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What Don Draper tells us about managing our relationships

What if I said you could charge more, ask for more, get more, and have people like you all the more for it?

Now you may not want to be Don Draper from Mad Men (let’s face it, he’s kind of an anti-social narcissist), but one thing is clear: What Don wants, Don gets.

And you can too.

It might be tempting to say he gets away with it, because he has the chops and the charm, but in reality, there’s no magic to it. It’s not that Don knows how to ask. The secret to Don Draper is that he asks when others won’t.

Watch the video to learn about the research and see the power of asking for more, then read on.

Time and time again, people cut themselves off at the knees by falling into a pattern of concession. Instead of reaching out and building bridges, the fear of rejection, loss, and embarrassment drive people to rely on free favors, discounts, and handouts as a way to connect with clients and vendors.

But you don’t want to be valued because you’re cheap, easy, or free. There’s nothing wrong with doing a favor, and great customer service should be the cornerstone of any business, but if you’re not capitalizing on the value of your actions, you’re leaving an untapped well of business opportunity on the floor, and to claim it, all you have to do is ask.

By Spencer Lum 8 Comments

Comments

  1. Sonia says

    September 19, 2013 at 3:22 pm

    Thanks again for the good advice! I reaaly appreciate your videos! =)

    Reply
    • Spencer Lum says

      September 19, 2013 at 3:28 pm

      Most certainly! Thanks!

      Reply
  2. Kevin says

    September 19, 2013 at 3:42 pm

    Thanks! Going to put this into action!

    Reply
  3. Kim says

    September 20, 2013 at 7:12 am

    H Spencer, this is great advice. I just want to ask. My initial email contains all information and pricing of my different packages. I would like to be flexible in my pricing, however I do not want to cheapen my product that the client thinks its too cheap, therefore not great quality. However there are clients out there that do not have the full budget, but that I would love to photograph. How do I find out who is who and how to make the suggestion if they don’t respond to my initial email?

    Reply
    • Spencer Lum says

      September 20, 2013 at 9:14 am

      Push for the phone call first before you deliver pricing information. Once you give them all of your information by email, it becomes hard to engage them further and tailor your discussions to their needs and personality, but if you talk first, then you can figure out where you want to go from there.

      Reply
  4. Eli Powell says

    September 23, 2013 at 2:29 pm

    Thanks Spencer!

    Reply
  5. Joseph says

    January 27, 2014 at 11:30 pm

    Oh this one is awesome Spencer! I never thought about setting my collections a bit high with some wiggle room, but I may after watching this video.

    Reply
    • Spencer Lum says

      January 28, 2014 at 10:43 am

      Thanks Joseph! Appreciate that!

      Reply

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