Being a Starving Graphic Artist Sucks

“Make $1000 or MORE in New Business Over the Next 90 Days” Contest for Graphic Artists and Designers

What is this?

• If you're serious about your freelancing career
• If you feel you've got some talent but you're either nervous or a little frustrated that you aren't getting paid what you're worth, or you can't find enough business
• If you are eager to make an additional $1000 or MORE in the next 90 days by diligently reading this book and implementing what you’ve learned asap.

I want to give you a chance to win your own 500 page, complete resource eBook, "Being a starving Artist Sucks" (comes with 20+ plus workbook and real life client nightmares and successes). I'll be giving 3 of these books away!

Who is eligible?

Artists that are relatively new to full-time freelance graphic design that are willing to put the time into reading this book and following the steps to become successful. If you’re not committed to your success, if you don’t feel you deserve to be successful, you’re out. Applicants are either full-time freelancers, or will be by the end of 2007 - I am looking for designers that are going to make freelancing their main source of income, and they’re determined to become successful.

What’s the catch?

You write and email me an honest review of the Being a Starving Artist Sucks book within 2 weeks of receiving it and looking it over, then allow me to share your comments as part of my marketing campaign. If you liked the book and feel it will help other freelance designers, I’d ask that you post your comments on your blog or favorite message board.

If you are eligible, how can you apply?

Follow these directions carefully, those that follow them will be eligible.

1. First you’ll want to take my Designer challenge by clicking here. 
2. Once you've done that, email me at jeremy@beingastarvingartistsucks.com, let me know what your score was and what areas you scored lower in.
   In a short paragraph, let me know what are the biggest challenges you're facing with your design business, and what you hope to get out of reading this book.
   Be sure to include your full name, address, email address (please no bogus email addresses) and telephone number. I respect your contact information.

Important Dates:

Email Applications are due on Sept 17, 2007
Contest winners will be announced on Sept 21, 2007
Winners will receive their eBooks on Sept 24, 2007

How Much is too Much? Should Freelance Graphic Artists Price Shop Their Competitors?

I responded to a recent post from a talented designer asking about price shopping. He’d called up other design firms posing a potential customer to learn how much they were charging for typical design projects (business cards, logo, web site, etc.).

This happens all of the time in the design world – designers looking around at what others are doing either to help them establish their own prices or see what the competition is up to. In either case, it’s not all that necessary. When I was just starting out I did have someone price shop for me. Honestly, I didn’t learn all that much from doing it, and I’ve never done it since.

Here's the thing that a lot of designers miss, "Clients will pay for anything if they can see the value in it." The challenge for designers is to help the clients see the value in terms of the value the client wants.

Ultimately your clients are going to pay for the value THEY perceive in you, not how much someone else charges. If a guy charges $200 less than you for a project, will the client pick him because he's cheaper? Not if you can help them see the value you provide (which is much greater than the additional $200).

There’s also an ethical issue here, is it right to pretend to be someone you’re not and take up another designer’s valuable time? Well, I’ll let you make the call, I won’t presume to tell you what’s right and wrong. For me there’s something about not being honest with people that’s unsettling to me.

If you want to take a quick look around and see what others are charging - that's cool, I would just encourage you not to get too caught up in it. You'll find designers can charge anywhere between $10/hr and $300/hr, you can charge whatever you want - as long as you can help your client see that you're worth what you charge...that's the challenge.

When I first started I was 1/5 of what I charge now, and clients told me I was too expensive, now they never say that. I probably did get a little better as a designer but that's not the reason I could increase prices - I know what my clients want and when I am selling to them, I create the image in their mind on how I help them reach their goals. I can articulate value and help them see why I am worth what I charge.

Shameless book promotion:
If you want more information on this, I do cover this topic extensively in the Being a Starving Artist Sucks book. On pages 483 – 487 I cover how to establish your initial prices. On pages 488 – 493 you’ll find expert help on knowing how and exactly what indicators you should be looking for when you consider raising your prices. Ah, never having to worry how to set your initial prices and when you can or should raise your rates – priceless!

How Freelance Graphic Designers Can Guard Against Clients that Won’t Stop Talking

A designer friend of mine told me a quick story about a client she had that she was starting to dread talking with, “I’ve got a client that won’t shut up – every time we meet in-person or teleconference over the phone, he won’t stop talking. I like the guy, but he’s taking up way too much of my time, what can I say to him that won’t be offensive?”

