Dinner but not the whole enchilada!

Its a skill, understanding what is on the dinner menu, and what it is worth, and knowing just what dinner can be served for what price - you can choose to eat at the cheapo fish and chips shop up the road if you like - but are you going to pay fine dinning fillet steak prices for it?... nope course not. 

Often, I'm asked to serve up steak for chips prices - yep beer budgets and champagne taste reigns.  We could say its due to economic times... but really sweeties - lets be real... its the nature of the beast, if I could get Jimmy Choo shoes for Payless prices - dont you think I'd be interested! 'Course I would... 

Then again, I might wonder if there was something wrong with those Jimmy Choos, or if someone might've given me a little leftover from Monday on Thursdays menu - like  fish... somethings stinky! There are lots of ingredients that go into great food - sometimes its the quality of the simple ingredients and sometimes its the complex combination of them that can make a plate - or a shoot - sing!

I'm always a little suss,(thats kiwi for suspect), when someone offers a too good to be true price. Do they really know what the job takes? Can they deliver the quality? How reliable are they and their talent? Questions that Art Buyers ask whenever a way too low price comes in.  Recently, on a job estimate we won, the art buyer shared that another bid came in well under ours they commented; "that we didn't even present it to the client, that number was just totally scary to us - they obviously don't know what they are doing." 

Basically its like a great meal - get the best ingredients you can afford, put them together in the best way you can and voila' bellisimo! Be on the table and understand the ingredients you offer the client. Know what they cost, and what they are worth, understand what the results will be and what clients expectations will be.

Don't offer up what can not be delivered - pizza or otherwise. If the client wants great fish and chips - give them that but if they want steak - make sure they can buy it - after all menus have options! Offer dinner but not the whole enchilada!

I love this video by Scofield Editorial on client vendor relationships - I think about it everytime someone asks for a break, enjoy!