Start & Run a Creative Services Business. Susan Kirkland

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СКАЧАТЬ of ways to spend your profit while you move little pieces of line art to match the right copy block.

      Bread-and-butter work is not exciting or glamorous — it doesn’t give you an opportunity to try out all those cool effects in Photoshop. When the posh stuff with the unlimited budget that makes a splashy portfolio piece comes along, make the most of it. Keep in mind that every job that crosses your desktop won’t be a portfolio piece. Don’t stick up your nose at drudge work, because the money spends the same, and as a freelancer, the object is to make money. This is only one of the ways things have changed since you became self-employed.

      We would all like to spend our time designing beautiful things, but remember the fishbowl? The general rule is the big fish go after the big jobs. You will find yourself competing with some pretty big fish for the better work and, in hard times, even for small contracts. (I discuss how to protect your business and maintain control of jobs in Chapter 4.) Don’t be intimidated if you find yourself competing against a big studio. You may know their reputation, but a reputation may be the result of something completely different than raw talent and ability, as the following story illustrates.

      One designer I met while freelancing worked at the number one design studio in a major metropolitan area. This studio was considered primo, and everybody wanted to work in their 40th-floor atrium office uptown. When I met this designer to show him my portfolio and update him on my recent projects, he told me he really admired the originality of my work and my great sense of aesthetics. A little incredulous, I countered with, “Well, your work is pretty good, too.” “Really it isn’t,” he said.

      He opened the bottom drawer of his filing cabinet and showed me a collection of other people’s brochures he had stashed over the years, all neatly filed and labeled according to type and industry. He told me he kept everything attractive he came across in case he needed something to copy. Here he was, occupying the top design spot in the city and he didn’t have an original thought in his head. What he had was a potpourri of all the best design work in the market to pick and choose from at will. As I came to know from working with him, when he started a new project, he would pull someone else’s design work from his reference file and reproduce it right down to the font, paper stock, and color scheme.

      The moral of this story is that you should not be intimidated by the big names who market in your area. Fight a good fight when you meet the competition. I can’t say it enough: The world is your oyster when your work is good. When you feel intimidated, remember there are plenty of pseudo designers and plagiarizing writers in the fishbowl with you who are not eager to identify themselves.

      3. Leverage Your Freelance Advantage

      Your advantage as a freelancer is multifaceted. Agencies and studios rarely involve their principals in day-to-day design projects, which can mean only their main clients get their attention. One company hired a well-known Madison Avenue advertising agency to handle their $500,000 advertising campaign. The company’s managing partner kept calling the agency for a status report on campaign progress. His calls were rarely returned the same day, and when they were, it was by a junior copywriter. His budget was relatively small compared to the agency’s other clients, and his work got the attention of only junior staff, who were delegated to handle it so everybody else could concentrate on the really important clients such as Mercedes and Pepsi.

      A meduim or small company always benefits by hiring freelancers because the client becomes the center of attention.

      What’s wrong with this picture? The client hired a major agency based on the agency’s reputation and the prestige he thought it would bring to his company. He got a lot of mileage at cocktail parties telling everybody he’d hired a big New York ad agency to handle his company’s account. But $500,000 is a lot to pay for boasting rights. He forgot the first rule of the fishbowl — if you want to be a big fish, find a small pond. Clients who want to be treated as if their work is important should hire talent that considers them important because they are the lifeblood of their operation — talent such as freelancers. A medium or small company always benefits by hiring freelancers because the client becomes the center of attention. As a freelancer, take advantage of this and sell yourself as hands-on management. The client who hires a freelance designer has immediate access to creative talent. Of course, when there is no one to pass the buck to, personal diligence becomes even more important. You must commit to and become responsible for your client’s happiness.

      If you are willing to bend over backwards or jump through flaming hoops to corner the business, make sure you communicate this to potential clients. The upside is that a focused attitude means certain success. Remember, however, that professional relationships don’t allow for emoting; there just isn’t time. In a portfolio viewing, seize the moment and tell it like it is, because time is short and you may not get another chance. Don’t hint that you give good service; just say it outright and make your point. You must say there is nothing more important than your client’s project and that it will receive your undivided attention — whether or not this is true. Your client doesn’t need to know you have ten other projects. All the client needs to know is that you will finish his project on time and under budget to the best of your ability.

      4. Promote Services via Your Portfolio

      The best way to attract attention is to put your best foot forward. If your work is excellent and outshines the competition, show it off. A portfolio presentation is your chance to either show off your excellent work or, if your work’s not the best, show off your personality. And don’t be surprised if the meeting doesn’t go as you expect. I was referred to a new firm by an acquaintance who said: “I’ve had my fill of working with engineers and I just can’t face taking on another one. Would you like to introduce yourself to these guys?” I made an appointment to show my work. Portfolio showings are usually one-on-one meetings in a small cubicle. This time, much to my surprise, I was escorted to a large conference room with more than a dozen businesspeople seated around a big table. I stood at the head of the table and made the usual remarks about each piece as the black mount boards were passed from person to person. At the end of my talk, the principal of the group stood up and thanked me, complimented my work, and said, “And I think everyone will agree with me, it’s refreshing to meet someone in your field with a brain.” They all chuckled (which made me wonder who was there before me).

      Best foot forward means just that. Show your strongest assets and use them to land the work. Business boomed at a local animation studio when management hired a pert blonde and a buxom redhead as client liaisons. In an area rife with gas and oil money, the clients stopped by just to visit and always looked for an excuse to drop off a job with these two. Sex appeal sells in advertising, so if you’ve got it, flaunt it. Just don’t go over the line of common sense and good taste.

      Every portfolio presentation is the perfect opportunity to show enthusiasm for the client and the client’s project. Do some research on your client’s industry and his or her nearest competition. Then spend time putting your best ten sample pieces together (your “book”). Mount them on presentation board and practice what you’re going say about each piece. If you can’t think of what to say about a particular piece, leave it out. Use each description to convey a sense of enthusiasm for the work and for the experience you had with that particular client. This is also an excellent opportunity to sell creative services by showing how your creativity sold the other client’s product or service. Be positive and complimentary.

      The presentation will be more interesting if you relay stories and details; to that end, share things you learned by doing each project. This gives the prospective client insight into both your creativity and your professionalism. If you don’t have strong language skills, let your work do the talking, pointing out details and focal points as you move from piece to piece.

      Every portfolio presentation is the perfect СКАЧАТЬ