If you're tempted by the prospect of requesting free work from someone or participating in a spec relationship, take a moment to fill in the blanks of this paragraph and read it back to yourself.
_________ is a gifted _________. He/She is good at what he/she does, so skilled at the work it seems effortless. His/her work improves _________, but it comes to him/her so easily. Why should he/she be compensated for this natural or learned talent?
Here are some examples. (For best results, mix famous with non-famous and creative with non-creative combinations.)
Business owner:
Meryl Streep is a gifted actress. She is good at what she does, so skilled at the work it seems effortless. Her work improves ticket and DVD sales, but it comes to her so easily. Why should she be compensated for this natural or learned talent?
Consumer:
Meryl Streep is a gifted actress. She is good at what she does, so skilled at the work it seems effortless. Her work improves my movie experience, but it comes to her so easily. Why should she be compensated for this natural or learned talent?
Business owner:
Christina Aguilera is a gifted singer. She is good at what she does, so skilled at the work it seems effortless. Her work improves the effectiveness of my ad campaign (and sales), but it comes to her so easily. Why should she be compensated for this natural or learned talent?
Consumer:
Christina Aguilera is a gifted singer. She is good at what she does, so skilled at the work it seems effortless. Her work improves my quality of life, but it comes to her so easily. Why should she be compensated for this natural or learned talent?
Business Owner/Consumer:
Mark is a gifted accountant. He is good at what he does, so skilled at the work it seems effortless. His work improves my tax rebate and overall finances, but it comes to him so easily. Why should he be compensated for this natural or learned talent?
Consumer:
Mrs. Johnson is a gifted third-grade teacher. She is good at what she does, so skilled at the work it seems effortless. Her work improves my child's education and development, but it comes to her so easily. Why should she be compensated for this natural or learned talent?
Consumer:
Jerry is a gifted mechanic. He is good at what he does, so skilled at the work it seems effortless. His work improves the life of my car, but it comes to him so easily. Why should he be compensated for this natural or learned talent?
Self:
I am a gifted designer. I am good at what I do, so skilled at the work it seems effortless. My work improves my clients' bottom line, but they believe it comes to me so easily. Why should I be compensated for this natural or learned talent?
_________ is a gifted _________. He/She is good at what he/she does, so skilled at the work it seems effortless. His/her work improves _________, but it comes to him/her so easily. Why should he/she be compensated for this natural or learned talent?
Here are some examples. (For best results, mix famous with non-famous and creative with non-creative combinations.)
Business owner:
Meryl Streep is a gifted actress. She is good at what she does, so skilled at the work it seems effortless. Her work improves ticket and DVD sales, but it comes to her so easily. Why should she be compensated for this natural or learned talent?
Consumer:
Meryl Streep is a gifted actress. She is good at what she does, so skilled at the work it seems effortless. Her work improves my movie experience, but it comes to her so easily. Why should she be compensated for this natural or learned talent?
Business owner:
Christina Aguilera is a gifted singer. She is good at what she does, so skilled at the work it seems effortless. Her work improves the effectiveness of my ad campaign (and sales), but it comes to her so easily. Why should she be compensated for this natural or learned talent?
Consumer:
Christina Aguilera is a gifted singer. She is good at what she does, so skilled at the work it seems effortless. Her work improves my quality of life, but it comes to her so easily. Why should she be compensated for this natural or learned talent?
Business Owner/Consumer:
Mark is a gifted accountant. He is good at what he does, so skilled at the work it seems effortless. His work improves my tax rebate and overall finances, but it comes to him so easily. Why should he be compensated for this natural or learned talent?
Consumer:
Mrs. Johnson is a gifted third-grade teacher. She is good at what she does, so skilled at the work it seems effortless. Her work improves my child's education and development, but it comes to her so easily. Why should she be compensated for this natural or learned talent?
Consumer:
Jerry is a gifted mechanic. He is good at what he does, so skilled at the work it seems effortless. His work improves the life of my car, but it comes to him so easily. Why should he be compensated for this natural or learned talent?
Self:
I am a gifted designer. I am good at what I do, so skilled at the work it seems effortless. My work improves my clients' bottom line, but they believe it comes to me so easily. Why should I be compensated for this natural or learned talent?