{"id":1761,"date":"2017-12-14T14:45:24","date_gmt":"2017-12-14T19:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecopyrightzone.com\/?p=1761"},"modified":"2017-12-14T14:45:24","modified_gmt":"2017-12-14T19:45:24","slug":"negotiating-and-smiling-faces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecopyrightzone.com\/?p=1761","title":{"rendered":"Negotiating and Smiling Faces"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Remember, smiling faces can be a mask to what people really think.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

(Presented is a reprint of an article we wrote for Photoshop User Magazine a while back and think it still holds up with very useful information for our dear readers.)<\/em><\/p>\n

Since the beginning of mankind, from the early days of the cave dwellers, there have been creative people, who have used their imagination to enlighten all of mankind \u2013 or at least splash some paint on drab cave walls. Eventually, the creatives moved on, beyond living and painting in caves to painting on canvas, sculpting in all sorts of materials, and employing photography in both silver halide and digital medias.<\/p>\n

While creatives mastered anything and everything dealing with the creative process from conceptualization to completion, one important skill remained which they could not seem to acquire – the ability to negotiate. \u00a0\u00a0For whatever reason, negotiating is a skill set as old as speech, predating even man\u2019s and woman\u2019s ability to be creative.<\/p>\n

Was Eve being creative<\/em> in getting Adam to bite the apple? Not at all. It was her negotiating <\/em>skills that hastened the duo’s exit from Eden. Think of Adam as the forbearer of the creative community and Eve as, well, the first real negotiator. Adam, along with the 21st Century creative types, didn\u2019t stand a chance. Then, like now, the fruit is offered with a smile, rapport is developed, the eyes sparkled, and the smile is wide.<\/p>\n

Photographers today have a very strong desire and need to create. When a smiling face comes forward, with a project in hand and starts talking, all the photographer hears is an offer of:<\/p>\n

A JOB, <\/strong><\/em>blah blah blah<\/p>\n

HIGHLIGHTING YOUR WORK<\/strong>,<\/em> blah blah,<\/p>\n

GREAT<\/strong> OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU<\/strong>,<\/em> blah blah blah,<\/p>\n

WONDERFUL EXPOSURE<\/strong>,<\/em> blah<\/p>\n

WE ALL LOVE YOUR WORK<\/strong>,<\/em> blah blah blah,<\/p>\n

and (said very quietly and mumbled under their breath) we don\u2019t have a lot of money.<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s just like the lyrics of that great song, \u201cSmiling Faces\u201d, performed by the aptly named soul group, The Undisputed Truth<\/strong>. Can I get an \u201camen\u201d?<\/p>\n

Smiling faces show no traces of the evil that lurks within
\nSmiling faces, smiling faces sometimes
\nThey don’t tell the truth uh
\nSmiling faces, smiling faces
\nTell lies and I got proof<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/em>If you are not familiar with the song, either buy a copy or look for the full lyrics and learn them by heart.<\/p>\n

The art of negotiating: <\/strong>Now some of you might be smiling and laughing thinking that this stuff happens to just other people. Not to you. Not The Kid<\/em>. You\u2019re smarter and can see these folks a mile away. To you they stand out like a Nigerian Lottery winner. Well, Bunky, be careful, because the streets are filled with smart creative types, who were found wandering around with a dazed look on their faces, wearing nothing, and we mean nothing other than a barrel. They lost their clothes and all of their intimate apparel to a smiling face.
\nAs any good conman or negotiator knows, anyone who believes themselves to be immune from a swindle is a victim waiting to happen. \u00a0It doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re a hot shot commercial advertising photographer working on big accounts or a wedding photographer dealing with the mother of the bride or whether you are a fine art artiste. And just like the singing group,\u00a0 I have the undisputed truth<\/em> in the form of barrel-wearing souls showing up on lawyer Ed Greenberg\u2019s law office doorstep, because they\u00a0 were out negotiated.<\/p>\n

Negotiation is both an art and a science. Mastering it or even getting pretty good at it, will ensure your survival. \u00a0It will put money in your pocket more so than any photography skill ever will. \u00a0Here are some guidelines for those negotiatingly challenged.<\/p>\n

1) Smile. That\u2019s it. All of it. If the others can use their smiles, their smiling faces, you should also use this technique. The monetary value of a smile cannot be under estimated. This is a lesson known to every successful restaurateur, hotelier or shopkeeper. \u00a0It has been perfected by the founders of Wal-Mart, Disney World, McDonald’s and of course by every teenager asking for the car keys. \u00a0No one needs to teach you how to smile. \u00a0It transcends our ethnic and class differences. It is the same skill set that you use behind the camera to get your subjects to pose, react or even smile.<\/em><\/p>\n

