Re: Compensation based on Percentage of total Internet sales.

I've been approached for this recently--the pitch made to me was that the 
potential client "wanted to give me the opportunity" to build the site.  My 
immediate response (not voiced) was, "Opportunity doesn't put groceries on 
my table."  After looking over his pitch in more detail, I became even more 
concerned because he had made assumptions about how the Web works which 
were, shall we say, wrong.  But he'd been referred by a friend, and the 
mutual friend thought he would be open to education, so I didn't blow him 
off entirely.  I sent a reply to his e-mail asking him if he'd be 
interested in filling our preliminary customer survey so that we could get 
a better idea of what he wanted.  His immediate response that this was "too 
formal" for him.  (I don't want to know how he would've reacted to a 
contract.)  Okay, so Plan B--offered a face to face meeting.  We set up the 
appointment, and then it was canceled a few days later, with his informing 
me that he had gone with another designer--even told me who it was.

I think I dodged a bullet, and every once in a while I wish I'd cut myself 
out of the deal sooner.  No matter how you're getting paid, if the client 
doesn't have their act together, you risk cleaning up after them outside of 
your normal work, or putting a site together according to *their* 
specifications and having a really ugly site in your portfolio.  When you 
combine a clueless client with a contingency fee, you got trouble.

Rachel Hartman
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Rachel R. Hartman, Co-Owner
Hartman WebWrights - http://www.hww.com (512) 989-7844
Affordable, hand-crafted web pages for your company's needs

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