Submitted by marcmozart on
in
Forums
Hi everybody,
I'd love to hear your point of view on the following situation:
I'm managing a team of pop music songwriters. We make money through copyright income of pop-songs and music production.
I'm in this business for 15 years. The team I built is pretty new, we started only 18 months ago and had good success so far. We have a good network of major costumers and we're considered to be one of the "top 10" teams in our territory.
A potential costumer from a major record label has asked me to "block" for him a certain song he was considering for his biggest forthcoming project. "Blocking" (also used is: "to put a song on hold") is a term that is widely used in our industry and means to not give the song to anybody else until he gets to the final stages of his song decisions in which often many people are involved.
He now finalized his project, but doesn't return my e-mails any more. The song that he had blocked didn't get used, but I never got that information from him. I found out otherwise.
I tend to wanting to give him feedback about his behaviour in the form of:
"when you not get back to me about a song you have asked me to block, here's what happens: I don't put your projects on my team's priority list any more and focus on putting my energy on partners who have a history of reliable communication"
If this guy was my direct, I'd be much more direct with the feedback. It's certainly a big part of his job to build and maintain a great network amongst the best songwriters.
I'd appreciate your input and comments!
Thanks,
Marc
Feedback to potential costumer?
My advice is never to criticise a client.
My advice is never to give feedback unless you have a relationship and their approval to give feedback.
My respose: "Jack, thanks for your interest in XXX, I understand it wasn't right for the project. I am sure your project will hit the high spot. I wanted to let you know that I need to make XXX available again. Let me know if you are interested in blocking it out for your next project. I would welcome the chance to show you some of our newer product that compliments XXX. As one of our most important clients, I really want to make it as easy as possible for you to get hold of our product."
He doesn't need you to survive. If you make his life easy, you get more business.
I would also stop emailing and call or write.
You may gamble and give feedback in the hope that you will earn respect - more likely he will ring your boss and you get pulled off.
Go kick the cat instead. :P
Chris
Feedback to potential costumer?
Hi donnachie,
thanks for that - I think it is great advice! I guess my way dealing with it is posting the situation on here (as I definitely never kick cats!!). :P
Feedback to potential costumer?
[quote="donnachie"]My advice is never to criticise a client.
My advice is never to give feedback unless you have a relationship and their approval to give feedback.[/quote]
Chris: I SO agree with your second statement, it almost made me forget that I disagree with your first statement!
In my experience, it's difficult - but in some instances productive- to be critical with a client (for example, when a client is mistreating my team with really poor and damaging communication, or when a client's actions are counter to their own strategy).
I'm almost willing to make the blanket statement that a relationship which doesn't provide for criticism isn't really a relationship (but hey - I'm from New York, and criticism comes easy :lol: ).
I think your advice "never to give feedback unless you have a relationship and their approval to give feedback" is spot on, AND it appies to clients too!
-Hugh
Feedback to potential costumer?
Hugh, I humble myself at the foot of your mountainous eloquence. :wink: I do maintain that criticising a client is not a good thing if you want to keep the client, or keep working for your company.
I subscribe to the idea that being lavish in praise allows you to refer indirectly to changes that will make the relationship stronger ………. just like you did in your post Hugh. The only change I would make would be to avoid using the word ‘disagree’.
My ideal situation in this scenario would be the Client making the suggestion that perhaps he could be more communicative during the course of a project to allow a block to be removed. I would place breadcrumbs, paint pictures and construct fantasy worlds that point the Client in that direction so that he is the one to come up with the brainstorm. Better he tells me when he should change and not only do I get the change, I also get a better client and more business.
Thank you for your comment Hugh, the style of delivery makes disagreement more pleasurable.
Chris
Feedback to potential costumer?
You work for the client. They don't work for you.
Just as giving your boss feedback is a great way to lose a job, giving a client feedback is a great way to lose that client.
If the client did something that showed great personal disrespect to you or your team (like insulted them or assaulted you), I'd do something about it. Otherwise, he's a paying customer who makes decisions based on his priorities, not yours.
Feedback to potential costumer?
Never give feedback to your boss. Customers are our bosses.
Feedback to potential costumer?
OK,OK - you guys are winning me over. :lol:
-Hugh
Feedback to potential costumer?
All True BUT...
You can and should politely "fire" a bad customer. Mark has done so, just ask him....
There comes a time in every business owners experience when you have to deal with a customer that just plain sucks! I am not talking about difficult customers...we all have those. I am talking about customers that take and take and give the bear minimum in returns. The kind of people that complain about everything and eat up your time like candy.
Fire them...kindly, politely and with great concern and deliberation but do fire them.
Sometimes, saying "no" is saying "yes" to other opportunities.
Feedback to potential costumer?
AMT as boss you can decide whether to continue trading with a particular client - it is YOUR company. You may have staff you would trust to make a similar call if they see the whole picture.
It is not a decision to leave to most staff, including management. The principle is correct, the application will vary.