This isn’t an uncommon challenge for designers, especially if you’re friendly with your clients. It’s nice to have people want to talk with you, but you have a business to run too. If you plan ahead and take some initiative, there’s an easy solution to this challenge...

If you are on a time schedule, or if you’re meeting with a client that is long-winded, before the meeting gets started (either an in-person meeting or teleconference) you’ll want to say this, “Hi, [Client Name(s)], thanks for meeting with me today, before we get started, I’ll be able to go until about [Put the time you want to end the meeting], will that be okay?”

The key to this working is making sure you get this out of the way ASAP. This should be the first or second sentence out of your mouth when you get started.

If you wait too long to bring this up you might make your client feel like you are tired of meeting with them and you run the risk of offending them.

Short tip today, but this has saved me from hours of clients rambling on and on, and it’s kept us focused throughout the meeting. Give it a shot the next time you run into this issue, if this tip worked for you please drop me a comment.

How to Handle Others Critiquing Your Graphic Design Projects

As you stick your creative neck out and show your artwork to Johnny Q. Public, be prepared for a flood of critiques. The phrase, “Opinions are like ***holes, everyone's got one”, we’ll it’s true. Designers aren’t movie stars, at least I’m not, but we’re in the public eye and usually subject to scrutiny. If you’re a freelance designer, you’re going to get opinions/critiques/rants from other people.

It’s easy to get caught up in what others think of your work; relying on others way too much instead of trusting your instincts. This especially happens with younger designers with not a lot of experience under their belts. I’ve seen this first-hand on message boards, designers eager to get their peers approval on a design (which by itself isn’t a bad idea) seem to get swayed this way and that with every critique that’s posted. It’s maddening.

Whether it’s another designer on a message board, a friend or some kid down at the local copy shop that saw your artwork – everyone’s going to have an opinion and you have to guard yourself from feeling like everything that’s told to you the undeniable truth.

You can go crazy, changing item after item in your artwork trying to please people (some that honestly have no idea what they’re talking about).

I am not advocating not listening to what others have to say; listen to the RIGHT people, then weigh what’s been said and make up YOUR OWN mind on whether you make a change or not. As a freelancer, your creativity won’t please everyone – you will have critics. The good news is it doesn’t matter; you don’t have to please everyone.

Here is some quick advice that might help you maintain your sanity and help you decide when you should listen to your critiques and change something about your design:

1. If one person says something needs changed - let it go, don’t worry about it
2. If two people say something needs changed – make a mental note
3. If three people say something needs changed - take some action, seriously consider making the change
4. If four people say something needs changed - it's gospel (little joke there for you Bible scholars), make the change asap
   

Freelance Graphic Artists: What to do When Your Client Asks for Your Master Artwork

I parted ways with a client this week, an amicable split – I just didn’t feel like I was a good fit for what he was looking for. With all of the attention and work this guy needed, I suggested he hire someone on as a full-time designer rather than a freelancer. The guy was nice enough but demanding and manipulative: this guy had a way of always trying to get you to do what he wanted. Clients like this are a huge handful for young designers: often trying to get as much as they can for as little as possible. (By the way, I did have a client tell me once that was his objective with me – I fired him but that’s another story).

After I’d recommended he go in a different direction he sent me an email indicating that he appreciated what I’d done for him and he would like me to send over the master layered digital files so he could give them to another designer to work on.

Here are my initial options:

1. Ignore the email

2. Respond back, “I don’t provide the master layered digital files, and that he should check the contract he signed”

3. Just give him the files so he goes away

I didn’t do any of the three. None of the 3 options here is a good one: the first one makes you look unprofessional, the 2^nd one will tick the client off, and the 3^rd one will make the client happy but you’re screwing yourself out of money that’s yours.

Instead I sent him this email back:
“Thanks for inquiring about the master files, [CLIENT NAME]. While this is beyond the scope of our agreement, I’d be happy to help you out. Here’s how we’ll do this: if you’d like to purchase the artwork outright, I will shoot over a final Paypal invoice for the artwork in the next few minutes. It’s fast, convenient and the cost is extremely reasonable - and you’ll have access to the artwork and do whatever you like! Once that’s taken care of I’ll send you a link so you can download the master artwork as soon as you like! Stand by for that Paypal email...”

