Several times over the past few months I have received some ridiculous communications via Twitter from freelancers or small businesses who obviously are new to Twitter and have clearly decided to jump on the social media marketing bandwagon in an attempt to utilize the tool to find new clients. The reason I say these exchanges are ridiculous is because they have been asking me – a web designer – if I would like to hire them to do web design! Not asking if they can assist me or if I need an outsourcing contact, but flat out asking me to hire them to design a website!

Here’s the probable scenario:

• 1. A freelancer or web design agency reads an article or two about social media monitoring and decides to set up some way to monitor certain keywords on Twitter, such as “design” or “web design” or “redesign”.
• 2. As tweets show up mentioning something about web design, the person (or automated tool) monitoring them immediately sends a response, asking how they can help with the project.
• 3. If they’re lucky, the person behind the original tweet will respond to their request and send them contact info, and a new lead is born!

Sounds like a good plan, right?

Unfortunately there are a few missing steps that are key to this working correctly, especially on a social media platform such as Twitter.

I have written a few articles about how I have learned to attract clients on Twitter (you can read one here and another here). I would not say I am an expert by any stretch, but I have had some pretty phenomenal success for my one-man web and graphic design business. One of the things I have found interesting in the discussions I’ve had with others is that many people have expressed their inability to attract clients using social media. Over and over I have told them that they need to stop trying to sell their services and instead try to make real connections and relationships. Herein lies the problem with the above scenario as well.

Thanks to yet another misguided attempt at engaging me as a client for web design recently, I have written this post to help identify some critical steps that are sure to result in failure if you are trying to use social media to drum up business. My hope is that it will provide some much-needed guidance for those that are new or considering diving in, while simultaneously aiming to rid current social media enthusiasts of the annoying, hard-sell marketing spam that is making its way onto our platforms.

Make Your First Contact An Attempt At Selling Something

I don’t know anyone who likes to buy something from a salesman whose initial contact is riddled with desperation for the sale. Even when we walk onto a used car lot, we know we will get bombarded and everyone involved is aware of what is taking place, but a successful salesman will build relationship and rapport before pushing the sale.

A great way to drive potential clients away is make sure they are aware that you only see them as a potential client. Hitting them with an attempt to sell something on your very first contact with them makes the statement loud and clear. It’s akin to a door-to-door salesman trying to work their way into your house. Does anyone ever let those guys in or buy anything from them?

Do NOT Research Your Potential Clients Before Contacting Them

Taking an extra minute or two to check out a potential client’s profile and/or the context of the conversation your monitoring has discovered may save everyone involved some wasted time, aggravation and possible embarrassment for your business. Why in the world would you attempt to sell me the same service I provide for others? Had any of these newcomers taken that extra step to read my profile bio they would have seen that I am a web designer and moved on, rather than exposing themselves with an embarrassing lack of knowledge or time investment.

In the recent debacle I had tweeted about how I just recently updated my portfolio. Someone responded with encouragement, at which point I replied that next would be a redesign of my own site. This is when the culprit jumped in, probably because they were monitoring the word “redesign”. Rather than taking a minute or two to go back a few tweets and determine the context of their keyword usage, they asked me if they could “help” me with the redesign. Needless to say, it was a waste of their time, plus I blocked them and reported them as spam. I doubt that is what they wanted to accomplish, and it could have been avoided with a little extra effort on their part.

Make Sure 100% of Your Communications Are Sales

I don’t make a habit of reporting people for spam simply because they try to sell me something. In this case, I went to their profile to see what they were about, only to discover that every single tweet was an attempt at making a sale. Once I saw this I made sure to report the spammers, not to get them in trouble or to be mean, but because social media is about being social, and they obviously did not get the memo.

Engagement and relationships are the foundation of trust in social media. Those that succeed in using it for marketing have found the balance of interacting with others combined with self-promotion. Most will tell you to give a large majority of your time to generating real connections and engagement, and then a small percentage to marketing. Doing the opposite will get you ignored.

Treat Your Potential Clients As Targets, Not People

Every time I read an article or hear about “reaching your target audience” or “targeting a specific demographic” I wince. I get this image of a laser sight pointed at my forehead. It’s not just an uncomfortable feeling. The terminology itself implies that as your potential client – your target – I am not a human being but a number. A trophy that you desire to mount on your wall of success.

