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C’mon. Be Interesting.
by Justin Ahrens Want to have better conversations or be more interesting in meetings? Learn to talk about more than the weather. Not everyone is a great conversationalist, and even the best have a...
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Ditch Your Elevator Speech Part 2: Have a Point of View
by Marcia Hoeck A point of view is your perspective about something that evokes conversation. It begins with statements like, “The way I see it . . .” or “From my perspective . . .” or “The thing I’ve...
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Trash the Expected: Use Novelty to Incite Rabid Curiosity
by Stefan Mumaw Novelty has become the harbinger of creativity over the last century. The basic human assumption is that novelty stimulates memory; we remember that which is new to us. If part of our...
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Promote Your Value (Even If You Lack Experience)
by Marcia Hoeck I have to admit I breathed a sigh of relief when I got my business to the point of being able to say to clients, “I’ve got 25 years of experience in this area, and I’ve successfully...
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Be Authentic: Find Monster Ideas By Being Real
by Stefan Mumaw “Creative ideas are the combination of 2 factors: they’re novel & appropriate to the situation at hand” writes Todd Henry in his monster new book, The Accidental Creative. The...
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Position Your Firm: 4 Essential Components
by David C. Baker Yes, you need a marketing plan, though something that will fit on the front and back of one napkin will work fine. Yes, you need marketing materials. Yes, one person needs to be...
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Find the Ideal Client
by Ilise Benun Picture your best client. What do they need from you? How often do they need you? What kind of projects do they have? That data is gold. It’s worth the time to analyze your best clients...
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Communicate What Makes You Different
by Marcia Hoeck When I talk to creative firms about what makes them different, I hear a lot of what sounds like the same thing: “We deliver on our promises,” “We’re customer focused,” “We’re results...
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Determine a Good Designer and Client Match
by Terry Lee Stone Great design requires great designer /client collaboration. If you are a graphic designer, then you know all too well that one of the hard, yet fascinating, things about design is...
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Talk Money Right Away?
by Ilise Benun Right away or wait? And, if so, how long? Problem is, there is no rule. It’s different for every single situation and there are several points in a normal prospecting and sales process...
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Ask Hard Questions Early
by Blake W. Howard I’ve often times thought I am more in the expectations business than in the graphic design business. It’s been my experience that almost every frustrated client is a result of...
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Take a Creative Approach to Biz Dev
by Peleg Top Creative business owners get into the business because they love design. We all come to this work from the creative side. And many of us, after we’ve been in the business for a year or a...
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Weed Out Bad Clients
by Ilise Benun In a previous post, I wrote about a process to help find your ideal clients, and made some recommendations as to how professionals could keep a running list of positive characteristics...
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Change Client Perceptions of Your Firm
by David C. Baker Ever return to a reunion and been frustrated when former classmates are surprised at your success? It may be human nature to pigeonhole each other, and since (most) clients are human,...
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Respond to Questions About Your Hourly Rate
by Ilise Benun Creatives get this question all the time and often give the easy answer: a number, unadorned. $50 or $150 or $300—the number itself is irrelevant. What’s relevant is that it requires no...
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