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Bonus Video
Start charging more for branding work
Transcript
Fellow designer, did you know there's actually a way to get taken more seriously as a designer—and it's not luck!
I'm going to talk about three things that you can do that will completely change how you get treated by potential clients. But first, who am i to tell you about any of this?
I'm Colleen Gratzer, host of the Design Domination podcast. I'm also a Brand Academy™ certified branding expert and an InDesign and website accessibility specialist.
I've had my own design business, Gratzer Graphics, since 2003. I've been in the industry since the late 90s. I got my start formally studying graphic design in college, but college did not teach me all that I needed to know for the real world.
Although clients have always been wowed by my work ethic and attention to detail, which really set me apart from other designers, early in my career, I was so freaking frustrated dealing with clients who didn't listen, who wanted to art direct and didn't want to pay what I was worth.
But that all changed when I took charge of the process and changed the conversation.
Now back to those three things I mentioned… The first is to ask the right questions up front.
When a client comes to you for a brand identity or a website or a brochure, they're not actually coming to you for that. No one wants a brand identity or a website or a brochure just to have one.
They only care about what it will do for them. It's important to find out more by asking the right questions, but you also don't want to give away too much of your time and expertise either, or spend it on tire kickers who are only looking for a price— and a low one at that!
Ask about their goals, their current problems, their time frame and their budget up front.
The second thing is to ask discovery questions but only after you've been hired. Discovery is where you go more in depth with the client to understand their brand, their audience and more about their needs.
Most designers don't ask questions at all. But the ones who do ask questions up front often dive too deep and then end up giving away their expertise free. This can also cause the client to perceive your expertise as lower value. After all, why would you be giving it away if it were valuable?
You want to get enough information up front before getting the work to see if it's a good fit and save the more detailed questions for after you've gotten the work. You'll save time and you'll get more respect as an expert.
Now, if you skip the vital step of discovery and just jump into design, like most designers do, then you're missing the mark. You're just designing something that will get jerked around by their personal opinions, and that just means endless revisions, and they'll just see you as another order taker designer.
That's a miserable place to be, but it doesn't have to be that way.
The third thing that can change how clients treat you is to not ask what they think—and I used to do this all the time. So many designers just send off proofs of their work and ask what the client thinks. Never do this!
If you do, you're actually giving away your power as the expert and putting it into the hands of the client.
Think about it: could you imagine if you went to a doctor and he gives you a diagnosis and then asks you, "What do you think?”
Wouldn't you then be like, well, wait. Why did I come to this doctor? Doesn't he know what he's doing?
Don't ask what they think. It puts your work at the mercy of the client's interpretation and their personal opinions, and who cares if the CEO loves red if that wouldn't work for the project?
When you present the work, align it with their objectives and you'll get less pushback. Ah… What a great feeling that is!
These three tips are just part of my Brand Identity Builder—and you don't have to just design logos to benefit from it.
This process will allow you to charge more and be seen as a strategic expert, and when you act like the expert, you will be seen as the expert.
You can charge more. You will get more respect. You'll get money up front instead of giving away free discovery sessions.
You'll know how to help your clients better, and when you help your clients better they get results and they come back for your expertise, and they tell others.
The Brand Identity Builder will help position you as the trusted respected expert who charges accordingly for their expertise. It will guide you through various phases of the branding process.
You'll get a 42-page PDF that will lead you through the process from sales all the way through to showcasing the final work in your portfolio.
In the first part, Consultation, you'll get the questions to ask in the beginning of the process to position you as an expert and to help you screen potential clients, so you don't waste time on those who are a bad fit.
In the second part, Proposal, you'll find out what to include in the proposal and why, so that you're seen as an expert and stand out from other designers.
In Discovery, you'll find out what information to gather from the client, so that you have an objective point of reference, which leads to a smoother relationship through the design process.
In the Research section, you'll learn what to think about before you even start designing, so that you create a more successful brand identity.
In the Design chapter, you'll learn what to consider as you're creating the brand identity, so you ensure it works for the client and you enhance your expertise in the process.
In Presentation, you'll find out ways to present your work and address feedback, so that you impress the client and get less pushback.
In the seventh chapter, Delivery, you'll learn how to properly finalize the logo and create the proper deliverables, so that you enhance the value of your work.
In the final chapter, Showcase, you'll discover how to showcase your work online in a professional and impressive way, so that you can attract more and better clients.
You'll also get worksheets and a checklist that you can print out and have on hand to guide you during the Consultation, Discovery and Delivery phases.
You also get a clickable list of resources—all for only $27!
How much would getting more respect and getting paid more help your business and help you?
Stop wasting time on low-ball, tire-kicking clients, and start being more confident and getting paid more for your expertise today!