Instead of slamming the client or giving in, I went with this approach. If you’re wondering how it worked; the client not only thanked me but paid me for the files. Pretty good result from a tough situation, wouldn’t you say?

If you’re looking to learn specific ways of handling tough clients and tough situations, check back to this blog. This is something that almost all designers struggle with, and I am going to provide some answers and some solutions that will work for you.

“Out to Lunch” is the Last Thing You Tell a Client When You’re Busy

It doesn’t matter if you have 5 clients or 50, you’ll often find that each one of your clients feels like she/he is the only one you have. Not that I blame them, but your clients (and mine too), all want to be first in first in line, and they want you to be available and accessible.

At the same time, you’re a designer and you’ve got things to do and people to see – right?

Sure, there’s nothing wrong with being busy, but the hidden secret that most designers don’t know about is there is a right way and a wrong way to tell clients that you’re going to be busy.

You might let your clients know through a voice message, answering machine, auto-responder email or just telling them. You are much more likely not to offend a client if you know what to say to them when you are going to be busy with something else. 

What NOT to Say:

• I am going on vacation
• I am going to lunch
• I am going to be out of the office until 3:00 today
• I have a meeting
• My dog is sick; I have to leave the office
• I am leaving early today
• I am visiting with the Pope this afternoon

Clients don’t care about these things. They don’t care about YOUR personal life, and they can’t stand hearing you give excuses that make you sound like you have to justify your time - even if you are meeting with the Pope. By giving these reasons/excuses you may run the risk of offending and maybe even losing a client.

What to Say:

• I am meeting with a client (taking care of other clients is okay, as long as your clients know you are taking care of other clients and that you will soon focus on them, you should be fine.)
• I will be back in the office at [TIME]

This is the one area that clients will allow you to skate by – if you are helping other clients. Notice also that you want to focus on when you will be back rather than when you will be out. Nothing will tick off your clients more than focusing on what you can’t do, and when you aren’t available.

Action Item of the Day: Take an inventory of what you say to clients when you are busy. Are you in the What to Say column or What Not to Say? 

Breaking Up is Hard to Do - Is it Time to Fire Your Freelance Design Clients?

I recently picked up a client through a mutual friend and colleague. I’d learned the guy had some issues with hiring the wrong people in the past, but now he was ready for a new start. After doing a couple of quick projects for the guy I realized a couple of things: he was quite demanding, he was scattered in his thinking and EVERYTHING was a last minute rush.

As things moved forward I’d gone out of my way a couple of times to provide extra value (in some cases doing some last minute work for free to get him out of a jam), which he didn’t seem to acknowledge or appreciate. He did end up paying me, which I appreciate but getting him to do so was a little tedious. Within the last week I was told that he’s going to have to “cut costs” because he’s spending too much money.

Let’s summarize, the client is:

Demanding, unsure, hurried, unappreciative, has had trouble with people before, is slow paying people and is now trying to cut costs. Does this sound like a good client to you?

Am I willing to put up with this guy for what he’s paying me? Well, your answer might be different than mine; I answered, “No, he’s not worth it”. So I parted ways with him. This is often a tough thing for designers (particularly young or struggling artists) to do, but it’s essential.

Not everyone you meet and work with is going to be a good client for you. Your focus should be on finding enough people to work with that you can pick and choose who you work best with, rather than just taking difficult clients and feeling trapped that you have to keep them.

If you’re struggling with how and when to fire your clients, you’ll want to check out page 78 in the Being a Starving Artist Sucks book where you’ll find in-depth advice on this topic – the chapter is called, Breaking Up is Hard to Do.

Action Item for Today: Step back like I did and evaluate each one of your clients, do you want to continue to work with all of them, or are there some that you’d rather throw back?

What to Do, When Networking Isn't Working for You. A Quick Thought for Freelance Designers

Designers that I’ve coached over the years often tell me that networking isn’t working for them. “When I am able to go nothing really happens, it’s a waste of time”. The truth is, if you are careful to look around and pick the right networking group, it can lead to big sales and big money.

Networking does work if you come prepared and you know a couple of key points. You’ll find this is covered extensively in sections on page 264 and 290 in the Being a Starving Artist Sucks book.

Most of the people going to networking groups DO NOT know how to network effectively. Instead of focusing on what they do, let’s look at some basic points (but often overlooked points) that will make you an expert networker that gets great results.

