Successful Marketers vs Status Symbols

I thought that I have seen it all in terms of extravagance with my client - the Sheikh. That the-price-is-least-of-concerns and we-do-not-negotiate-you-just-name-your-price attitude is something you don't see every day, do you? Well, it turns out that I still haven't had a client coming from Russia. Until now. I will call him - the Russian.

So, I started a business relationship with this guy just like with any other client. I'm not obsessed with neither I choose my clients according to their national flags. Do they apply the same principle when they choose freelancers to work with is another question? So, we decided to talk on Skype to discuss details. As I was saying, the regular client-freelancer situation I've been experiencing over and over again on a daily basis. Nothing special or extraordinary. How are we going to do this or that? What do you think about this and that? Usual stuff.

Then, my client from Russia started asking some questions in a different tone. Am I serious? Am I reliable? When you have a portfolio with hundreds and hundreds of five-star projects behind you that can be an annoying question. But hey, the client is always right. So, I replied in the most polite way I possibly could. The Russian obviously wanted to convince me that he was no joke. I was about to say, relax buddy, you convinced me already, there's no need for this, when he suggested the most unusual thing. Look, I'm very serious about this. There's so much work to do for some very serious clients I represent. I'm traveling a lot. I will pay you a short visit to see for myself how serious you are.

Well, I don't know about you, but this is something you don't see every day. I have never met a client I used to work with in person. So, this was something quite unusual. I felt responsible for some reason. I tried to talk him out of this idea. What if we don't reach an agreement? What if I don't meet his expectations? I'm in no position to compensate him for his costs. He laughed. Plane tickets and hotels are cheap, trust is expensive. Oh, that sounds lovely. Maybe, I should write it down. I realized that there was no point in arguing about this one. Let him have it his own way. Right?

So, one day I just got a message to meet him in my local hotel. As I could have guessed the best and most expensive one he could find. So, I drove to the most unusual job interview I have ever had. This was also the first direct job interview I have ever had as a freelancer. I was worried about it a little bit. Skype could have fixed all. Why this personal approach? Was it really necessary? It was a lovely weather. The Russian was sitting outside and he saw me parking in the hotel parking lot. He was a very kind and very direct in terms of what he wants and expects.

It turns out he needs more than one guy to work with. A couple of designers, developers, writers, SEO experts, social media managers, etc. Everything and anything a successful pro website with great ambitions could possibly need. His agency was representing some successful businesses from Russia working all over the world. So, my best guess was that my price will multiply a dozen times until it reaches Russia. Honestly, that wasn't my problem. I have nothing against the so-called middle-man and agencies such as this. If you can sell my friend and my price is OK for me, then who I'm to complain? Right?

We obviously finished the official part because he wasn't so formal anymore. But in terms of business lessons he was far from over. He felt like he still had some explaining to do. He was right. You asked me about my decision to spend some money on a plane ticket and hotel, so I can know you better. I nodded. So, he explained. Better to visit a couple of beautiful cities, than is to go deep into the project with the wrong people. Which one is more expensive? I had to agree. When you play in the major business league then I guess you don't worry about trivialities such as these, plane tickets, lunches, hotels, and stuff.

Are you successful? This question caught me unprepared. I already answered that I'm reliable, professional, and experienced for this work. The Russian laughed. That's not what I asked you. I will give you some advice, so you can find clients such as me as a rule rather than an exception. You can rest assured that I was all ears. Well, it's all about the impressions. I said that I expected to hear something a little bit deeper and more meaningful that this. He lifted a finger in the air asking me to finish. I was looking at my T-shirt and jeans. I'm done with the suits, job or no job. He was pointing at my car.

I said that I'm proud of my 12-year-old car. It may be not now, but it runs on my words, if you know what I mean. I was tired of these games, so I said that his car was probably 12 minutes old. My Russian client was in the good mood. It's not about the car but the license plate. Finally, I got it. So, I said, look I had a client from the Middle East the real life Sheikh. Even he didn't use these so-called vanity license plates. That's ridiculous. I had to pay 4 or 5 times more than I usually pay for regular registration costs just to put my name on a license plate. Seriously? Should I put the word "word" because the content is too long?

So, the Russian said that he has his agency initials on his car's license plate. So, I asked was this really necessary to impress clients? Shouldn't these clients worry more about the quality rather than the cars? After all, you are building and maintaining websites, you aren't making Fast and Furious movie Russian edition. He loved my joke, but he had quite a surprising answer. When you try to win a client who drives a car with the license plates made of gold and diamonds, then you have to do what you have to do. He made his point loud and clear. I can only imagine how surreal this guy's business negotiations have to be. Maybe, he has to race his clients to win a job. I sure hope he doesn't have similar expectations from me.

I was surprised that he accepted my invitation to offer him a ride to the airport in my old, but very reliable car. I wanted to ask are there marketers who drive cars with personalized license plates and fly in private jets? Do they behave and spend like movie stars? Do they use iPhones made of gold? Mark Zuckerberg's gray T-shirt has become a legendary clothing choice. Personally, I give an advantage to Steve Job's style. The only detail I would allow myself as a luxury would be a logo of my company on a T-shirt I would combine with jeans and sneakers. That's all. There's really no need for let's go crazy extravagance.

Yet, there's this troubling question. Would I embrace gladly the prestigious status symbols as a successful marketer? Would you?