How do you respond when a client says, “It’s our policy; we need full ownership”?

Do you think, “Ok, I’ll agree because I don’t want to lose this project.” 

If you do, you are like most creatives. Because this is where most concede, because they think it’s easier.

So what do you actually say in that moment without risking the project?

Part of the reason you freeze is that you see it as a yes-or-no decision point. Instead, it’s the start of a conversation.

Clients expect some back-and-forth. They are treating their statement like a starting point, not a final decision.

And so by asking questions, you are actually following the script they expect. 

If you need a jumping-off point, check out the five questions that will help gather the information you need to determine the usage the client actually requires for the project.

Rather watch?

Psst…would you rather watch than read? Then hit play below!

https://youtu.be/AguF8xX8wmw

What a client means when they ask for full rights

What does a client actually mean when they tell you, “It’s our policy to get full rights”?

Rarely is it an ask tailored for this specific project. Instead, it’s their starting request.

They usually have fallback positions when you push back. So you should think of it this way, too; it’s their starting position, not the only option.

Rather than immediately agreeing, try something like, “Got it. Can you walk me through how you’re planning to use the work?”

This question slows your need to say yes/no, but doesn’t shut it down as an option.

Because often when you say, “I don’t offer full rights”, it actually creates more friction.

Your response: get curious

So get curious and ask them questions so you can figure out what usage aligns with their goals. 

Because then you will have the information and context to respond to their request neutrally, without defensiveness.

The goal with your next statement is to keep the conversation collaborative, not adversarial.

If full ownership makes sense for their goals, you can say something like, “I agree that full ownership makes sense based on how you are planning on using it.”

If you aren’t sure that full ownership makes sense for their goals, you can say something like, “Based on what you told me, your goal for this project is [and then fill in the blank].” Say, in this case, the blank is to use the illustrations on your website and across all your social media channels to advertise your upcoming course. Is that correct?

This shows you understand their needs before offering alternatives.

Then offer alternatives

Your alternatives should align with their stated planned usage. But the key here is one of my favorite negotiation tips: frame this option as something that benefits them, not just you.

To continue our online course example, you might say, “I know you stated that you were looking for full ownership. But based on your goals, it sounds like an exclusive license would work. That could free up some of your budget for additional illustrations or give you more runway with your launch ad spend. We can structure it so you have everything you need, without a full copyright transfer. Would that be of interest to you?”

Or you could say, “Since you told me that you only plan on offering this course once this year, full ownership means that you are overpaying because you won’t need rights to it in the future. How about we structure it as a limited-time license that can be renewed if you decide to offer the course again in the future?”

This keeps the conversation collaborative and in problem-solving mode, rather than adversarial.

It also positions you as looking out for them, because you are guiding them to a solution that meets their goals without overpaying for unused rights.

For some clients, you might want to give them multiple options. This works well with sophisticated clients who might need to justify their choices to internal stakeholders.

But it also keeps tension low by giving the client control. You give them the option to choose based on their own priorities, while still designing your options to meet their goals.

You could present this to them by saying, “It seems like we could approach this two ways, depending on what best matches your needs. We could…” 

And then go on to give them the two options. Maybe this is a defined usage license with a lower price and an expanded usage license (or ownership), at a higher price.

Both of these options should match what they’ve told you they need, but you are guiding them to show them how something other than full ownership would align with their goals.

What if you don’t want to offer ownership?

While it’s rare, there might be times when, for business reasons, you don’t want to offer full ownership. 

For example, if the work that the client wants incorporates some of your core design elements that you use across all of your work. Then, giving full ownership might infringe on other clients’ rights and impact your future work.

If that’s the case, then you shouldn’t present it as one of the options.

You should present the client with the options that will as closely meet their goals as you can. And explain that in this case, you aren’t able to offer full ownership. If you can’t come to a solution that works for both of you, then you might have to refer them to a colleague who might be able to offer what they need.

When a client wants a price immediately

Sometimes a client will want an immediate price. When they are pushing for a price, you can say something like, “Right now, I’d have to give you too broad a pricing range for it to be useful. Can you walk me through your planned usage, so we can narrow that range down?”

The reality is that you probably feel more discomfort over these kinds of negotiations than your clients do. Clients are used to having to balance competing priorities with their budgets.

So asking questions and getting curious isn’t conflict; it’s normal business behavior.

If you’ve found yourself writing the same email over and over, rewind this video and pull out my exact language. Then, after I say each one, hit pause, write it down, and practice saying it.

You now have a jumping-off point for creating your own scripts that prevent you from overexplaining or defaulting to the client’s ask.

It’s also exactly why I created Copy + Paste Legal Week. It walks you through how to handle client communication without overthinking every response.

Your action item

You know how to respond clearly and professionally when a client tells you they need full rights.

Your action item today is to practice this process the next time it comes up. Because it’s a skill you have to build, not something you are going to be perfect at the first time.

We are going to wrap up this series by highlighting five commonly missed contract details that you shouldn’t ignore.