Negotiating Product Launches

I got a call from the president of a company last year. $20M company. “Our top sales guy just gave notice,” he said. “And I think we’re about to lose some serious revenue.” I asked why. “Because he owns all the relationships. Our top 12 clients? They’re his clients. They call him directly. They text him on weekends. Half of them don’t even know the company name—they just know him.” Old guard sales guy. Been there 12 years. Built most of the business. I asked: “Do you have a CRM?” “Yes.” “Is it updated?” Long pause. “He hasn’t logged a note in 6 months.” Here’s what happened next: The sales guy left. Took a job at a competitor. Within 90 days, 4 of those 12 clients followed him. Millions in annual revenue. Gone. Not because the competitor was better. Because the relationship lived in one person’s phone, not in the company’s system. The CEO called me back: “How do we make sure this never happens again?” I said: “You can’t. Not unless you change how relationships are built.” Here’s the problem: Most companies let their top sales guys own the relationships. They become the brand. Clients know their name, their cell phone, their vacation schedule. But they don’t know the company. And when that sales guy leaves? The relationship leaves with them. This isn’t a loyalty problem. It’s a system problem. We rebuilt their sales process from scratch. Made the company the hero, not the rep. Every client now has: • A documented account plan in the CRM • Quarterly business reviews with multiple team members present • Regular touchpoints from leadership, not just the sales guy • A clear succession path if their primary contact leaves • An escalation path that doesn’t go through one person It took months to implement. But now? Their best sales guy could quit tomorrow and they wouldn’t lose a single client. Because the relationship belongs to the company, not the person. If your revenue walks out the door when your top sales guy does, you don’t have customer relationships. You have hostages. And eventually, hostages leave. Your challenge: Look at your top 10 clients. If your best sales guy quit tomorrow, how many would you keep? If the answer is less than all, you have a problem. This doesn’t just apply to sales. If your top project manager quits and clients follow, same problem. If your lead engineer leaves and takes accounts, same issue. Any time a single person owns the relationship instead of the company, you’re one resignation away from losing revenue. -NF

#CustomerSuccess is NOT about building relationships It’s about driving business value #CSMs get stuck in the wrong game. They think “keeping customers happy, involved & using the product” is the job. It’s NOT. If customers like you, use the product- but don’t see measurable value, they will still CHURN. Here's my Customer Success Value Hierarchy: a model that shows how to move from replaceable vendor to an indispensable, revenue-driving partner. Level 1: Right Input At this stage, both CSM & the customer have to put in efforts. CS effort alone is meaningless. Ensuring that customers are aware of their role in the journey is critical. Level 2: Expected Output Your customer is using the product, but is it driving the right behaviors? If all you measure is logins/ feature usage/ webinar attendance, you are tracking activity, not success. Adoption without impact is just NOISE. Level 3: Desired Outcome- 1st proof of value This is where customer stakeholders start to hit their internal KPIs cause of your product. If a marketing team buys your tool for better lead gen, this is the pt. where they see lead volume/ conversion rates improve. Success is now tangible. Level 4: Business Impact- real CS begins Your product is no longer just a tool- it is driving measurable impact for customer's business objectives. At this stage, CFO/ CEO/ execs start paying attention cause it is affecting revenue/ efficiency/ cost savings. If you aren't talking in these terms, you are a vendor, NOT a strategic partner. Level 5: Exponential ROI- retention, expansion & advocacy become effortless Your product is delivering hard-$ value; either generating revenue/ cutting costs. This is where they. start actively expanding their usage, referring others & advocating without being asked. Probability of renewal, expansion & advocacy increases at every level. If your CS motion is stuck at Level 1/2, you are replaceable. Top CS fails: - focus on surface-level adoption instead of tying usage to outcomes - avoid financial conversations & stay in comfort zone of engagement & support instead of learning language of CFO - react to issues instead of proactively helping customers reach outcomes - measure success in product terms instead of customer’s strategic goals How to move up? 1/ Shift from feature adoption to business impact instead of tracking how many customers use a feature, track how it improves their KPIs 2/ Speak the language of decision-makers if you aren't tying product’s value to revenue/ cost savings/ efficiency, you are talking about the wrong things 3/ Redefine QBRs into value discussion stop showing vanity adoption metrics. Instead, show impact your product has on their key objectives 4/ Stop servicing. Start advising if you are responding to customer requests, you are replaceable. Move to a consultative role where customers depend on your insights. 5/ Make CS a revenue function best CS teams drive growth through expansion, upsells & advocacy, not just retention

