Being a Starving Graphic Artist Sucks

Hysterical video of client weaseling. The language is a bit strong, but it's funny. Type "designer versus client" in youtube and you'll find a load of these. For those of you in the States - Happy (early) 4th.

Essential Freelancing Tip for Designers: Dreamers and Hobbyists Make Bad Clients

From person to person, I think hobbyists and dreamers are great. After all, where would this world be without those that reach for the stars while the rest of us keep our feet firmly on the ground? Nevertheless, from freelancer to potential client, I can’t stand these people.

The Being a Starving Artist Sucks book goes into this subject in detail, so I won’t rehash it here. The bottom line is that hobbyists and dreamers that may contact you for a project are often a waste of time. Instead of going into details, I’d like to tell you of a disappointing encounter I had with a hobbyist and dreamer, shamefully, I was him.

Through a colleague, I contacted a developer that I  hoped could help me create a couple of mobile apps ideas I was kicking around in my head. Mind you, I already have a steady source of income, so having these apps developed was just something I was curious about. I, as much as I hate to admit it, am a hobbyist in this scenario.

I contacted the developer via email, gave him a three paragraph synopsis of what I was hoping to achieve. I then asked what his initial thoughts were. Within a day or so the guy responded, “What sort of budget are you working with? What is the time frame for the projects?  If you send me some details I would be happy to get you some estimates and if they look good to you we would look forward to working with you.” Reasonable, wouldn’t you say? The trouble is, I didn’t really have a budget – most hobbyists don’t. Rather, I had a rough idea of what I would be willing to pay for the project, which coincidentally had nothing to do with the developer’s skill level or how much time he would need to invest. This is precisely why you have to be wary of potential clients that don’t necessarily need to have a project completed, most of them aren’t all that motivated to do so and the value they place on the project isn’t what is it is truly worth but what they are willing to pay for it.

Honestly, I am not sure what I was expecting this developer to do for me, give me a rough quote based on virtually no information at all – who knows? Perhaps, like most hobbyists and dreamers, I was looking to satisfy my curiosity. To be fair, I did indicate in my first email to him: “I wasn't sure if I'd be an idea fit for you, but I figured I'd ask. If what I am looking to do does not really sound interesting or a fit for you, just let me know - no worries. If you have some very quick, initial thoughts (don't invest a load of your time, I do want to be respectful), feel free to float them over.”

It took me a few days to get back to his first email; took me longer to get back to the second. I didn’t mean any disrespect in this, I just found myself preoccupied with other priorities, again, like most hobbyists and dreamers. In the end, I’ve decided to hold off on moving forward in having the apps developed. I don’t have the time and energy to put into them right now. And while I can take some solace in recognizing that I didn’t take up much of this developer’s time, I still did (I kind of suck for doing it). And it hits home with me – something that I’ve always known but so much more clearly now that I’ve been on the other side: hobbyists and dreamers aren’t typically folks looking to screw over freelancers, but they often don’t make good clients.

In your business, have folks contacted you that were in a similar situation to the one above? Did you end up working with them? 

Freelancers: How to Confront a Client that Says, "I Don't Like Your Design."

Arms folded, with discontented look on his face, my client blurted out, "I don't like it." Nothing else came out of his mouth, no clarifications and certainly no constructive feedback, just, "I don't like it." Now he waits to see how I'll react. Unfortunately for him, I know Kerbal Kung Fu and I KNOW how to deal with this type of sticky situation, after reading this section you will too.

If you've freelanced for any length of time you've probably run into this type of situation: the client (through her/his upbringing, bad personality or circumstances) feels like they can just sit back and bark about what they don't like about what's been created. This is a form a bullying - it's childish and unproductive for everyone involved. To be fair, there are clients that behave this way and aren't even aware of it, maybe we should cut them a little slack. But for the majority of folks out there - they know exactly what they're doing.

Clients are secretly expecting you (and me) to handle their bullying one of two ways:

1. Anger - Shockingly, most people (including freelancers) don't enjoy other people recklessly ripping their work to shreds. Getting ticked off about the situation and saying something just as insensitive back is fairly common, but not constructive. If you're in, or considering freelancing, you need to develop a "thick skin," to not take things so personally. And hey, I know the jerk has no right to rip up your creative work, but if they're helping to pay your bills and support your business, you can't return the favor and be nasty back to them. I know this is a tough pill to swallow - keep reading, I've got a better way for you to go!
2. Scurry away and try again - Clients typically expect this reaction, a very hurried retreat, along with an apology and a promise to "get it right" in the next round. They feel that since they're paying the bill, they call all of the shots (they're wrong). Freelancers without a strong will or combative personality are usually going to take this route - just apologize and try better the next round. This way's no good either.

