You've heard the expression "time is money" well as a freelancer that is the absolute truth. Working with your client efficiently will free you up for more projects or more leisure time... (win-win).
So how do you work more efficiently? By thinking ahead.
For example, I'm working on a major web site now and my processes is to get an approval on the home page before I show an interior page.
Now my client was expecting one interior page, but I noticed that there were actually 3 different major interior pages (one for one type of chart (30 pages), one for another type of chart (30 pages) and one for basic information (10 pages) so I presented all 3 in 2 different versions.
All my client had to do was pick which background they liked best and which navigation structure they liked best.
Sure, I spent more time doing the work, but in the long run it was more efficient to do so and it made my client feel better seeing the differences before I went into the entire site.
Bottom line... sometimes it pays to spend more time to make the project go faster... then it becomes more profitable!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
You've got the job.. now what?
OK, so you have a new client and a new assignment now. What do you do?
Well the "knee jerk" response is usually... do a great job!
WRONG. That's not enough.
You want your client to come back to you and only you. To do that you should also be educating your client about all the "extras" you are handling to make their project really fly.
Now as a designer you might be doing things all the time that are second nature to you. BUT for other designers not as experienced, if they miss these things there could be production problems.
For example... all the photos your client sent. You checked them to see if they were high res or low res, you checked to see if they were RGB or CMYK and then made the correct mode change for the medium they were sent for. You might have removed clipping paths. That Illustrator file... you got rid of hidden layers that could print. How about all those Photoshop files where you discard color profiles that could screw things up.
How about talking to the printer. When you did an animated banner.. all the work involved to make sure the banners didn't exceed the max sizes demanded by Google or other companies.
Bottom line... doing a great design job is important.. but just as important is educating your client to all the extra benefits there are when they work with you. That you are giving them more than just a great design, you are giving them files that will the printers will love. That they won't be spending more money getting corrections done at the printer. Or that your web files will work across all browsers. When your clients trust you, you will get more business.
Well the "knee jerk" response is usually... do a great job!
WRONG. That's not enough.
You want your client to come back to you and only you. To do that you should also be educating your client about all the "extras" you are handling to make their project really fly.
Now as a designer you might be doing things all the time that are second nature to you. BUT for other designers not as experienced, if they miss these things there could be production problems.
For example... all the photos your client sent. You checked them to see if they were high res or low res, you checked to see if they were RGB or CMYK and then made the correct mode change for the medium they were sent for. You might have removed clipping paths. That Illustrator file... you got rid of hidden layers that could print. How about all those Photoshop files where you discard color profiles that could screw things up.
How about talking to the printer. When you did an animated banner.. all the work involved to make sure the banners didn't exceed the max sizes demanded by Google or other companies.
Bottom line... doing a great design job is important.. but just as important is educating your client to all the extra benefits there are when they work with you. That you are giving them more than just a great design, you are giving them files that will the printers will love. That they won't be spending more money getting corrections done at the printer. Or that your web files will work across all browsers. When your clients trust you, you will get more business.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Are you serious about being a full time freelancer?
I was reading in the NY Times magazine section this past Sunday about freelancers.
What struck me was how so many people are freelancing because they've been laid off and how, if they could, they would prefer to have a "real" full time job.
Well... if you want to be a successful freelancer... it's a full time job.
What are the traits of a successful freelancer you might ask...
First... you have to be disciplined.
I start my day working promptly at the same time every day. My clients know that when they call me I can respond to their requests right away.
Next... you have to promote yourself via phone and internet every single day.
You have to put yourself in your client's place and treat your clients how YOU want to be treated... no surprises, bring projects in on budget, be easy to work with.
You have to commit yourself and buy the necessary software to keep up with the industry.
Don't look at this as something to "tide you over" until something "better" comes along.... freelancing is a great way of making a living and a wonderful lifestyle.... if you can take the occasional stress of a "feast and famine" work schedule.
Bottom line... Being a freelancer is a profession that demands creativity and people skills. You can be the best designer in the world, but if you are difficult to work with, no one will give you the time of day or more importantly a second job. Be professional. Act professional. Deliver the highest caliber work and you will succeed. Remember... your job is to help people. They have a problem, you have the solution.
What struck me was how so many people are freelancing because they've been laid off and how, if they could, they would prefer to have a "real" full time job.
Well... if you want to be a successful freelancer... it's a full time job.
What are the traits of a successful freelancer you might ask...
First... you have to be disciplined.
I start my day working promptly at the same time every day. My clients know that when they call me I can respond to their requests right away.
Next... you have to promote yourself via phone and internet every single day.
You have to put yourself in your client's place and treat your clients how YOU want to be treated... no surprises, bring projects in on budget, be easy to work with.
You have to commit yourself and buy the necessary software to keep up with the industry.
Don't look at this as something to "tide you over" until something "better" comes along.... freelancing is a great way of making a living and a wonderful lifestyle.... if you can take the occasional stress of a "feast and famine" work schedule.
