This is a great article I recently found. For you up-and-coming designers, you should consider avoiding crowd-sourcing websites, it will suck the life out of you and will NOT help get you noticed.
One of the most difficult aspects of being a web designer is dealing with clients that “just don’t get it”. In this article, we’ll discuss seven things that often make the job of web designers difficult when dealing with unreasonable demands from clients.
Is it possible to create momentum AND use it to your advantage? I wasn’t sure you could but Steve Seibold shows how in his book, 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class.
In Steve Siebold’s fine book, 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class, he highlights in Mental Toughness Secret 83, The Value of Momentum.
Now “What does THAT mean?” you are probably asking.
Here’s what Steve has to say, “The great ones use momentum to fuel their passions and transfer their beliefs to others. The great ones know if the perception of momentum is present, confidence and power will continue to increase”
Further, “While average people stumble into momentum from time to time, world-class performers create this emotional thought process from scratch.”
“Momentum is a subjective emotional perception, and therefore manufactured in the mind. This artificial creation attract more momentum, until world-class performers are rolling forward like a locomotive”
Mr. Siebold recommends this action step:
“Keep repeating this; “I have massive momentum.” Find different ways to program yourself with this message until you begin to believe it. Use the power of language to talk yourself into an emotional statement of momentum toward your goals”
By programming your mind to allow momentum to happen you’ll soon be creating tides of good fortune in your life and business.
This is a great article on educating your clients:
Your clients will look to you for guidance, and that includes how to choose a good web hosting company. There are many companies to choose from, and some even offer free hosting services. The problem is that some companies provide poor services. If you end up recommending the wrong ones to your clients, they will blame you for it. Some clients will never use your web design business again or write a bad review, and a few may even retaliate and sue you for the negative impact on their business because of a bad web hosting company. You can avoid trouble by looking for these characteristics in any web hosting company that you consider:
Excellent Hosting Support
You don’t want to send your clients to a company that does not provide support. Many clients came to you because they’re not tech savvy and the idea of dealing with hosting challenges overwhelms them. A good web hosting company will offer email and phone or chat support to its customers. You’ll appreciate that as well, as you work to make your clients’ web pages “go live” on the Internet. The chat or phone support is key because clients may have emergencies to deal with. For example, a business owner whose website crashes in the middle of a live webinar needs immediate help and cannot wait 24 or 48 hours for an email response. Read reviews of web hosting companies and stay clear of those that are not responsive to customers when they need help.
Unlimited Domain Hosting
Some businesses need multiple websites in order to launch an effective online marketing campaign. Paying to host each website can be cost prohibitive for many startups. A good web hosting company eases the burden by allowing business owners to host unlimited websites for one low monthly price. Some companies may not allow an unlimited amount, but will still provide a high enough number that most of your clients will be able to work with. For example, a popular option is to allow up to 50 websites on one plan. You can take advantage of these plans if you offer to host the websites that you create. You stand to make more of a profit if you can fit many of your clients on one plan.
Sufficient Email Accounts
The ability to create as many email accounts as you need is an important feature of a good web hosting company. Whether you need accounts for each section or department of your business, or for employers and independent contractors, the last thing you want is for your hosting company to limit the accounts you can create. Each hosting plan lists the amount of emails you can have with it. You should factor that in as you choose plans for your business and as you make recommendations for clients.
Do your homework before you choose a web hosting service. You can find out which service is a good web hosting company by reading the reviews posted by current and past customers. You should also compare unlimited domain hosting, the number of email accounts and the technical support they offer.
The thought of getting on the phone to land an appointment with a corporate decision maker can make you sick to your stomach. The beauty of design work is that you can tuck yourself away for hours in your corner of the world, behind your computer and with limited interaction with people. But think of all the work you’re missing out on if you don’t pick up the phone and get proactive about appointment setting. Your competitors are doing it, and it’s what you need to get higher paying gigs. Here are some tips to help you overcome your fears and land more appointments:
Tip #1 – Do It Every Day
Try to make at least two calls every day. The routine will help you hone your skills and chip away at any fears you have about talking on the phone. The truth is, you’ll need to do a lot more calling to increase your chances of getting past the gatekeepers, following up after you leave voicemails and getting through to someone who has the authority to hire you. When you incorporate it into your daily schedule, you’ll get more comfortable and make more calls.
Tip #2 – Use a Calling Script
Write a short script that you’ll use for every call. This includes a script for leaving voicemail. The script should include:
You can share the script with employees or anyone you hire to set appointments for you.
Tip #3 – Research Leads Beforehand
The last thing you want to do is try to research contact information and prospective corporate managers to call while you sit down to make your calls. It’s too distracting and you waste more time that way. Set aside time beforehand to input all of your contact information in an Excel spread sheet or customer relationship management software.
Tip #4 – Keep Detailed Notes
Take brief notes when you hang up the phone on your conversations. Include the date, whether you left a voicemail or spoke with someone, who you spoke with and the outcome. You’d be amazed at how valuable those notes will become when you go to do a follow up call. Your memory will fail you in the middle of a conversation or when you go to call a lead again. Rely on your notes instead.
Tip #5 – Follow Up
Few people get sold the first time on anything, and you’ll find the same thing to be true when it comes to appointment setting. You should follow up with everyone at least four times until you get an appointment. This includes calling them, leaving messages and sending emails. Calling and sending follow-up emails counts as one time. There’s no getting around it, making phone calls and speaking to people is crucial to setting appointments.
The purpose of the call is to get a decision maker in the corporation to say yes to an appointment. It’s not to sell them on your services. At the same time, you may get one shot on the phone to do so. For instance, if you get a vice president on the phone who insists that you make a pitch, go for it.
