As you say his work is not as good as yours. It's not your tricks and secrets that make you better. It's you.
We all live in a competitive market. If I am unable to keep my clients by
giving them what they want I won't work. Someone else will.
There are many ways to try to approach this thread, but IMHO, Andrew's words definitely carry the load as to most relevant fact I have read so far and entirely concur with him.
There is nothing more unrelated and irrelevant to loosing work and clients ( and girlfriends and wives) as sharing knowledge with our fellows, friends and peers.
To begin with you need to have a client to work with. If you don't have the client there is no knowledge that will make you shine in the market.
There is an old saying that vaguely would translate as " People ONLY make business with people they like" , so if you are not liked by someone, there is no degree in astrophysics or Photoshop training or anything at all that would make you enter the game, and if you had a client and lost it to someone equally or less skilled than you , it is obviously NOT because of the skills. It can be the price, it can be the chemistry, and it can be any basic human issue ( flattery through a gift, or a simple, yet welcome dinner invitation to a client of yours, maybe something you never thought of doing! ) that won you over, but it has absolutely nothing to do with what you share in ProDig (or elsewhere for that matter).
That is the major flaw in the reasoning that a list with a filter to level up the quality of the content will help in any way to improve the content. I can clearly visualize a list with all the Neil Barstows, Martin Evenings, Shangaras, Jack Lowes, Stephen Marshes, etc,etc, inviting guests like the Jeff Schewes, Andrew Darlows ,etc,etc, from all over.
What will happen there??
OTOH, I actually see all those guys doing what they are currently doing, this is, participating in local, national and international digital comitees , dealing with corrections in Color Managements flaws, Improving specs for Profiles, working with Photoshop engineers, running workshops and seminars the world over, etc,etc, to make entire digital workflows a better and more efficient workable solutions for all.
What is remarkable here - and we all appreciate it- is that all those bright minds participate in this and many other forums just because they choose to, and share their knowledge and assist each and everyone who is asking relevant questions, and just stay away when the discussion is not interesting for them. Simple.
No one is forcing no one into this exchange. It's an individual choice.
Digital is a huge field and nobody knows it all , and never will. You should remember William Curven's words when he so neatly stated that we are "Unpaid Beta Testers" for all digital companies, software and hardware manufacturers, in this brave new digital world, and definitely , the best way to cope with this is precisely by sharing the little pieces of knowledge we keep gathering, either via our own experience or via the exchange with others, and I hope this just goes on in ProDig, now that -hopefully- we can tell this is not going to make us loose business.
I have insisted , to no avail, that the lack of exchange of enhanced business practices and negotiation tactics
( this is , how to charge for our time and work, how to maintain a competitive financial edge in digital, etc,etc?) should be part of the exchange for the benefit of all, and some threads enter the area in an elliptical, subdued manner, but according to the current Guidelines, are not supposed to go any deeper, something I fully regret, but is just my personal opinion. Let's hope the coming forum software package may include options for this and other associated areas of discussion.
Best
Jorge Parra Photography ( The photographer, not the List Mum) APA /EP/PLUS ------------------------------ www.JorgeParra.com www.TheStylePortfolios.com
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