Personally, I like my head resting squarely on my shoulders, thank you, and not mounted on a hunter’s wall. I don’t know of anyone who prefers to be thought of as a target instead of a human being. If you are looking to fail miserably as a social media marketer, drop any pretences of being a real, live, compassionate human being who genuinely cares about the person you are communicating with and you will accomplish your mission.

How To Succeed?

Obviously, if the above points are keys to failure, why not try the opposite if you truly desire to succeed in using Twitter to drum up new business? Sure, it takes a little more time to get to know people and become personally involved with them, but the benefits will usually go far beyond a few new clients.

I have found countless new friends via Twitter, and these are friends who I learn from and engage with almost every day. Some have turned into clients and others have sent potential clients my way. The majority are simply good people who have become a welcome addition and enrichment to my life experience. For me personally, that end result is a true success, not the number of clients I have found.

Why not give it a shot?

Last Thursday I was taking part in a weekly discussion among designers called DCTH (Design Community Twitter Hours) and this question came up: When do you draw the line between pro-bono & just helping for free? A very interesting discussion followed and it got me thinking about my own experience with offering my design and web services pro bono or for free. In this post I want to share some of those experiences with you and how they have influenced my business approach as well as the impact this has had when I began applying it to my social media interaction.

As the discussion progressed it became obvious that many designers, including myself, have gotten burned in the past by offering free, discounted or pro bono services. Because of these abuses the general response was to avoid doing free work altogether, and pro bono only in the case of a cause you believe in supporting or for the tax benefits.  While I completely understand the concerns, and I have had instances where my generosity has been taken advantage of, I was distraught to think about the cynicism that our self-serving society is breeding. Is it not better to give and give and then give some more, even when some take advantage of it, rather than discontinue giving altogether? I believe it is, and my experience supports this theory.

When I first started designing websites I was doing it on the side for a little spare money. But I was also offering my services to small churches in an effort to provide for them something that most could not afford. At the time I was working as a Pastor, and I believed it would be an important “ministry” I could offer to other churches to further our universal goal or reaching the world. Whenever the opportunity arose, I would design a church’s website with the understanding that if they could not afford to pay me anything it would be my donation to their ministry. I didn’t have much money at the time and I saw this as a way I could tithe, something I believed was important.

I only designed 2-3 sites for small churches for free, and not once did I ever feel that I was taken advantage of in the process. Instead, one of the most remarkable things happened. Shortly after I finished designing one of the first church sites, a successful Christian recording artist came through town. I went to see his concert and was captivated by his music, spirit and talent. When I got home that night I went online to check out his website and was extremely disappointed to find a very poorly designed site. I decided to email him, and told him that his website was nowhere near as exciting as his music. I suggested that he allow me to redesign it to give him something that represented the dynamic personality of the artist and his music. Within a few days I had a signed contract for the redesign that resulted in over $10,000 of work for him during the next year. This was my first major client, and the lesson I walked away from that experience with has never departed from my approach to business.

Call it karma, the law of reciprocity, the provision of God, the universe, whatever you want. All I know is that I have discovered – over and over again since then – that the more I give to those who are in true need, the more it comes back to me tenfold.

Since that first experience I have had a number of clients that I have offered reduced rates or free services to, strictly because I believed they were not trying to get something for nothing but were genuinely working within a restricted budget. In those cases I made sure that I didn’t completely devalue my services, and insured that I still provided for my family on some level (the main reason I do the work I do). In every instance it was really a judgment call on my part, based on my discussions with the client.  And in almost every situation the small amount of time I gave away or discounted resulted in a significantly larger paying job coming my way, directly related to the freebie or just randomly crossing my path. Either way, I have built a successful track history of giving my services away and consequently receiving much more than I have ever given.

