When Should You Draw a Line in the Sand?

“There,” I thought. “Finally rid of her.”

I sat back at my desk, smiling in satisfaction as I terminated the relationship of a very difficult client I’ve been working with for years.

If you choose to be in this business long enough, you’ll have clients you absolutely adore.

Two nights ago, I was reunited with one of my favorite clients. She’s a library director, just transferred to a new branch.

As soon as I walked in the door, she ran toward me, wrapped me in a big hug, and said, “It’s so good to see you!”

The show went great. My audience was incredible.

It was awesome in every way.

Then you’ll eventually have clients like the one I just fired.

Everything about the relationship was a pain in the butt from the start – payment process, communication, scope creep, and more.

What is ‘scope creep’ you ask?

It’s a copywriting term. It’s when a client tries to get you to do more than you agreed on for free.

In the case of this client, when we worked together last year, I was setting up when I overheard her say I was doing an hour-long show.

For context, this was a community family Halloween event. Families come with their costumed kids in tow. There were different crafting, gaming, and eating stations.

And of course, I was stuck on a stage near all the food, so my show was chaos from setting up, to the show itself.

Thing is, the client had hired me for this Halloween event multiple years in a row. My invoice to her always read 45 minutes.

On the contract she asked me to sign for the town board paying me, I always listed a 45-minute show.

And each year, I performed a 45-minute show.

But she convinced herself I was doing a 60-minute show and started yelling at me that’s what was expected of me.

I ad-libbed my way through an extra ten minutes of show just to keep her happy. That was last year.

This year, she contacted me in April to book the show as she does every year.

As usual, she said, “Now the date isn’t firm until the Board meets in mid-September.”

So I’d be holding a prime date for months, with the possibility it could fall through.

And dates with this client had fallen through in the past.

She’d tried booking my magic workshop for the summer. But each time, the Board decided at the last minute my price was too high and canceled.

This year, I booked the date, wondering for the umpteenth time why I put up with this crap.

It’s October 5th as I write this. Last week, it occurred to me I had yet to receive my contract for the Town Board.

The same contract that stipulated I wouldn’t be paid for up to 60 days after the show.

I emailed my client. I called her too. Crickets.

A few days later, I said, “Screw it” and sent her an email stating that since no one had sent me a contract and/or responded to my emails and phone call, I was canceling the gig and opening the date on my calendar.

It felt really good sending that email.

In magic, there are a lot of hoops we often need to jump through. Companies, schools, and libraries often have weird payment or contract procedures.

Unless it’s for a birthday party, I don’t even bother asking for deposits anymore. For me, the hassle isn’t worth it.

Some clients test your patience. Or make unreasonable requests. Every person reading this will have their own personal ‘breaking point.’

As Popeye the Sailor would say, you have to decide for yourself when you finally say, “I can’t stands it anymore!”

My overall point is simply to have such a line in place.

What we do is a skilled business. We are not some easily replaceable minimum wage job workers.

Just getting up in front of people and speaking is too much for most people.

Don’t let clients walk all over you.

Some of you may be thinking, “Yeah, Cris, but that’s easy for you. Your career is where you want it. I need every show I can get.”

I’ve been there. And I still stand by turning down what will likely make you hate life if the gig sounds bad enough.

Back in 2002, I was working my butt off to book enough shows to go full-time. My wife (fiancé at the time) was working two jobs to give me the breathing room I needed to make it happen.

I was supplementing my meager show income with an $8.00/hour job I despised.

But I was in the Yellow Pages and a parenting magazine. The calls were slowly coming in, giving me hope.

One day, a lady called me to inquire about entertainment for an office party.

“Perfect,” I thought. I wanted more adult shows. This was great!

Then she described the situation. Turns out their original entertainer had backed out She was a Marilyn Monroe impersonator.

All the drooling guys in the office were disappointed when she backed out.

Finally, the breaking point. When I asked if she thought a magician was a good substitute for a group expecting Marilyn Monroe, she said, “Oh, yes! My boss loves watching magicians and busting them on their tricks. He’s really good at it.”

I stood to make the equivalent of a week’s salary at my crappy day job if I took this gig.

I turned it down, telling the prospect on the phone that I wouldn’t subject myself to being embarrassed or belittled like that.

She was shocked I said “No” to the money.

This was back when my wife and I had about $30,000 in debt, lived in a rotten, leaky-roof apartment, and feared for our lives because the tenants in the downstairs apartment were obvious drug dealers.

Sometimes the money just ain’t worth it.

Value yourself, turn down surefire awful gigs, and you’ll enjoy this business a lot more.

Work hard, market harder, and your ship will come in.

This year, I’m going to have my BEST year ever financially.

But I’ve never once forgotten how hard I had to work to get here. Or the choices I made to do it.

Have a great week!

--Cris

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