A Powerful Negotiation Tactic That Can Open New Doors
Just the other day, I had a conversation with a television producer regarding a reality TV project of mine that his group is considering developing. “Rob” told me that they are moving into scripted programming in addition to reality TV. And he mentioned that they have a couple of projects they are excited about, but need rewrites.
I’m a produced writer of a fairly big feature film and have been paid large sums of money for my movie scripts. So you would think I would turn up my nose at the idea of doing a rewrite of someone else’s script. Well, you’d be wrong. I tossed out the idea that to get in the door with them on scripted television, I’d do a rewrite on spec. (This means they would pay me for the rewrite only if they decided to use it.)
Rob was impressed with my confidence in my ability to do a good rewrite. And he ended up agreeing to have me submit an original teleplay that I’m in the process of writing.
Offering your services on spec like this can be a great way to open doors to new business opportunities. (Especially these days, when money is tight.) Sure, you could spend the time to do a great job and – for whatever reason – still lose out on the payoff. But it’s worth the risk.
Give some thought to how you might apply this strategy and give it a shot.
[Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence is a successful entrepreneur and produced screenwriter who has started over a dozen profitable enterprises. For more information on his “Street Smart Business Program,” click right here.]Paul Lawrence
Paul Lawrence is an entrepreneur who has made his living starting and running a series of profitable businesses. One day while cleaning his mother's pool for a few extra bucks, it dawned on Paul that he could perhaps start his own pool cleaning business. He carefully employed all the marketing techniques that he had learned in school and designed his first flyer. Immediately the business took off and within a week, Paul had his own little business. He quickly expanded, hired employees and then eventually sold it some relatives who made well over $250,000 in the next year before they eventually sold it for a six figure profit. After finishing college, Paul did a brief stint in a management program for a national rental company, but he quickly realized that he was much happier running his own show. Paul left the rental company and launched one of the most financially successful independent ballroom dance instruction companies in the state of Florida where he received quite a bit of media attention for his revolutionary business practices that included front page features in the Life Style section of the Sun Sentinel, features in the Miami Herald, Boca News, Center Stage Entertainment and many others. With that business running profitably, Paul started several other businesses either individually or as partnerships that included a million dollar video production company, a mortgage brokerage, a home maintenance business, several mail order companies, a business consulting service among others.With a love of movies, Paul began to work at breaking into Hollywood as a screenwriter where he's beaten the odds by becoming a produced writer. He is a credited writer for the film CRUEL WORLD, starring Jaime Presley and Eddie Furlong and has signed a development deal for a national television series with one of the world's largest producers of television and films among his half a dozen sales and options of movie scripts he wrote. Paul is the creator of the Quick & Easy Microbusiness program.