Volunteer or Paid Political Consulting?

August 6, 2009 6:53 AM

My client is late paying me. Plus, I am concerned about how they are (or are not) using the products and services I am providing. Should I stop providing those products and services and send a late notice, or somehow give them the benefit of the doubt for a while longer? I want this client to succeed at their endeavor, but I don't want to be taken advantage of either, whether intentionally or not.

I was hired as a consultant by a man who is a declared candidate for a federal office. I made my rates clear at the outset, but offered to charge half that rate since he initially asked me to volunteer. The services I provide are technical, time-consuming and expensive, and I declined to volunteer. He agreed to the half price rate. In addition, I charge no travel or researching (reading) fees; only for the creation of hard products, like campaign artwork, databases, TV and radio commercial development, etc. I also set up interviews, do videotaping and other media related work in support of the candidate. Professional staff in a political campaign, like campaign manager, volunteer coordinator, financial manager and media director are almost always paid positions.

I have found several guides for political campaigns that suggest a path for campaign staff development and campaign strategy progression. I've shared these with the candidate. But as near as I can tell, he has not begun any serious fundraising, or consistent efforts to meet any of his constituencies yet. Partly, I'd guess it's because he is a business owner and spends most of his time running it. Public campaign financing websites show his competitors ahead in donations. He has paid me for two invoice I've already submitted, but is now more than a month late in paying me for the most recent work I've done. Because he isn't raising the funds, he is paying me from his business which he says is having a cumulative effect on him. Also, he has not found (or attracted) a campaign manager or (volunteer coordinator), and campaign staff really need a campaign manager to tell them what strategy to follow. I am a media professional, and I suggest and create basic media for the candidate, logos, lists, etc. But I can't do the work of a campaign manager. In politics, perception is reality and I don't think it is helping him that no one has offered to fill that role.

Campaigns seem to need much more than what you think of everything to be successful; time, money, people, advertising, whatever. And I don't want to burn any bridges. But I have two invoices worth of work that haven't been paid yet and I don't know understand why he isn't following the conventional path by laying the critical groundwork.

posted by anonymous to media & arts (13 comments total)

I don't know understand why he isn't following the conventional path by laying the critical groundwork.

Because he's a dilettante.

Send him a late notice on the overdue invoice, and begin distancing yourself from this campaign, because it's going nowhere.
posted by ook at 7:08 AM on August 6 [5 favorites]

Because he isn't raising the funds, he is paying me from his business which he says is having a cumulative effect on him.

That's his problem. A lot of people try to guilt their employees out of their pay. If he doesn't have the money, he has the option to not hire you. Instead, he wants the best of both worlds and you're supposed to work for free.

Don't feel bad, get your pay, his campaign is not your problem so try to disconnect yourself emotionally unless he's the second coming. Which he's not.
posted by kathrineg at 7:13 AM on August 6 [2 favorites]

I hope you have a contract, which you drew up and he signed. That contract stipulates when invoices are to be paid (30-day, 60-day, etc.). Follow up with the actions you have in the contract.

If you don't have a contract, I'd stop working immediately until you do.

Unfortunately, as a consultant you can advise clients but you can't force them to do what you think is right. But, you have a right to be paid, whether or not he takes your advise.
posted by Houstonian at 7:25 AM on August 6 [1 favorite]

Because he's a dilettante.

I don't know if I'd go that far, but I had a similar "how serious is he, really?" reaction to ook. Without knowing details- like what position he's running for (Congressman, I'm guessing), whether he's running against an incumbent, and when the election is- it's hard to make the call, but there's a point at which you're in the race or not. Given your insider position and experience, you should be equipped to make this call yourself.

The one reason to stick around, I think, is if you feel this guy has a legitimate political career ahead of him that you can ride as a long-term strategy. If he's simply a successful businessman who you don't think will run a second time, it's probably time to bail.
posted by mkultra at 7:29 AM on August 6

On the one hand, the business reality of this is straightforward as hell. Your client needs to pay, period. That's simple.

But I would argue that you are in over your head and that you don't understand political consulting. As a media consultant, you are in the position to make a hefty percentage commission from placing your TV/radio/media products. Traditionally, that is where media consultants make their $$$ in politics. It is quite common to spend a lot of time working with a candidate who tanks, only to bail on them once it's clear they're a loser/can't raise the $$$/ought not to be running/etc.