How You Can Confuse and Blow Your Argumentative Clients Away
By just avoiding the two approaches I've listed above you'll throw your client a bit of a curveball and make them think a little. This is a good start. Getting angry and emotional about what was said must be avoided at all costs. Separate your feelings from your work - a life lesson that will save you LOADS of aggravation the sooner you learn it.

Instead of being apologetic about what you created and how the client reacted, get inquisitive - get curious why the client said, "I don't like it."

Why not calmly reply back with, "Okay, what is it specifically you don't like about it?" Or ask, "Can you point to why you say that?" The goal here is to gently but persistently force your client to defend their feedback. Think about it, if you have to defend why you created something the way you did (and this isn't a bad thing), your client should be able to expound upon their feedback. Through non-threatening questions, get your client to tell you why they said, "I don't like it."

Once they've identified what they don't like about your work, take things one step further and ask WHY they don't like it. For example, "You mentioned you don't like blue in the logo, why is that?" Let them answer and then reply back with, "I can appreciate that, would you mind if I told why blue works well in this design, how it will help attract the customers you want, and why I chose it?" Watch your clients eyes spin around in their head when you ask these questions, it will totally catch them off guard - it's fun to see!

Now I know of course in the real world that some clients aren't going to budge. Instead they'll just keep saying, "I don't know why, I just don't like it." That's fine, but what they don't understand is that THEY'RE part of the creative process, and it is hurting the chances that they'll get something they really do like if they aren't giving good feedback. Clients giving constructive feedback is essential to their project's success.

Explain to your client that your goal is to make sure they get the best result possible for their business; this typically means more revenue and more customers. Your goal is NOT to be a creative monkey for your client if they know nothing about marketing and design (okay, don't say these exact words - they aren't very professional). If the client persists in telling you they don't know why they don't like what you did but they can't say why, try this, "Well, I know that sometimes it's tough to articulate exactly why you like or dislike something, but in our case it's important that I understand it so I can effectively move forward with your project. If I am unsure about what you like/dislike about what I've done, I won't really know where to go from here, will I?

"From working with clients like you for XX years, I've found the best (and quickest) way to get exactly what they're looking for is to communicate clearly during these revision rounds. The more the client can clearly articulate their thoughts and feedback, the faster and better the project turns out. With this in mind, would you like me to give you some time so you can organize your thoughts so I can gain a better idea of what you're looking for, or would you be able to provide some clear feedback now?"

Bottom Line Bullet Points:

• Avoid anger, getting emotional.
• In a gentle but persistent way, question the client on her/his feedback - ask why.
• Understand that client IS part of the creative process; help her/him understand it as well.
• Indicate that the success and speed of their project involves them providing good feedback.
• Ask if they need time to gather their thoughts.

Audio Podcasts for Freelance Graphic Designers: Sorry Isn’t Good Enough; Dreamers Make Bad Clients

Hey guys,
Below I have posted links to check out a couple audio podcasts I recently recorded. The only thing I’d ask is that if you listen to them, take a minute and share some of your thoughts and feedback with me. 

• Was the length too long / too short / just right?
• Was the reading too fast / too slow / just right?
• What format do you think is best for this type of advice? Audio or text.
• On a 1-10 scale (1 being the lowest; 10 the highest), what did you think of them?
• Do you have any other thoughts you’d like to share about the podcasts?

http://www.jeremytuber.com/graphicdesign_podcast.mp3
http://www.jeremytuber.com/graphicdesign_podcast2.mp3 

PS – feel free to share this with other freelancers; I could use the feedback. Cheers!

New NBA Logo: Cavs and Mavs. Hysterical...hyperbole to the extreme. I am from NE Ohio and not much of a LeBron or Miami fan. Rather than going into the, "Is LeBron a sell out or not" debate, I just had a few observations about this artwork:
* The tag line is clever, whether you believe in what it says or not. Nice.
* I might have kept the tag's text all one color, the multi-colored text is distracting.
* See the kerning between the "C" and "A" in Cavs? There's too much space. I know it's a small point, but it doesn't look right.
* Yep, everyone's a critic, including me. I have to give the designer credit, the logo looks kind of thrown together (it's rough) but it is a great creative effort.

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2011/5/31/2199850/cavaliers-mavericks-logo-miami-heat-nba-finals-pure-evil

Kungfu Panda 2 - checked it out earlier today. It always amazes me how animation artists put so much additional time and effort into subtleties that most viewers won't even notice (textures, facial expressions, color grading, etc). When you design artwork for your clients do you have the same passion and attention to detail? Do you sometimes feel that clients don't notice or appreciate these extra steps you take in your design process? PS - If you enjoyed the first KFP movie, you'll enjoy the ride in the second one.