Did I make some mistakes? Absolutely. In fact, just recently I had someone who I offered discounted services to because he assured me our “partnership” would result in a large number of referrals for future work. (Have you heard that one before?) So far I have yet to see a single referral, and as the small project progressed it didn’t take long to realize I had made a mistake, since the client continued to ask for much more work than originally agreed upon without paying anything extra. Of course, I stuck to my guns and strictly provided only what I had undercharged him for, so when all is said and done, I didn’t lose out entirely. I just did more for less money than I normally would make. Although the experience does leave a bad taste, it didn’t really have any other lasting results or impact. So even in this case I have to ask, was it really that bad? I can think of much worse.

In the past year, as I have dived into the ocean of social media, I have adapted this approach to the new context and the results have been even more amazing. While I have heard others around me saying how they have seen little or no increase in clients and business through Twitter, my own experience is radically different. Although I don’t have exact numbers, I know that I have attracted well over 20 new clients through Twitter and social media related connections. But most importantly, most of these connections have come directly from helping someone else out for little or no payment. I have helped people set up WordPress blogs, install plugins, troubleshoot problems, tweak their websites and more, and in turn these people have sent real paying clients my way. They don’t send them to me with the uinderstanding that the prospects will get free work. They send them to me because they have learned that I am a trustworthy, well-intentioned person with talents that they have experienced.

I didn’t ask them to give me anything. I didn’t offer to help under the condition that someday they would need to somehow pay me back. I just saw their need and offered to help. There is a beauty and joy in giving assistance to someone without expectation of anything in return. In most cases, I have saved them hours of frustration by doing something in 15 minutes that they had no idea how to accomplish. I looked like a hero to them, but for me it was a small amount of effort to bring a smile to their faces. Is there something wrong with this? I don’t see the down side.

Some might say that by giving away or discounting my work I am devaluing the work of others in the same field. I sure hope that is not the case as this is definitely NOT my intention. But I have to consider the possibility and be mindful of it in how I handle these situations.

Still others might say I am being far too naïve or idealistic in my approach, and it is only a matter of time until someone takes complete advantage of my generosity in a way that financially cripples my freelance business. I definitely am aware of this possibility and I want to make clear that I am not trying to tell every young freelancer to go out there and replicate my methodology. Because I have been doing this for a number of years, combined with my own life experience and understanding of people, I may have a better ability to make those judgment calls than someone younger or less experienced. So please “don’t try this at home” without some type of clear understanding of your own abilities in judging others’ personalities.

Here’s the bottom line for me: helping others can be a win for everyone involved, even if no payment ever comes my way. Helping others is a better approach to life and to business than chasing after the almighty dollar. Helping others breeds an attitude of generosity, compassion, and community unlike anything else. Helping others is, in itself, its own reward.

It is possible that opportunists will read this and try to get something for nothing from me. I’m okay with that, because most of the time I can discern the motives behind a request for assistance. Regardless, nothing will keep me from doing what I can to contribute to growing a society and community that gives unconditionally. I believe that if everyone did this our world would be a better place. What do you think?

The other night my wife and I went to our eldest daughter’s high school basketball game to cheer her on. We took our regular spot up at the top of the bleachers so we could lean back against the wall rather than slouching on the hard wood for the entire game. As we settled in, we noticed a few parents from the other team had the same idea and were setting up camp about 15 feet away. We commenced with the standard smile and nod acknowledgements and then turned our attention to the beginning of the contest. What transpired over the next hour inspired a range of emotions, from anger to frustration to disappointment. And I’m not talking about what happened on the court.

From tip-off to final buzzer, the opposing team parents spent the entire game berating the referees, complaining and shouting about what they perceived as terrible officiating and one-sided foul-calling. From their perspective every call that went against their team was wrong and apparently an offense to humanity itself. Of course, every foul called against their opponent was, in their expert and superior opinion, a “good call” and they made sure to shout loudly about how the refs “finally got that one right” and how it was “about time”. In between shouts, the parents would turn to each other and talk about how awful the referees were doing, not once pausing from their abuse and name-calling to say anything positive about anything.

About halfway through the game my wife and I started discussing these parents and how their terrible attitudes were ruining our experience. We considered walking over and asking them to keep it down, but quickly determined that, given the blatant display of their lack of ethics and possibly even intelligence, this action would only inspire them to increase their volume and intensify their resolve. Instead we decided to turn our focus on the game as best as we could and tune out the stupidity that was occurring on our left. It was a struggle the entire time and by the game’s end we were almost more excited about the escape from the gym than the fact that our daughter’s team won.

