[ProArtist] Lack of response to an offer

[Chick]

Hi Everyone,

As most of you know, I'm pretty new to professional cartography, although not to professional art. Most of my art career has been creating art and then selling it, so the whole process of commission work is really new to me.

I've had a couple of cases where I applied for a project, supplied samples, made an offer, and then never heard from the person again. Once I even had that offer accepted, and then silence. Subsequent emails were never answered.

Is this common? I would think that most people would understand that we want to hear back, yea or nay, about offers. Do you think it's just general internet rudeness, or are people reluctant to tell you they've chosen someone else, or what?

When (if) this happens to you, do you follow up on it, by emailing and asking status? If so, what do you say about their failure to notify you of the outcome? Is there a good way to explain that this could be important to your time planning?

Cheers,
Cornelia

[arsheesh]

So I've had a few experiences in which I've gotten most of the way through a commission and then my client went MIA. In two of the three cases I had already received about 3/4 of the payment (I ask for half of the money up front for just this reason). In each case I tried contacting my client and got no response. I don't know if my experience is prototypical or not, but there you have it.

I'd recommend being assertive and taking the initiative in contacting these clients again. If they don't respond, no harm done. However it might just be that they have had something major come up. I once had a client whose father died during a commission. Needless to say the project was no longer a priority for him.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Chick]

How about when you make an offer and never hear back with a yes or no? How long do you wait before you feel free to allocate that time to a different potential client? Do you inquire the status or do you just assume after a certain amount of time that it's a no?

I have this vision of taking on a project, then suddenly two others that I had given up on also want to say yes, and I don't have time for all of them. Low probability, I know ....

[Jaxilon]

Money talks...you take the commission that put something concrete down.

The only reason not to do this is if you just don't really want that project or maybe you are waiting for a juicy one that should let you know in the next few days.

Nobody who hasn't given you money should be upset if you tell them you have had other projects fill your time and you can't get to theirs for a week or two, whatever.

I know it sounds mercenary but you have to eat and pay bills. I had one client that seemed good to go and and I even started a bit on the project only to have them go totally silent for months. Then they came back all apologies wanting to get things rolling again and I agreed. Only I didn't lift a pen because I hadn't received any money. To this day I haven't heard anything from them. No idea what their deal is/was but some folks just like to jerk your chain around and see if they can waste your time.

I have had a few that went quiet after they learn what it will cost but that may be because they didn't realize how much it would be or maybe they got another avenue they want to try. Whatever, you can't stand still for them.

All that said, I'm still barely a professional since basically I have a hobby that pays a little now and then. I hope it will keep growing but I'm not there yet.

[Chick]

At least it's good to know that others have experienced the same as I am.

I think the thing that annoys me the most is getting a request for samples, sending them, then never being told that the client has chosen someone else. They just leave you waiting and wondering.

I don't mind being told that I wasn't chosen nearly as much as never being told anything.