Woops, I Know We Promised That, But...

Alright. You're just starting to relax; you feel like things are going a little better. You're thinking, Maybe I shouldn't worry about growing my business even more. Maybe we're on a roll, and I can start to lay back.

But then, your dreamworld is interrupted by a phone call:

The client said they will not honor their two-year agreement because the former purchasing agent (who they fired) didn't file the paperwork properly, even though they have emails substantiating that indeed you were awarded a two-year contract.

That means your company has to go through the six-month bid process again, just like last year. Your client states that he hates to see you go through it but says he's powerless.

Then an email comes through:

The client likes the idea we brought them; now they are going to bid out our idea. They said we have the inside track, though.

That means the original idea you brought to the client is know taken from you and you are competing with other companies using your idea as their specs.

Then one of your employees walks up to you:

The client awarded the launch to a competitor. Even though we were the agency of record, the client said no one at his company was honoring those contracts anymore.

That means that while you have honored the contract, the client now feels they don't have to, and the good news is that they're treating other companies like that, too.

All of the above stories are true and they are the reason that we - you - can't let up.



Barry LaBov
LaBov and Beyond
http://www.labov.com/