Yes, I know referees are seldom anyone’s friend at a sporting event, especially if your team is losing. And I know it’s not uncommon to look for someone to blame for the loss other than the team itself. But this was a high school basketball game, not the Super Bowl. The ramifications of the outcome have little more effect on those involved than a celebration with friends or a momentary disappointment that most of the kids would overcome by the time they changed out of their uniforms. Shouldn’t these parents be supporting and encouraging and cheering on their kids – the ones they supposedly came to watch – rather than polluting the atmosphere with their negativity and exampling poor sportsmanship to the impressionable kids in the gym?

The experience brought to mind some things I have been thinking about in other contexts, which brings me to the point of this post. Yes, we live in a world where most of us have the freedom to express ourselves, our emotions, our personal preferences and so on to our heart’s content. But how we choose to use (or abuse) these freedoms will most likely have some type of impact on those around us.

We have a responsibility to the community of any context we find ourselves in to influence it in a positive way, or at the very least to do our best to refrain from impacting it in a negative way.

Here are some communities I am a part of that some people are negatively impacting along with some simple suggestions for ways to improve.

SOCIAL MEDIA

I am a pretty active member of the Twitter community (and sometimes Facebook.) These arenas are often abused by spammers, over-zealous marketers, self-professed “experts” and others who may think they have good intentions but fail to realize how their actions impact others’ experience. There are countless blog posts (including several of my own) that call these community members and their practices out with reminders that social media is supposed to be social – an interaction among people building relationships and connections based on sharing and communication – and not the broadcasting, self-serving platform they attempt to make it. So I won’t regurgitate but just ask that we all think about how our behavior on social networks impacts those around us. Use whatever social media influence you have to help and encourage others – not just try to sell your product or services.

FREELANCERS

I recently started writing for FreelanceFolder and it has raised my awareness of some freelancers’ attitudes that clients are lucky to have them. A few go so far as to continually berate their clients publicly and treat them as incompetent jerks who have no clue. Personally, I am grateful for my clients and I’m indebted to them giving me the ability to live the freelancer’s life – working from home, freedom of schedule, and more. Every time I read or hear about another “stupid client” I cringe at the thought that a potential client may also take this in and change their mind about hiring a freelancer at all. I’m not suggesting rolling over and taking the abuse that someone may delve out so that you as a freelancer can get that elusive paycheck, but think about how you talk about others and your responsibility to the freelance community. Being a freelancer gives us great freedoms but it doesn’t give us the right to trample on another freelancer’s ability to be hired by that client you may have had a bad experience with. I suggest finding ways to share your bad (and good) experiences that encourages healing and growth rather than recklessly venting.

DESIGNERS

This is very similar to the previous point but worth mentioning. There are numerous client horror stories, hilarious YouTube videos and more depicting clients who know nothing about design telling web and graphic designers how to do their job. I confess to sharing some of these myself. But while this happens far more often than most of us would like to encounter, is it really necessary to beat these people to a pulp and go to great lengths to make sure everyone knows how stupid we think they are? When I step back and look at the damage this does to the reputation of the design community I am disappointed. I have tried in the past and will continue to endeavor to do my part to find ways to bridge the gap between designers and clients that encourages teamwork, productivity, mutual respect and constructive communication. Isn’t that a better prospect than to breed a reputation of prima donnas and designer divas who are far too artistic and talented and superior for anyone else?

BLOGS

I just started this blog in June so I don’t profess to be much of an expert. But one of the ongoing trends in design-related blogs is the roundup lists. Again, there have been numerous discussions and bog posts about this so I will avoid rehashing it here, but while I am not a huge fan of the lists I realize their importance and I use and share many of the great resources that some of these lists provide. However, there are definitely a few design blogs out there that decrease the value and appreciation of lists in general because all they do is put a bunch of screenshots up of the same resources that other lists have shared with little or no original content or input of the author’s own. It seems that the primary intent of these lists is to increase website traffic and generate advertising income, rather than to provide a quality resource for the blog readers. I suggest to bloggers that we examine the value we are attempting to provide for others as we create our posts and strive to avoid being motivated solely by the almighty dollar. The community as a whole will be better off.

