Client as Art Rep?

[Brenda Ellis]

I just dropped off some cards at an upscale Bridal Boutique in the "very nice" part of town. The owner of the shop gives her customers Bridal Packages that include ads/coupons/gifts from other vendors of services a bride-to-be might be interested in.
She's asking for a $25 referral fee for each customer I get through her. I had to tell her that she should ask for 10%, and then told her that's what I would give her if I got business through her. She's got her own business and she doesn't want to be an art agent. And fair is fair.

It sounds like this guy wants to be some sort of part time "agent" for you and that smells like trouble. I don't know where he goes when he goes "on the road" but do you think that the people who will deal with him would be in the market for portraiture at your prices? And you can't control his attitude or what he says as he is out there "drumming" for you. If he's an abrasive sort of fellow, people could make a bad association between him and your art.

My clients refer me by word-of-mouth for free because the people they are referring are their friends, and they want to give a good tip to them. I think it's rather gauche of him to want to make money off of what he tells his friends.

Risk...reward...risk.....reward. Sounds like a bit of risk and no guarantee of any reward.

[Jen Reinstadler]

Wow, so many great responses! Thanks for everyone's input!

Marcus, I wouldn't have thought of the contract with this person, we've been very much on a handshake basis so far. Boundaries have been part of my issue with him from the beginning. IF I decide to accept his proposal, I will definitely get everything in writing. Thank you.

And I also agree with you about getting to know people you don't like. I have found that I tend to dislike people who are most like me, because I see my most annoying qualities reflected back at me.

As for the man's character, he's neither unlikeable nor abrasive. He's actually very outgoing, embracing, and friendly. I actually enjoy his company in general. But he loves to barter, and that tends to get him into trouble. In his heart, I really believe that he thinks he's tailoring a deal that is perfectly balanced and mutually benficial. But from my own experience and from those of several mutual friends, he has a tendency to get what he wants from both sides of the equation (he sort of decides what he wants to give in exchange for what he wants to get). So people get offended and he doesn't know why. And he's very difficult to turn down. Yes, I initially bartered with him, but we are on a strictly cash basis now, and he's happily making installments on a third project.

So actually he would make a great rep if that's what he wanted to do. On the other hand, even his friends are a bit wary. So I still have a bit of a dilemma.

All that aside, I'm glad to hear that others of you have no issue with the 10% referral fee. Certainly, it beats the heck out of gallery commissions!

[Jen Reinstadler]

Brenda, my husband was already riding your train. On second reading of your posting, I think you've assessed the situation quite well.

And let us know how the wedding boutique angle works out for you. I have a bridal portrait in my portfolio, and I've thought of doing the same thing myself. I even wondered about actually hanging the original in the shop, but that's all the further I've gotten...just thinking about it.

[Marcus Lim]

Originally Posted by Brenda Ellis

...My clients refer me by word-of-mouth for free because the people they are referring are their friends, and they want to give a good tip to them. I think it's rather gauche of him to want to make money off of what he tells his friends.

Risk...reward...risk.....reward. Sounds like a bit of risk and no guarantee of any reward.

Yeah Brenda, i agree it's kinda crude of him to do that.
In my situation, i find the Chinese saying "Rice feeds a hundred different people" - meaning that there are really so many types of people.
Having said that, It's helpful to handling people like him by being cautious, as every opportunity i have take with them may mean failure - and worse more problems than i can handle...but the other side of the equation meant having me a step towards success despite the mercenaries.

Here i leave another saying from an ancient writing written by an philosopher from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Of course, i don't agree giving one-thirds of our fortune to the people in our discussion, but i found some truths in its philosophy. Of course since this is what i read, I'm open to criticisms to this...

"When you have a stroke of good fortune, surrender one-third of your portion for the enjoyment of others. This is the law for making one's way through the world most comfortably" -- The Vegetable Root Discourses.