Introduction  

One of the worst feelings in the world is buying something and then wondering if you might have gotten it cheaper if you had just said the right thing, or done the right thing, or bargained harder. If you read this document you should not have that worry when it comes to purchasing rights managed stock images.

Can you believe us on these issues?

We have successfully concluded hundreds of thousands of rights managed stock photography transactions with graphics professionals.

In each case, we have had to determine a price that was fair to both our client, and the photographers we represent. In that sense, we're "in the middle": On the one hand, our photographers rely on us to charge prices for the use of their images that is fair where the benefit from the use is commensurate with the payment we ask for.

On the other hand, our customers rely on us for the same thing. Fairness: Not charging them fees that are unwarranted by the use they have in mind.

The process photo agencies engage in to arrive at these prices is not arbitrary. It flows from some specific factors that enter into a sort of "calculation" that, in turn, generates the final price for the usage you have in mind. However, that "equation" is not necessarily obvious. There are things going on, factors that are weighing in, that you might not be aware of, and not being aware of them will put you at a disadvantage.

But one thing we know: While our philosophy has been to be pro-active in eliciting from you the information about your project that works in your favor (meaning factors that help us reduce the price) some other photo agencies have a different philosophy: If you're not "smart enough" or "experienced enough" to look out for your own interests, they're not going to do it for you. The result is that you end up paying more for the stock photo license than you should.

The first rule of "negotiating" is to know where the other guy sees his or her interests and what the other guy is thinking as they sit at the table.

That's what this document will do for you: By the end of it, you will know exactly what the "other guy" (the photo agency) is thinking, what is important to them, and how to use that knowledge effectively in the service of achieving your goal of obtaining the use of a stock photo for a price that is not more than you should be paying.

In that sense, all this is pretty simple.

And finally, at the end, in the section called "The Agency Attitude Factor" we'll talk about an overview issue that you should consider, and that is whether the agency you are dealing with is-- or is not-- likely to provide you with information on alternative approaches that might work better for you. For example, should you be using a rights managed stock photo at all, or should you, instead, be considering royalty-free stock photography? (Or the reverse). Some agencies have in interest in providing assistance on these issues, others do not. You should be aware of which type you are dealing with, because it will definitely affect the way you will (or should) negotiate with them.

Don't be intimidated by the concept of "negotiating"

Many people tend to be intimidated by the very concept of negotiating: That's for bankers and Union bosses and involves cigars and a lot of shouting and table thumping.

Not so. "Negotiating" is nothing more than a process whereby two parties with competing, but complementary, interests engage in a process of communication, the goal of which is to arrive at a price that is fair to both parties. Don't forget: You want to use a stock photo, and they want you to use it. That's "complementary". You want to secure the rights for as little as possible, they want to charge you as much as "the market will bear". That's competing. This document will provide you with the tools to navigate this process calmly and effectively. No cigars and no table thumping.

So let's get started...