CONCLUSION

The list of communities that we are all a part of goes on and on. Local, global, musicians, sports fans, religious, and so on. It probably doesn’t take you long to examine your particular communities and identify those members that are impacting them negatively and positively. Think about these people and how their actions have affected you and your participation in your communities. And then I encourage you to look at your own actions and the influence you have had in your various contexts. Do others see you as self-serving, yelling and screaming at the refs all game long? Do the things you do and the way you behave make others want to leave the gym altogether? Or are you a part of cultivating a community and its reputation that is attractive and magnetic, spurring growth and a desire among others to join and be a part of something truly powerful, progressive and positive?

I was recently participating in a discussion among freelancers in a Google Wave regarding finding new clients on Twitter. I was surprised to hear that all of the other participants had not found a single new client or made any money through their efforts on the social network. The reason I was surprised is because my experience has been quite the opposite. I came to realize I might be the exception to the rule and I could possibly help other freelancers by sharing what I am finding to be some proven successful keys to marketing my services and finding new clients on Twitter.

Before I explain how, take a quick look at some of the measurable results I have achieved directly from Twitter since I started using it in April 2009:

»   15 new clients – an average of over 2 per month!

»   20+ new projects of various sizes

»   Major increase in requests for proposals

»   Revenue in 5 digits

All of these have come directly from connecting with people on Twitter!

Now for the disclaimer: your results will most likely vary. In fact, I can’t guarantee that you will get any positive results at all. But it is my hope that if you take what I have learned and figure out the ways to best utilize these keys in a way that compliments your individual personality and approach, you will see an increase in your clientele and your business.

Key #1: STOP MARKETING

I have yet to meet someone who has much patience for salespeople (my apologies to salespeople everywhere.) If someone approaches me with even a hint of a sales pitch I immediately stop giving them the benefit of the doubt and my skepticism stands at alert. I tend to make purchases based on research, the product, and then the customer service – in that order. So if someone comes at me with an offer my first thought is, “What’s the catch?”

On the other hand, most people are very impressed by word of mouth. If someone recommends a product, a service or a person to me with no foreseeable personal gain on their part, it carries great weight.

On Twitter there is an ever-increasing backlash towards those who are obviously there trying to make a quick buck. As businesses and individuals jump on the bandwagon to try to find ways to monetize social media and measure ROI and turn it into the “next big thing” in marketing, the negative response appears to be exponentially growing. In my experience, one of the kisses of death on Twitter is to bombard your followers with self-promotion and attempts to market yourself, your product, your blog, or whatever you are trying to draw attention to. It’s the same reason we all fast-forward through the commercials on our DVRs. Become a commercial for yourself on Twitter and you will most likely be blocked, turned off and/or unfollowed. How in the world will you connect with potential clients if no one is paying any attention to you?

Key #2: START ENGAGING

Most people who are on Twitter for reasons other than selling something will tell you they are looking to connect and network with others. Many use Twitter to find information, others share their personal lives and interact with other people, and others use it as a platform. I am continuously working on determining a good balance of all of the above for me. I do what I can to provide useful information by sharing interesting and informative articles that I read, I listen to what others are saying and sharing that pertains to my own interests, and I spend some time getting to know other people on Twitter personally by interacting with their lives and sharing tidbits about my own. In short, I treat people the way I want to be treated. I don’t want anyone to blast me with constant requests to read their latest blog post or check out their newest product. But if someone shows interest in my life or what I have to share, I become their Twitter friend pretty quickly.

Pay attention to others. Take an interest in their lives, or at least their tweets. The more you engage as a real person with other real people, the more others will do the same with you.

But don’t engage so that you can start blasting them with your sales pitch once you’ve “won them over”! Engage because you truly care about other human beings. We all can see through the façade of anything less or interaction that is self-serving. I have found that others are drawn to me because I truly care about them, at least enough to take a moment to say hello and ask how they’re doing, rather than targeting them for my next sales conquest.

