All Systems No Go!

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Road Warriors are typically creatures of habit, and that means when a travel week comes up on the calendar, the body and the mind begin to prepare. The roller bag moves from the closet to its packing location, and the laptop bag begins to slowly swell. And then the unthinkable happens — the trip is cancelled. That's what happened to me this week, and there's more at stake here then just putting the suit case away.

In my business as a professional speaker I have protection. I have contracts that are signed, and in that contract I have a standard clause that keeps cancelled trips from being a problem. Quite simply, if a program delivery is cancelled with less than 21 days notice, I am compensated 100 percent for the delivery.

That's not because I'm a shrewd businessman, but because when a program cancels with less than three week's notice, it is nearly impossible to fill that slot with another speaking gig. What's more, in my business frequently multiple clients will request the same speaking date months in advance, so often I'm turning down business to protect a delivery date for another client.

I tell you all of this because I want you to know that I am well within my rights to demand payment for lost income on this week's trip. Sounds like an open and shut case'¦ but this is where the lesson is hiding.

There are often two choices in business. First, there's the legal solution. In this particular case, there is lost compensation and a legal contract to protect against this exact problem. My brother-in-law, the lawyer, would not understand why we would even entertain a second choice. That second choice however is the business solution.

When a client pays for a trip that never occurred they can be a bit testy'¦to say the least. They are probably taking a loss from several different angles. You may be within your rights, but hitting this client with a cancellation fee may be more costly than the missed trip. Clients will pay the fee, but depending on how you handle it, you may never work with this client again.

No, this week's client will not be getting an invoice from me even though I am well within my right to bill them, and have a signed contract backing me up. Instead, this client will be offered a handful of options, all involving the planning of additional trips around a set timeframe. Instead of losing a client, and gaining a check, I'll keep a client, gain a future speaking opportunity'¦ and maintain a business relationship.