Bottom line... Being a freelancer is a profession that demands creativity and people skills. You can be the best designer in the world, but if you are difficult to work with, no one will give you the time of day or more importantly a second job. Be professional. Act professional. Deliver the highest caliber work and you will succeed. Remember... your job is to help people. They have a problem, you have the solution.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Why some businesses and freelancers FAIL
I got a call yesterday. The fellow had a great product that wasn't selling. He wanted to know how much it would cost for 3 banner ads and to redo his home page on the web. Since 2 of the banner sizes were similar and because I felt sorry for him I quoted a very low ball price.. $250 per animated banner.
"That's $750 for 3... I can get it done for $125 bucks!" he tells me.
Now, while he's telling me that he can buy it cheaper, I'm looking at his web site and I'm not surprised he can buy the services he wants for $125. His web site is not SELLING. It's not professional looking... I guess he paid $125 for his web site too.
I explained to him that he will be spending a lot of money in the future on his advertising... and if he's running the same banner ads over and over again, then he should be getting more bang for his buck with banner advertising that WORKS... that drives clicks to his site.
"But I can spend $125 on it" I keep hearing him say...
BUT what HE wasn't hearing was that he wasn't giving his business a chance to succeed.
He wasn't spending his money where it really counts... in smart design combined with PROVEN marketing strategies designed to SELL at the very beginning.
I didn't get the assignment.
There will always be someone willing to do the project for less. If you are competing on price and not on quality, service and results, then you will be working 24/7 and will be out of business in one year.
My market, as well as yours, should be geared to people who are SERIOUS about their business succeeding and who know that quality and experience will cost a little more BUT WILL BE CHEAPER in the end because they will SELL MORE.
Bottom line: To be a successful freelancer, you have to convince your prospective clients that if they are SERIOUS about wanting their company to succeed, they have to take a swing at it with their best shot... and that's YOU not the inexperienced person who can do it for pennies.... because CHEAP is EXPENSIVE in the long run.
"That's $750 for 3... I can get it done for $125 bucks!" he tells me.
Now, while he's telling me that he can buy it cheaper, I'm looking at his web site and I'm not surprised he can buy the services he wants for $125. His web site is not SELLING. It's not professional looking... I guess he paid $125 for his web site too.
I explained to him that he will be spending a lot of money in the future on his advertising... and if he's running the same banner ads over and over again, then he should be getting more bang for his buck with banner advertising that WORKS... that drives clicks to his site.
"But I can spend $125 on it" I keep hearing him say...
BUT what HE wasn't hearing was that he wasn't giving his business a chance to succeed.
He wasn't spending his money where it really counts... in smart design combined with PROVEN marketing strategies designed to SELL at the very beginning.
I didn't get the assignment.
There will always be someone willing to do the project for less. If you are competing on price and not on quality, service and results, then you will be working 24/7 and will be out of business in one year.
My market, as well as yours, should be geared to people who are SERIOUS about their business succeeding and who know that quality and experience will cost a little more BUT WILL BE CHEAPER in the end because they will SELL MORE.
Bottom line: To be a successful freelancer, you have to convince your prospective clients that if they are SERIOUS about wanting their company to succeed, they have to take a swing at it with their best shot... and that's YOU not the inexperienced person who can do it for pennies.... because CHEAP is EXPENSIVE in the long run.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Your phone call....
It's hard to get in to see people these days. The way you present yourself on the phone is very important to being a successful freelancer.
What you have to communicate quickly is several important points:
1- You can help the person.
2- You can help the person.
3- You can help the person.
People aren't calling you because they think you are the best designer in the world. They are calling you because they have a problem and they are hoping you are the person that can solve that problem.
No matter who calls you, their problem is the same: they need to SELL a service or product. How you are going to do it is the solution to their problem... it could be a sell sheet, or a logo that communicates a deeper meaning, it could be an ad, a flash banner or a new web site maybe a postcard.
You should be nimble and you should be able to offer lot's of different graphic design answers... not just the ones that they are looking for.
Imagine going to a car dealer and telling them that your problem is that you need to be moving large boxes across town every day. If they only sell race cars, they will be only recommending a race car to you.
As a successful freelancer you have to have skills in a wide area so that you have different revenue streams... that's your "toolbox" to help your clients.
Bottom line: your job is to SELL your clients service or product. The more design areas that you are skilled in the better chance you have of helping your client and making a better living.
What you have to communicate quickly is several important points:
1- You can help the person.
2- You can help the person.
3- You can help the person.
People aren't calling you because they think you are the best designer in the world. They are calling you because they have a problem and they are hoping you are the person that can solve that problem.
No matter who calls you, their problem is the same: they need to SELL a service or product. How you are going to do it is the solution to their problem... it could be a sell sheet, or a logo that communicates a deeper meaning, it could be an ad, a flash banner or a new web site maybe a postcard.
You should be nimble and you should be able to offer lot's of different graphic design answers... not just the ones that they are looking for.
Imagine going to a car dealer and telling them that your problem is that you need to be moving large boxes across town every day. If they only sell race cars, they will be only recommending a race car to you.
