I work with a number of independent contractors. They help me with my website, graphics and design, administrative functions and some research. I’ve been blessed overall with great people – talented, skilled, honest and hard-working.
Yet recently I’ve experienced a blip. One of the contractors I adored suddenly started billing me for hours that I just couldn’t see as real. Then the project was delivered two weeks late, in such a mess that I had to spend over 10 hours of my own time to fix it. We had a discussion, and in the same exact thing happened again on the next project. So I decided to move on to find a more reliable resource. that was a tough choice because I didn’t like this person. But business is not a democracy, and I can’t have way too late and poor quality deliverables while I’m being charged for extra hours.
This month, I’ve experienced the Gravity of Greed.
I had three pending projects. So I found three new contractors and tested one on each project. How my eyes have been opened!
- The first contractor wanted money up front, so I gave it to him. He proceeded to send version after version of deliverables that were just plain inaccurate – simply because he didn’t pay attention to any of the details I’d given him. When he finally delivered the final version – he asked for more money because he’d spent more hours. I pointed out that the extra hours were because of his mistakes. He unhappily agreed. I paid him, only to find that the deliverable wasn’t to the spec that I needed. He’s since disappeared. I’ve had to hire a new contractor to fix his mistakes.
- Contractor number two was highly recommend. He took a bit longer to grasp what I needed – which which was very simple video editing. He then proceeded to start discussing with me how many more hours he needed to complete the project before he ever started. he immediately began to nickel and dime me to get more money – and I hadn’t seen a lick of his work.
- Contractor number three immediately jumped into the project I’d given her. She asked a few pointed questions and was on her way. The first deliverable was nearly perfect, the second was right on. When I started to pay her, she let me know that she’d taken less time than she expected, so her fee would be smaller than what we agreed to in our agreement. I paid her the original fee and bonus.
Which contractor do you think I’m going to hire going forward?
The Gravity of Greed does nothing to help us succeed. Nickle and diming customers, penny- pinching to focus on getting every potential piece of revenue out of our markets, is not a strategy for success. It will backfire every time.
Focus on delivering compelling and distinct Value. Focus on servicing your customers in the best way possible.
Only then the money will flow, and flow, and flow.