• To make networking happen you have to attend: show up
• To be interesting to others, be interested in them
• Networking is about building relationships not selling
• Like dating - it’s amazing how well things can turn out for you when you’re not pressuring yourself to “close the deal”
• Networking is about focusing on other people, not yourself
• Your networking effectiveness will dramatically increase if you spend at least 75% of your time meeting with those you DON’T know
• Networking effectively is a lot like attending a church, a sports team or anything else – you’re only going to get out of it what you put into it.
• To get the most out of it, you’ll want to consistently attend a networking group for at least 3 months

Action Item for the Day: check out a few networking groups this week. Finding the right group for you can be critical, so don't be afraid to try a few out. Call the group's moderator and ask her/him some questions before you commit to attend.

Freelance Graphic Designers Are Always Ranting Their Clients Don't Respect "Their Craft" - Should They?

I read on a message board recently a fellow designer was frustrated that her clients didn’t respect or value the amount of time or effort that goes into her projects. She went on and on about how meticulous she is in her craft, and how he’s a true artist that’s not being treated or paid as such.

Welcome to the wonderful world of business, my dear. It can be a tough world out there.

From working over 10 years in the field, here are some undeniable, brutal truths about designers working for people in business world – whether you like them or not, they’re true:

• Your clients aren’t going to care where you went to art school
• Your clients don’t care about “your craft”, or that you are a “true artist”
• Your clients don’t want cooler graphics; they want to make more money
• Designers that can’t help businesses make more money can’t charge a lot for their time
• You can charge whatever you want, but the market will ultimately decide how much you’re worth
• You can charge more for your time if you can help clients see the value that you bring to them.

The bottom line is this, if you prove to your clients (most likely business people) get more business, more clients and more money, you can easily charge 2-3X more than the average designer. You’ll never be able to convince business people to start respecting and paying for you as an artist – they don’t care about it. Accept it.

Instead of trying to get clients to focus on what YOU think is important, focus on what THEY think is important. If you can do this, you will make more money!

Instead of seeing you as an expense they have to pay for, your clients will see you as an investment – kind of like the goose that laid the golden eggs. How much more could you charge clients if they felt you could lay golden eggs?

Worried that you’re priced too high or too low? Most designers are – check out page 483 in the Being a Starving Artist Sucks book and immediately learn several proven strategies for confidently pricing your work.

Freelance Graphic Artists: How Many Pages is Your Contract? What is the One Page Your Client’s Secretly Want You to Include?

Effective contracts are a happy medium between finding the right level of protection for you and not freaking your clients out whereby they think your contract was written by a team of high-powered lawyers (all out to screw them). Your contract should walk the line between stern yet friendly and comprehensive yet succinct. You’ll find that if you can keep the contract to 7 pages or under, you’ll be in good shape. The size of your contract should be in proportion to the size and complexity of your project.

For example, if you were designing a stationery package for a client, you might only need a 3-5 page contract; however, an e-commerce site might require a 15 page contract. In either case, a 1-size-fits-all contract probably isn’t your best bet.

Whether you’re using a 5 page or 15 page contract, what’s the one page your client’s secretly want you to include?

A Summary Page

Business people are...well...busy. I know this isn’t news to you, but it’s funny how easily we forget this. My clients don’t often have time to sift through a 15 page contract. I’ll bet yours don’t either. To help them hit the high points, include a summary page at the beginning of the contract. Doing this allows you to include enough information in your contract that you feel protected, it also allows your clients to zero in on what they’re looking for.

Clients want to know their 3 big questions answered by your contract:

1. What do I get?
2. When do I get it?
3. How much does it cost?

The quicker you can help them find these 3 things, the happier they will be.

Some additional attention-grabbing points I’ve learned about contracts over the years:

• Many clients don’t even read the contract
• If you are not persistent that your client sign your contract, she/he won’t
• On rare occasions, a client will read the contract from cover to cover – these are your Type A personalities
• The longer the contract, the less likely the client may read it, in some cases – the less likely the client will hire me (be careful not to make it hard for people to hire you)

If you liked this post, you'll want to check out page 197 in the Being a Starving Artist Sucks book where you'll find an in-depth look at exactly how to write a damn good contract...and what you should actually be calling it rather than a "contract".