🎟️ Distribution Agreements Part 1: Theatrical & Traditional - Read the Fine Print, Then Read It Again In indie film, a bad distribution deal can undo years of good work. Whether it’s U.S. theatrical, international buyers, or a boutique distributor, the contract matters more than the press release. 🔎 Key Terms Producers Must Understand Term Length - Standard is 7–15 years, often auto-renewing. Insist on a reversion clause if they don’t earn/distribute in a set time. Rights Granted -Theatrical? Non-theatrical? Airlines? Be precise. Avoid vague “all media, worldwide, in perpetuity.” Minimum Guarantee (MG) - Rare in indie, but the current economy is helping. If offered, make sure it’s truly payable, not just recoupable after costs. Revenue Split - Typical indie model: 50/50 net - but “net” is where producers lose money. Negotiate caps on expenses (P&A, legal, marketing) and define audit/reporting terms. P&A Costs (This is important!) - Usually last in, first out - they recoup before you. Demand transparency or approval on marketing spend. Creative & Marketing Control - Trailer, key art, and logline may not reflect your film unless you have approval or consultation rights. Delivery Requirements - DCPs, QC, legal, chain of title - get a defined list with cost-sharing or delivery schedule protections. 🚩 Common Indie Traps - No cap on recoupable expenses - All rights granted with no meaningful timeline - “Theatrical” distribution that’s really four-walling - No audit rights or transparency - Rights tied up for 10–15 years, no earnings 💥 Real Example: One U.S. indie signed a 15-year deal with a mid-tier distributor offering a $100K “marketing spend.” That money mostly went to internal costs, and the film only played a few token screenings. No revenue, no real release, no way out. 💡 Pro Tip: Explore Blockchain for Transparency: Smart contract platforms offer tools for automated revenue splits and real-time earnings reports. Ask potential partners if they use blockchain systems for faster, cleaner recoupment, it's not mainstream yet, but the shift is coming. 📌 Reminder: This is for education and discussion, not legal advice. Always use entertainment legal counsel. 👍 Like, follow, or share if you’re finding these helpful. Next up: Part 2 - Digital Distribution. Desert Pirate Productions #IndieFilm #Blockchain #FilmDistribution

5 years ago - this question changed my business philosophy forever. In 2019, I reached out to customers who’d been with us for over a year, asking a single question: “What’s the one thing you enjoy most about working with us?” I was expecting them to mention things like - Quality - Pricing - Timely delivery But surprisingly, 90% of them had the same answer: they valued the relationship and the feeling of partnership they had with us. 🤝 That insight shifted everything for me. We decided to make partnership a core KPI—actively nurturing our client relationships daily, not just tracking transactions. It turns out that loyalty doesn’t come from flawless products or low prices. It comes from making customers feel like partners in the journey. This is how you can start measuring true customer success: 1. Client Satisfaction Index: Use surveys to assess how well you’re meeting client expectations on both service and relationship. 2. Retention Rates: Track how long customers stay with you; it’s a strong indicator of relationship value. 3. Engagement KPIs: Measure frequency and quality of interactions with clients to ensure regular, meaningful contact. 4. Net Promoter Score (NPS): Ask clients if they’d recommend you to others—happy partners usually do! How are you measuring your relationships with customers? Is it just transactions, or is it something more? #customersuccess #customerrelationships #cx

Before You Sign That Distribution Deal — Read This Most filmmakers work day and night to get their films made… But when it’s time to release, excitement quickly turns into anxiety, because distribution can make or break a film’s future. The truth? 📌 Good distributors can change a career. 📌 Bad distributors can bury a film forever. And the difference isn’t always clear until it’s too late. As filmmakers, we can’t treat distribution like wishful thinking anymore. Your film is not just a passion project. It’s an asset. Protect it. Before signing anything, ask: - What platforms will you secure, and when? - What is the marketing strategy behind this release? - How are expenses capped and reported? - How often are payments made? - Can I speak to filmmakers you recently distributed? - What happens if you don’t perform? Red flags filmmakers keep reporting: ❌ No clear marketing plan ❌ Delayed or vague reporting ❌ High expense recoupments ❌ “Exposure promises” without proof ❌ Rights locked up for long contract terms ❌ Worldwide rights taken unnecessarily ❌ Exclusive deals with little accountability Visibility without strategy = invisibility. Distribution should never be blind trust. It should be strategic planning backed by clear terms, accountability, and transparency. Before you sign any distribution agreement, read every clause carefully. Understand exactly what rights you are giving away, how long they are tied up, and what obligations the distributor is actually committing to. And most importantly: don’t do it alone. Have an experienced entertainment attorney or qualified advisor review the contract before you sign anything. A single overlooked clause can impact your film, your revenue, and your career for years. Protect your work. Protect your rights. Protect your future as a filmmaker. -- I’m Michael Osheku. I share insights on film distribution, positioning, and audience strategy while working with filmmakers navigating the evolving business of independent cinema.