Freelance Graphic Designer / Web Designer - Do Clients Really Enjoy Talking with You?

Remember Eeyore when you were a kid?

Eeyore always walked around with a figurative if not literal cloud above his head – always looking on the dark side of things (rather than bright side) and always feeling sorry for himself. At times must of sucked being Eeyore’s friend, or even being around him for a long period of time – he’s a killjoy. I thought about Eeyore in the context of speaking with my mortgage broker, Bryan. Bryan, thankfully is not Eeyore, in fact, I look forward to speaking with him about mortgages and financing.

While a fictional, pessimistic donkey and a mortgage broker don’t seem like they’d have to do much with your freelancing design business; they do.

Take a moment to reflect on how your clients feel about working and communicating with you – be honest. Do they see you as my mortgage broker or like Eeyore? Do you think they look forward to communicating with you? Once you’ve answered those, think about why clients may feel that way about you (good or bad); furthermore, what you can do to improve on it.

Remember, clients always do business with those they know, like and trust. Of course clients will like you a heck of a lot better if they enjoy communicating and working with you – this means you have to have a pleasant, amiable disposition.

To give you some real world examples of what that disposition looks like, here are a few reasons why I enjoy communicating and working with my mortgage broker:

• He has a claming demeanor, even when the news isn’t wonderful. This guy doesn’t easily get rattled – a person to have in your corner.
• He always focuses on what he can do and what our options are, rather than dwelling on negative aspects of the situation (he does this in a genuine, no patronizing way).
• He makes you feel like both of you are going through the process together. Rather than using phrases like, “Here’s what you need to do,” he’ll say, “Here’s what we’ll need to do now.”
• No matter what’s going on in his life, no matter who else he’s working with, when I contact him, I know he’ll be 100% devoted to helping me with my situation.

Would you want to work with someone like this? Darn right you would. Now ask yourself, do you treat your clients with the same service?

Another Client Trying to Screw-Over a Freelance Graphic Designer

Check this out - as a personal favor to a long-standing client who just caught a big break and needed some design work done in a hurry (without a lot of cash on hand), I agreed to help them out by allowing them not to pay me for 90 days. I wouldn't have made this deal with any of my other clients, but I genuinely liked and trusted these people, I'd worked with them for a few years and they've always paid me on time.

The project (which turned out to be several smaller projects combined) went smoothly, and they were extremely pleased with the work I'd done. In fact, on several occasions told me how "fortunate and blessed" they were to have me onboard helping them.

Ahhh, everyone's happy when they're getting work/support without having to pay for it when they get it.

When the 90 day mark started to approach I sent the client a summary of my invested hours for the project (about 15 days before the actual 90 days). I didn't hear back from the guy - no email, no phone call, nothin'.

Several days later and just a couple of days before the 90 day mark I sent a follow up email to both him and his partner indicating that I hadn't heard back but I would be sending a Paypal invoice in a few days.

Silence still...

Finally, a few days after they'd actually received my Paypal invoice I received the following email (and yes, this is almost EXACTLY what I received):

Hi Jeremy!
Just wanted to let you know that I’ve received your invoice and will start whittling away at it as fast as I’m able. If you could break your invoice down into smaller payment amounts then I can start chunking away at it . (I tried just now to do a couple hundred towards it and it wouldn’t let me make a partial payment.) Or if there’s a physical address I can send payments to then I can try that as well. In fact let's do that. That way whenever I do a check run (at least weekly), I can have you at the top of the list and send you money as often as possible till we’re all caught up.

One of our partners is already out of biz cards (!) and we’ll need to get her some more asap. We’ll need at least 500 again or if there’s a good price break on 1,000, maybe we should go that direction. Wish the money flowing in was overwhelming us but it’s not quite there yet! People are loving our products and training events. Traction is happening slowly but surely."

What the heck is this garbage? Instead of paying me when and what they agreed they're trying to pull some "We'll kick you some money when we can" stunt.

Let's take a moment and analyze what's REALLY being said in this email:

• "...start whittling away at it as fast as I’m able..."
  - Hey, I'll get the money to you as fast as possible, so don't rush or pressure me.
   
• "If you could break your invoice down into smaller payment amounts then I can start chunking away at it "
  - Even though this wasn't part of the deal, you getting paid is now contingent on you taking time out of your day to behave like a financial institution.
   
• "That way whenever I do a check run (at least weekly), I can have you at the top of the list and send you money as often as possible"
  - No, I am not going to commit to an actual time or amount, but I am definitely going to hook you up by having you at the top of the list - am I a great client or what?
   
