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Are Freelancers a Commodity or a Profession?

Here is a great article on Freelance Switch you all should read. I have experienced this first hand and these job boards they discuss just show how bad our industry is getting and how the clients are dictating price and design.

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How to Keep Clients on Task

Some of your clients need you to manage them. They don’t just want to hire a designer per se. They want a manager who will take a project, run with it, see it through and deliver results. That’s a value added proposition that can help you dominate your market, if you’re willing to offer it. Part of that entails getting clients to cooperate with you and give you what you need to do your job. That’s not always fun, but there are ways to make it less painful.

Change Your Pay Model

You would think that improving their business or life is enough incentive to get some of your clients to keep up with timelines. But remember, some clients have delayed projects for years, and simply hiring you is not enough to jolt them into finishing what they started. These clients have no issues parking their cash with someone, knowing that someday their project will get done. Most of those clients though are not willing to park 100 percent of the cash for a project. That’s one way to get them to keep things moving along. Instead of only charging 50 percent upfront or anything less than 100 percent with at least some of your clients, charge the full amount when you can. You’d be surprised how quickly attitudes change when they realize that if they don’t follow through, you have all the money you need for the project.

Highlight the Benefits of Finishing on Time

At some point during the sales process, you convinced the client of the benefits to working with you and giving you money for your services. They may just need a reminder from time to time of these same benefits. Some examples include:

• Boost sales
• Capture more leads
• Establish credibility with customers, leaders in the industry and joint venture partners
• Streamline business systems and processes to free up more time

Ask questions to see whether the benefits that hooked them in the first place are no longer relevant. If that’s true, then emphasize new ones.

Make it Easy for Them

Don’t crowd your clients’ email inboxes with lengthy and numerous emails. Clients won’t read them and as a result, they’ll miss deadlines and brush you off. Make doing business with you so easy that there’s no excuse. For example, add a client area to your website or take advantage of project management software that allows you to share files with clients in a central place. Dropbox is one tool you can use to upload and share files with clients, instead of sending emails and attachments. Rather than running away from your communications, they can feel as if they are in control by checking on milestones and other project goals in an organized way.

You may feel more like a coach than a creative professional when you’re following up with clients and trying to get them to accomplish their goals. Look at it as an opportunity to provide excellent customer service and gain their trust. That’s how you gain repeat customers.

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New Art Space Website

Well I finally launched a new website for my design business Art Space last week. It only took me 6 years to get around to it. I have to say that the old site did well for a long time and brought in some great clients and projects so I guess that is why I waited so long to redesign it. It really did need an overhaul, but I just did not want to tackle a redesign. Designing for myself is always such a task, it takes me 2 to 3 times longer to design for myself than for a client and the work comes out the same quality. I guess I have become my worst client, but that is part of being a perfectionist, or that could just be my OCD kicking in. Either way, it was a pain to do, but I am very please with the results. Check it out when ya’ll can, any feedback is greatly appreciated.

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4 Qualities of a Good Copywriter

A good copywriter can make a difference in your sales revenue and your bottom line. You need to be able to effectively educate prospective clients on your products and services, but also convince them that they need look no further than what you have to offer. Mediocre copy will cause doubts in clients and cause them to compare you with others. Great copy will help you close the deal and establish you as one of the best. Here are 4 qualities you need to keep in mind, whether you want to become a good copywriter or need to hire one:

Quality #1 – Excels at Sales

A great creative writer or article writer may not be a good copywriter. The skill set required is different. Copywriting is very much about selling to a targeted audience. Who is better to do that than someone with prior sales experience or sales training? Look for it when you’re choosing candidates, or get some sales training if you want to excel at copywriting.

Quality #2 – Relationship Builder

Building relationships is part of the sales process, and a good copywriter can accomplish that through the copy he writes. It’s especially important to work with a relationship builder if you plan to use the copywriter on an ongoing basis. You want someone who can connect with readers in a way that draws them in and leaves them wanting more. It’s easy to tell when a copywriter lacks interpersonal skills, because it comes through clearly in the copy.

Quality #3 – Always on Time

Timeliness is a quality that you should look for in any copywriter you want to hire.  It doesn’t matter how good the writer is if that writer cannot meet deadlines. The worth of good copy may get lost if you’re not able to get your message out in time. For example, if you need to print brochures for an event and you miss the opportunity because the copywriter was late, then it doesn’t matter how good the copy turned out to be. You would be better off going with an average copywriter who meets deadlines.

Quality #4 – Critical Thinker

Many people rank creativity high on their list when looking for copywriters. Critical thinking is rarely mentioned, but it’s what actually makes a good copywriter. Imagine hiring someone who lacks critical thinking skills. You try to explain your business model, products, customer demographics and they simply cannot understand you. By the time you explain and re-explain ideas and concepts, you could have written your own copy or hired someone else. You need to spend time giving insight about your company and what you want promote to a copywriter, but a good copywriter can process and analyze the information and turn out quality copy.

Once you establish that the copywriter you want to work with has good writing skills, you should assess whether they have these qualities. Finding a good copywriter will pay dividends and help you achieve more success.

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