I don’t need to be respected.
I'm pretty sure that if you were treated disrespectfully you'd be right back here on the board to complain. Even I have my limits and have at least twice in the past 30 years walked off a job or 'fired' the customer.
Mix's comment is different because he is demanding '
deference ' rather than respect. He is drawing an arbitrary line in the sand and then placing his ego on that line.
i recently had a school ask us if we’d be willing to do events next year for 15% less than we have due to budget cuts.
That's a pretty small change given there's been no events for the last two years. You seem to be following Mix's recipe for 'respect.'
I might agree to the 15% cut for at least the next quarter or semester, and then reassess.
I had a lot of clients who like myself were seriously impacted by the shutdowns, unable to do business. If I'm serious about maintaining and growing my business than I have to be serious about my client's desire to maintain and grow their own. Recovery and mutual interest go hand in hand, and it's equally important just to have our work seen and recognized by others in the event business who can also further our goals.
I have a long time client whose business had to close due to the lock-downs. The performance venue with which they had a standing annual contract cancelled all future dates even as things were re-opening. I referred her to a local theater who's schedule had also been decimated while they were simultaneously undertaking a major renovation now nearly completed.
This is an exact quote from that client:
The theater has a sound system there...but they require to me use their sound guy...he's $350 per day. I'm assuming you are more than that and they won't allow anyone else to operate their system so you would be bringing in and setting up your system...but to be honest...my loyalty is to you and if you can do it...I would like to give you the business...
She KNOWS she has paid me 2 and 3 times that day rate every year for more than a decade, and yet she's willing to pay it again despite having a lower day rate from the theater's A1.
I told her I would do it for the same $350 she could have paid the theater, plus an additional $325 /day toward her prior balance (I had deferred an invoice owing to an event we did immediately before the lock-downs forced her to close her doors.)
I help her recover her business and she helps me recover mine. In addition, being recognized again for doing events in that theater it's manager approached me to say:
"I know you've been here with other events and have a lot of resources; I really should have your card." So it's not just money - it's also reinforcing my presence in the local event scene with other vendors and venues who can also help to advance my business.
There was one conspicuous prior vendor who was
NOT present (videographer) and this was a guy who substantially RAISED his rates post Covid in an attempt to make up for revenue lost during the lock-downs. He'll also never be back - because when this event moves back to it's original location - I'll be taking over that part of the production as well. With the event no longer scaled down I'll also be back to charging my original rates.
As Zig Zigler said:
"You can get everything you want - if you're willing to find a way to help enough other people get what they want."