2) If pushed to quote a price and you are not ready to do so – don’t. <\/em><\/strong>This is a tactic frequently used to back you into a corner while you are desperate and\/or unprepared. At this point in the festivities beware the phrase coming from their lips “I won\u2019t hold you to it\u201d. \u00a0That usually ties you like superglue you to whatever price you quoted off the top of your head.<\/p>\n

3) Another important technique – difficult though it may be to perfect – is the ability to step outside yourself and be observant of what is happening. Envision the cool of James Bond or Miles Davis. This doesn’t mean that you suddenly become laconic or reticent if you are normally effusive and outgoing. \u00a0Forgive the sports clich\u00e9, but stay within and be<\/em><\/strong> yourself. \u00a0You need to simultaneously be involved in the process while objectively observing it. \u00a0In plain English, always keep your eyes on the prize and don’t forget the next tip-<\/p>\n

4) Beware of negotiating with “amateur” negotiators. \u00a0Mothers who clip coupons, fathers of the bride, contractors, real estate brokers and any good salesperson regardless of what they might be selling are likely great negotiators. \u00a0They are often so good that you don’t even realize that they are stealing your intimate apparel until you feel that cold draft. It is what they do to survive. \u00a0Recognize the talents possessed by your opposition and do not underestimate them. \u00a0They eat what they kill and you may be tonight’s blue plate special. Lawyers and others who may don Italian three-piece suits can learn a lot from them about negotiating and getting what you want.<\/p>\n

5) Eye contact. Another simple thing that some people forget. Eye contact develops trust, makes a connection and helps to achieve the single most important factor in any negotiation \u2013 creating a rapport with the other person<\/strong>. \u00a0Think of the multitude of clich\u00e9s that spring from \u201cHe looked me straight in the eyes and\u2026\u201d If not overdone, most sales people swear that using the other person\u2019s name with some frequency during discussions serves much the same purpose. Do both.<\/p>\n

6) Use of a common vocabulary, or as we like to call it \u201clinkage.\u201d \u00a0Another way of making a connection, a\/k\/a \u201cspeaking the same language.\u201d If your client says \u201cI envision <\/em>a shot that looks like\u2026\u201d You respond by saying \u201cYes, I see<\/em> that.\u201d \u00a0Client, \u201cI am bored<\/em> to death of shots that\u2026\u201d \u00a0You: \u201cYes, those clich\u00e9 shots are better than sleeping pills\u201d and so on.<\/p>\n

7) Duplicate gestures. If they fold their arms you fold yours. If they tilt their head, you tilt yours. This needs to be subtle, not a monkey see monkey do type of action. It\u2019s long been examined and known by those that study body English that duplicating general body gestures need not be an exercise in exact<\/em> mimicry. \u00a0It does however, develop a rapport between two people. Lean in towards the client when he\/she is talking. \u00a0It will make you appear interested in their message \u2013 even if you are not.<\/p>\n

8) Shared experiences. \u201cDid you see the \u201cInvasion of the Giant Camera that ate Cleveland\u201d \u201cDidja catch that baby that sings opera on YouTube?\u201d \u201cHow \u2018bout them Yankees?\u201d Hopefully I don\u2019t have to explain about staying away from political or religious topics. Reference common like experiences utterly unrelated to the business topic at hand will help to form a rapport unclouded by an obvious motive. Is there a stronger bond in nature than that of two fans of a historically beleagured sports team like for example: the Chicago Cubs? (Humm, guess that example is now out dated. Miami Marlins? NY Giants or Cleveland Browns in 2017? Anyway, you get the idea, misery loves company.)<\/p>\n

9) Make your adversary feel important and special to the success of the project. \u00a0Even if you do all of the work and deserve all of the credit, set it up such that he\/she will be able to \u201cput it on their resume.\u201d<\/p>\n

10) Remember- Smile. So easy, even babies can do it. You can too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Presented is a reprint of an article we wrote for Photoshop User Magazine a while back and think it still holds up with very useful information for our dear readers.) Since the beginning of mankind, from the early days of the cave dwellers, there have been creative people, who have used their imagination to enlighten […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[151,613,659,411,20],"tags":[663,662,96,660,661],"class_list":["post-1761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-be-aware","category-lawyers","category-negotiating","category-quotes","category-stuff-you-should-know","tag-duplicate-gestures","tag-linkage","tag-negotiating","tag-smiling-faces","tag-undisputed-truth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecopyrightzone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecopyrightzone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecopyrightzone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecopyrightzone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecopyrightzone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1761"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/thecopyrightzone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1761\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1768,"href":"https:\/\/thecopyrightzone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1761\/revisions\/1768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecopyrightzone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecopyrightzone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecopyrightzone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}