As a successful freelancer you have to have skills in a wide area so that you have different revenue streams... that's your "toolbox" to help your clients.
Bottom line: your job is to SELL your clients service or product. The more design areas that you are skilled in the better chance you have of helping your client and making a better living.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Holding your client's hand
We've all run across this kind of client... they need a lot of hand holding. You know what I mean. You have to explain why you used the color maroon instead of teal or why you set your text at 9.5 and not 10 point.
Sometimes there's no "real" answer... you just did it because you felt it just looked good.
So, you finish your clients project, and now you are spending 2 hours going over every little detail.
Is all this hand holding worth it? Did you charge enough to include 2 hours of back and forth over tiny details that don't have anything to do with the impact of the design?
I'm sure that there are folks that would disagree with me on this one, but I say "It's worth it".
Here's is an opportunity to have a great relationship with your new client. Answer all the questions, give your client all the time they need to feel comfortable about working with you and your working style.
After a few projects your client will develop a trust in you and your designs and that means less time going over "details". Or you can figure out a way BEFORE you do the assignment on how to cut down on the "debriefing" segment of the project. Every client has a different way to work with you.
Bottom line: to be a successful freelancer figure it's important to establish a firm working relationship and trust with your client. Your job is twofold... help them sell their product or service and secondly, make them feel comfortable working with you. In the long run you will get more work and that will make you a successful freelancer.
Sometimes there's no "real" answer... you just did it because you felt it just looked good.
So, you finish your clients project, and now you are spending 2 hours going over every little detail.
Is all this hand holding worth it? Did you charge enough to include 2 hours of back and forth over tiny details that don't have anything to do with the impact of the design?
I'm sure that there are folks that would disagree with me on this one, but I say "It's worth it".
Here's is an opportunity to have a great relationship with your new client. Answer all the questions, give your client all the time they need to feel comfortable about working with you and your working style.
After a few projects your client will develop a trust in you and your designs and that means less time going over "details". Or you can figure out a way BEFORE you do the assignment on how to cut down on the "debriefing" segment of the project. Every client has a different way to work with you.
Bottom line: to be a successful freelancer figure it's important to establish a firm working relationship and trust with your client. Your job is twofold... help them sell their product or service and secondly, make them feel comfortable working with you. In the long run you will get more work and that will make you a successful freelancer.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
How I got another assignment
Just picked up some more work today... almost lost a logo project, but a win-win for my new client and me just happened.
He called me to do a new logo... I gave him a quote and I got the feeling that he was interested, but the cost was an issue. But I couldn't do better on my price.
Now I love to do logos, I've done them for Tropicana, Johnson and Johnson, Xerox, Ocean Spray as well as hundreds of small companies that no one has ever heard of. I have a real knack for them and they are fun for me to do... but they take a lot of time. When you look at how much time it takes and how much I earn on a logo (except for the "big boy" companies) I make less on logos then anything else I do.
But back to getting the project. When I went to his web site later on, I saw the logo that he wanted me to redesign and I said to myself.... "Hey, he has a pretty good logo, it's just not taken to the next level of design and professionalism." It was like one of my first stages when I'm developing a concept for a logo... it's got something going for it, but it's not right just yet. It needs more style, more finesse... it needs to go to the next level of creative design.
So I e-mailed him right back and said that I could save him money on his logo if we took his current logo and just upgraded it. "The benefit of this is that not only will you save money, but your current customers who are familiar with your logo will recognize it as your company, PLUS it would look a lot more elegant and professional."
I got the assignment.
Bottom line:
To be a successful freelancer you have to remember that your job is to help people. Play fair, quote reasonable prices and it will come back to you in assignments and trust. When your clients win, you win. Everyone is happy.
He called me to do a new logo... I gave him a quote and I got the feeling that he was interested, but the cost was an issue. But I couldn't do better on my price.
Now I love to do logos, I've done them for Tropicana, Johnson and Johnson, Xerox, Ocean Spray as well as hundreds of small companies that no one has ever heard of. I have a real knack for them and they are fun for me to do... but they take a lot of time. When you look at how much time it takes and how much I earn on a logo (except for the "big boy" companies) I make less on logos then anything else I do.
But back to getting the project. When I went to his web site later on, I saw the logo that he wanted me to redesign and I said to myself.... "Hey, he has a pretty good logo, it's just not taken to the next level of design and professionalism." It was like one of my first stages when I'm developing a concept for a logo... it's got something going for it, but it's not right just yet. It needs more style, more finesse... it needs to go to the next level of creative design.
So I e-mailed him right back and said that I could save him money on his logo if we took his current logo and just upgraded it. "The benefit of this is that not only will you save money, but your current customers who are familiar with your logo will recognize it as your company, PLUS it would look a lot more elegant and professional."
I got the assignment.
Bottom line:
To be a successful freelancer you have to remember that your job is to help people. Play fair, quote reasonable prices and it will come back to you in assignments and trust. When your clients win, you win. Everyone is happy.
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