You also seem to have the roles of the consultant and the campaign staff mixed up. The consultant is the one who provides strategic direction and guidance, and the campaign manager plays a tactical role. That's why campaign managers for even Congressional races are often 20-something kids with more energy than experience.

What kind of fundraising consultant have you hired? What kind of fundraising plan has your candidate agreed to? How many hours/day are you forcing him to do call time?

If you don't have firm answers to the above questions, I don't understand where you thought this money would come from. I have some good friends and respected colleagues that are politicans, but at the end of the day they're all insecure and a little weaselly: I get the impression that you thought doing work for a campaign would be similar to doing work for a business. That's not true, as you may well find out when--a few months from now--you find yourself trying to recover money from an entity that doesn't exist.
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 7:35 AM on August 6

Upon re-reading my comment, it sounds more critical of the OP than I had intended. Sorry, OP.

What I meant to say was basically that politics is a bizarre world with bizarre conventions, and that I got the impression from the wording of your post that it isn't your normal stomping ground. This jackass definitely owes you money. Good luck.
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 7:42 AM on August 6 [2 favorites]

Flies with honey, flies with honey, flies with honey...

That's what I mutter under my breath every time something like this happens to me. Be kind to this politician, even if he is being a jerkface about paying you. You've sent an invoice already, and now it is time to make a friendly call to remind him that he hasn't paid, and to suggest that if he's having financial troubles ("because I know what a burden running a campaign can be!") you are more than happy to work out a payment arrangement that suits his needs. That's really all you have to do in the short term.

Then have him lay out the strategy for you. If/when you discover that there isn't one, politely decline future work and wish him the best of luck.
posted by greekphilosophy at 7:59 AM on August 6 [2 favorites]

Rule of life: Never work for politicians, unless you believe in them so much that you're willing to work for free.

Application after the fact here: As GP says, gently remind him he's late and ask him what kind of terms will make it easier on him. Do not accept "after the campaign", but if he suggests that, settle on half now, half later. And then don't expect to ever see the second half.
posted by rokusan at 8:02 AM on August 6

If you are friends with the guy, enormously comitted to him or in love with his platform, then take him out for a drink and just talk to him about why he's slacking. Connect the dots for him between slacking and not being able to pay these invoices.

Otherwise:

Dear Chuck:

As you'll be aware, you now hold two invoices worth of work that are currently unpaid. While I am concerned that your fund-raising is lagging because you are not implementing the plans we've developed, or followed the conventional path by laying the critical groundwork, this unfortunately does not affect the status of the invoices.

Please be advised that until these invoices are cleared or we enter into a payment agreement, additional consultancy work will be on hold.

Many thanks,
Anonymous
posted by DarlingBri at 8:10 AM on August 6 [6 favorites]

DarlingBri nails it.
posted by adamrice at 8:17 AM on August 6

Sack it. Seriously.

Unless you enjoy working for free, make it clear - as politely as you see fit- that you expect to be paid. As a freelancer/sole proprietor/small business you simply cannot afford to be in the business of doling out the one resource you have - your time - to people who abuse it.

The fact that he's a politician makes one inclined to believe he knows full well he's screwing you. In my experience, small businesses get screwed all the time because the cherry of the prestige or the size of the deal appears to big to give up.

It sounds harsh, but if you're entered into a business relationship, you both know the rules: this is your livelihood, it pays your rent, food, fuel etc.
posted by MuffinMan at 8:31 AM on August 6

This sounds like exactly the sort of situation where, after the (losing) campaign, the guy will decline to pay you because "it didn't work out the way we'd hoped" and after all it was your plan that didn't work.

My guess is you will not get paid, but I certainly wouldn't throw any more effort into it.
posted by musofire at 10:07 AM on August 6 [1 favorite]

Every single person I know in my field (web design) that has done work for a politician has ended up never getting paid. Every single one of them. Politicians breaking promises? I know... hard to believe, right?

I would say that if you really believe this person will go all the way AND will take you with them, then keep at it and hope for the best. But it doesn't sound like you believe that, so I'd say push for your money now as politely and firmly as you can, and hope you can get at least something out of it.
posted by spilon at 10:55 AM on August 6 [1 favorite]