• "One of our partners is already out of biz cards..."
  - The client trying to distract me from the real issue.
   
• "Wish the money flowing in was overwhelming us but it’s not quite there yet!"
  - Money's not coming in for us, soooooooo I am going to make my problems your problems as well.
   
• "People are loving our products and training events."
  - Another distraction ploy.
   
• "Traction is happening slowly but surely."
  - We'll pay you...someday.

So what do you think, did I analyze this email correctly?
Did I get the REAL meaning of what this guy was saying?

The sad thing here, guys, is that I not only liked but trusted these guys - they're "good people" at least I thought. While they relied to me to hold up my end of the deal, and even praised me for the work that I did, they did not hold up theirs. If you don't think it can happen to you, you're wrong.

So what did I say back to these guys? How did I handle this?
Well, that goes beyond the scope of this post, but if you're struggling with stuff like this, or you feel clients try to take advantage of you, check out my Verbal Kung Fu for Freelancers book, I think you'll really find it helpful.

PS - If you've purchased the Verbal Kung Fu for Freelancers book and would like to know specifically what I did to handle this situation just email me and I'll be happy to hook you up with the goods. In the end, the client did pay me all of the money, but it took them abuot two years to do it!

No freelancing tips today, guys, I just wanted to link to a nice story ESPN has on Hall of Fame baseball player, Harmon KIllebrew. I had the pleasure in working with Harmon in my first corporate job out of college. He was a hell of a baseball player and an even better human being. He will be missed. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=6559023

Graphic Design Advice You Won't Learn Elsewhere: What to Do When Your Client Goes Jekyll Then Hyde On You

...got the email below from a client a few days ago, she knew I had just taken on other responsibilities and that her relationship of me working for her was coming to a close. She started out being supportive as I transitioned out of my role of being her "go to" designer and marketer, unfortunately it doesn't end that way. Here's what she emailed me:

"I just wanted to know if you would consider one last project that I forgot about. We need an ad designed for a monthly publication - of course the girl walked in today and asked if we could have it to them next week! It's just a 1/2 page, and all I have to do is get something to them and they take it from there. Just say no and it's totally fine, but if you can, great - I'll pay you for it of course. Let me know what you think. Thank you."

I respectfully told the client that regrettably wouldn't be able to pick up her project, in fact I wouldn’t be able to pick up any of her future projects either because of other commitments that I'd told her about; however, I gave her some other suggestions that might work out for her. Within a few hours I received another email from her...this one was much less cordial than the one you see above - she sent me a "nasty gram"

She was miffed that I "left her out in the cold" and wouldn't do the project with her, she furthermore expressed frustration that it seems like I didn't want to work with her anymore and that she was owed an explanation. She goes on further to tell me that she needs to be honest with me and that she's telling me all of this for my benefit. Nice - she's both reprimanding and self righteous.

I guess when I look back at her first email I wonder if it was really true when she said, “Just say no and its totally fine...”, I guess not, was it?

How did this Dr. Jekyll turn into Mrs. Hyde?
Plain and simple, this client got ticked off that I wouldn't help her and she's frustrated now that she has to go out and find someone else. This of course is going to take time, patience and effort - it would of course been much easier to work with me (the guy who'd done her design I the past). She's flailing, and to be honest, we all "flail" at times when we get frustrated at a situation rather than a specific person - we're not sure who to be mad at, we just know we're mad. People will often exhibit this type of behavior (nice then nasty) when they realize they aren't going to get what they want - it's like a grown up temper tantrum (and in being perfectly honest, I've done it as well, although I am far from proud of it).

So what Verbal Kung Fu did I use on her?
You guys that picked up my Verbal Kung Fu for Freelancers book got to be thinking "He's going to drop some verbal bombs on her!"

Actually I didn't, there's no need to. She's going to end up going her direction and I'll go mine, I'll never work for her again. She felt it necessary to get in a few parting shots at me (for my benefit...LMAO). If that's all she's going to do - fine, it's not worth getting into a pissing contest with her. It's not worth making the situation worse if I am never going to work with or maybe even see this person again.

When clients do this to you (and yes the occasionally will), it's best that you just let them go. Yes, you read that right, "LET THEM GO". It's going to take too much of your time and energy to squabble with them, and if they are so petty that they need to give you a verbal tongue lashing in a nasty gram, let them have it. Your goal should be to move on to bigger and better things, that's what I did...not sure what happened to her. 

Sure, there was a part of me that wanted to put this woman in her place, but I realized nothing good could really come of it since I wasn't going to work with her in the future (and it trying to reconcile might only make her more angry). I just let it and her go. It just doesn't make sense to poke a hornet's nest - it just isn't worth it.