connections that you make where you all agree to a creative financing option on your fee-for-service, if a contract is being drawn up based on your verbal agreement, you should seal it with payment immediately. If not, you will be faced with loads of work, promises and disappointment that yield no income.
Wishing you something different,
Ressurrection
Ressurrection is an author, speaker and entrepreneur who offers pre-engagement relationship counseling, keynote/workshop/conference speaking on subjects around emotional wellness, child sexual abuse prevention and healing, and eradicating homelessness.
