Speaker - July/August 2012

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Casting a reality check on real-world conundrums
Competing Forces

I am not threatened because I am me, and he will be whomever he is … If this is a sensitive issue for you, create a non-compete clause in your contract with employees. Otherwise, cheer him on.

Of course, the ego would want to fight or get angry or feel manipulated and used, yet what you fear, you draw it near, so I would bless him or her and wish them well. ETE = Enjoy the Experience.

—Jill Koenig Chicago, Ill.

—Michelle “Corporate Woo-Woo” Skaletski-Boyd Olney, Mont.

This has happened in my business. It was soul-destroying to have a guy leave after being trained, encouraged, motivated and coached to be as good as he was and then take his clients with no regard to the buyout clause. Now I only employ coaches as staff members. Unless you have contracts that are enforceable with these individuals, you are in a battle. The person with the biggest wallet will always win.

One of your long-term employees—
who had in-depth access to your client
information and content—decides to
branch out and start his own speaking
career. You find out he is going to
compete with you for speaking business
on a similar topic. What would you do?

We are in the business of selling experiences, not content or speeches. The experience you create is (or should be) uniquely yours.

—Mike Staver, CSP Fernandina Beach, Fla.

I’d plan for it. Assume that the people you will work with will become competitors. I’d definitely not bash my competition whether they worked for me or not. I tell people all of the time— feel free to work with someone else. But I’ll be here if you want a second set of eyes or want someone to keep them in check.

—Patrick Allmond Oklahoma City, Okla.

The only problem I see is if he or she goes to your existing clients and tries to sell them on a cheaper version of you.

—Simon Harris
Sydney, Australia
—Brian Walter, CSP
Issaquah, Wash.

What Would You Do? is a regular column that presents a real-life dilemma faced by professional speakers. NSA members are encouraged to submit a dilemma for possible discussion in this column. Please submit dilemmas to ethics@nsa-speaker.org. NSA reserves the right to edit submissions for length and style. All dilemmas will be anonymously attributed. Opinions expressed are those of the individual respondents, not NSA.

I require every associate trainer to sign a non-compete agreement. In addition, I’m always improving my programs so if an associate leaves today with my content 1.0 tomorrow, they’ll be competing with my content 2.0!