Consulting Tip #7: Beware of Other People Using Your Intellectual Property for Their Exposure

Recently, a newish site asked me to become part of their “editorial board.” They didn't say what the responsibilities were, so I asked.

The reply:

• Spend five hours a month in meetings (roughly an hour each week).
• Write a new, unique column each month.

I asked what I would get in return.

Nothing.

No payment for my time or my IP (Intellectual Property). They wanted me to relinquish my copyright as if I was writing work for hire. But they didn't want to pay me.

They wanted my intellectual property for their exposure.

I declined their offer. This was a one-sided offer of value.

The “Best” Exposure Offers Value to Both Parties

I'm flexible on what value can be. For example, I'm doing a webinar on November 30 where the value is primarily promotion for my new book. (See Project Lifecycle Workshop: How to Manage Project Risks to Release Successful Products.)

However, I expect payment in money when people ask me to create new IP. I don't expect exposure.

I said this in the Successful Indepentent Consulting book:

People die of exposure—both hot and cold.

And while this organization thought their request was reasonable, they were asking me for 5% of my week, in exchange for zero dollars. That's a lot of time for no money.

Yet, I suspect some new consultants will take them up on their offer. Even though their offer will cost the consultant time, money, and intellectual property.

If someone asks you for free IP, consider the circumstances under which you would work with them.

What Makes You Want to Work With Others?

When I think about what makes me want to work with others, I start with how much trust I feel for the other person/organization. That's because I have an overarching guideline for partnering with other people: I don't do business with jerks.

Jerks might want to exploit my IP for their purposes, as in this case. Sometimes, the people asking for my IP are fine, but their company doesn't want to pay. So the people in the learning/process improvement/agile center of excellence ask me for a free talk.

I understand how people feel caught in a bind. But a company is not a meetup. The company has money, even if they choose to do something else with that money. Why should I train their people for free? In what lifetime does that make sense?

You might have other considerations, such as how much marketing reach the other person/organization has.

But I start with trustworthiness when I decide what to do with my IP.

Respect Yourself and Your Time

Even though I'm a fast writer, I start by respecting myself and my time. That means I assess each request for my time. And when an organization wants to use my IP for their exposure? I don't have to think twice. I say, “No thank you.”

See the previous tip: Consulting Tip #6: Use Your Intellectual Property to Build Political Capital for why I recommend you create a lot of IP. When you keep your copyright to all that IP, people see you as the authority, not the site you originally posted on.

This is one of an intermittent series of consulting tips.