Signing a global distribution deal without this one thing is a mistake. That one thing: a clearly defined creative control clause before anything else is agreed. Most African studios lose creative control not because they were careless, but because "creative differences" is usually settled by whoever has the most leverage in the room. And in most global distribution conversations, that isn't us. Here's what maintaining creative control actually requires: → Define it before you need it. Creative control is vague until it's written down. Get specific: approval rights over character design changes, script alterations, cultural adaptations, dubbing choices, marketing positioning. Name every category. → Separate distribution rights from creative rights. A distributor can own the right to sell your content globally without owning the right to change it. These are two different conversations. Make sure your contract treats them that way. → Build approval timelines into the agreement. "We'll consult you" is not creative control. "You have 21 days to approve or reject any changes, with your decision binding" that is. → Understand what "format adaptation" covers. In some agreements, this language quietly allows a distributor to alter cultural elements for local markets. Read it carefully. Push back early. → Know your walk-away point before you enter the room. Creative control is easier to protect before you've fallen in love with the deal. The goal isn't to be difficult. It's to still recognize your work when it reaches the world. Save this before your next distribution conversation.

Three pharmacies. One PBM. Five contract clauses that decide which pharmacy actually fills your specialty drug. The routing pattern rarely matches the network-membership clause. The contract preserves "any in-network specialty pharmacy" on paper; the operational workflow steers most fills to the PBM-owned channel anyway. The leverage is in the four other clauses. 1. Specialty Pharmacy Designation. Which drugs the PBM classifies as "specialty." The definition is in the contract attachment, not the formulary. A drug classified as specialty falls under specialty routing; the same drug classified as non-specialty does not. The PBM controls the classification list. 2. Limited Distribution Drug (LDD) Clause. Manufacturer-restricted drugs that only authorized pharmacies can dispense. The contract names which network pharmacies have LDD access. Plans with PBM-affiliated specialty pharmacies usually find the affiliated pharmacy on the LDD list. Independent specialty pharmacies often are not. 3. Exclusive Specialty Arrangement. A clause naming the PBM-owned pharmacy as the preferred or default specialty fill location. Sometimes explicit; more often implicit through prior-authorization workflow design that defaults to the PBM-owned channel. 4. Specialty Channel Pass-Through. Whether the contract's general pass-through clause applies to specialty drug economics. Often it does not. The contract carves specialty out as "affiliated dispensing" with separate (read: PBM-favorable) economics. 5. Specialty Performance Guarantee. Contract terms for specialty net cost, dispensing fee, fill rate, or member experience. Many contracts have none. Without performance guarantees, specialty economics are entirely at PBM discretion. The network-membership clause is the cover. The four clauses above are the steering wheel. Read all five together, or read none of them. Save this for your next specialty review. #PBMContracts #SpecialtyPharmacy #SelfFundedEmployers

“My customer doesn’t want to talk about their goals.” CSMs share this with me often. But when you listen to their calls, here’s what’s actually happening: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗦𝗠 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲, “𝘋𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴... 𝘈𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘱𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘢𝘱 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴.” Guess which topic the customer jumps to? Of course they choose the shiny new roadmap updates. Not because they don’t care about their goals… But because we gave them an easy out from a harder, more vulnerable conversation. The truth is: Your customer 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 want to talk about strategy. They just need two things from you first: 1. A reason to trust you with their goals. 2. A clear and confident setup for the conversation. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱: “𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 10 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰’𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶.” You don’t need to beg for goal alignment. You need to earn it with clarity and confidence teaching the customer why it is valuable for them to share that information with you. Stop asking if they want to talk strategy. Stop giving them an easy out by mentioning product roadmap or project issues in the same breath. Instead lead the conversation in a way that makes it a no-brainer for them to jump right in with their goals. What’s helped you unlock goal-setting conversations with customers?