Key #3: CONTINUE GIVING

One of the main reasons I have had new clients come to me through Twitter is because someone else on Twitter told of how I had helped them out. Word of mouth is the best possible way to attract new clients, because they come to you with a foundational level of confidence in you and your services. If someone they trust has convinced them that they can trust you, you do good work and you’re a good person, you’re already well on your way to building a solid relationship.

Find ways to help others and you will have word of mouth recommendations for life on Twitter. I have cleaned up someone’s code, given a discounted service to someone in need, provided resources for a specific problem, and other things simply by paying attention to what others are tweeting and offering assistance where I can. Most people are floored that I would take the time to help them troubleshoot a problem without charging them! Some of those people are now my clients, while others have sent new clients my way.

Helping people out without any ulterior motives (like hoping they become a client) will ultimately provide its own reward. Whether you call it karma, or a religious belief system, or the universe, or whatever – you can never go wrong by giving selflessly to others. Even if it doesn’t generate one new client for you, the rewards of generosity will come.

I know there are plenty of other things you can do, and these are very general tips, but they have worked for me in ways far beyond my imagination. Even better than the business rewards, I am learning and growing and connecting with countless amazing and wonderful people on Twitter, whether they are clients or not. For me that has become the bottom line for my focus in social media. I am not a salesperson, nor do I ever aspire to be one. But I am a social being, and by sharing what I can, I have found ways that I think most of us can use to attract potential and new clients on Twitter.

What is your experience? Have you attracted new clients on Twitter? Please share your experience, insights and thoughts in the comments below. Hopefully we all can learn from each other and continue to grow our online communities in mutually beneficial ways together.

Let’s face it. We all have times that we just don’t feel motivated to do the things that we know have to eventually get done. Since my early days in elementary school I have always been quite skilled at putting things off until the last minute, then swooping in and completing them just in time for the deadline with the greatest of ease (and a little stress, sometimes.) As I grew older I honed this skill to a perfect science and actually found ways to thrive in the rush of last-minute madness.

But as a freelancer this methodology can be fatal. You never know when new projects might arise, or an “emergency” moves up a deadline and suddenly, if not prepared, you find yourself without enough hours in the remaining day to complete that which is required of you. So I have learned to do my best to always stay ahead as much as possible.

Unfortunately for a dethroned king of procrastination, striving to stay ahead of schedule is all the more difficult since it goes against the very nature of this beast. And since I spend the majority of my waking hours sitting in front of a computer, distraction and procrastination are just a click away. Thanks to modern technology and the endless expanse of the internet (paired with my constantly increasing geek side) there are boundless opportunities for putting aside the things that I must do in order to explore the things I choose to do instead.

Stepping away from work – especially for those of us whose work day is not confined to the 9-5 hours – is a good thing, and can often be the birth of new motivation and inspiration. But it can also be a black hole of time-sucking doom when not handled with care and proper feeding.

So in an effort to encourage us all toward productive procrastination (instead of its evil twin) I have put together a few of my favorite workday disruptions and given ways to push them from diversion into the realm of inspiration. Hopefully they will give you some new, guilt-free ways to take a break from all that work so you can return with a fresh outlook, ready to roll again!

TWITTER (and other social media)

Of course, those of you who know anything about me probably already assumed that my newest addiction would be first up. My use and connection to Twitter is a constant. In fact, I went out and bought a 2^nd monitor solely for the purpose of keeping Tweetdeck (a 3^rd party Twitter client) open and running at all times. A quick glance over to my left and I can get sucked right into a conversation or clicking on a link someone has shared, which then opens another browser window and could possibly be a tutorial or something that I want to try out, which then could lead into countless other pathways of time lost.

What can I say? I am hooked, and I am not apologizing for it. Twitter has helped me grow my freelance business in ways no other single tool has. But yes, it has its evil downside too, as described above. Finding the balance between the two is an ongoing battle, but I still believe it is worth it.

How Twitter Procrastination Can Be Turned Into Inspiration:

»   Every link, blog post, and article that someone shares and I am interested in, I will click on it, skim it and bookmark it for later if I deem it worth keeping. While working hard not to spend inordinate amounts of time doing this, I often find fantastic resources and information, and even occasionally something that pertains to the very project I am working (or not working) on at the moment. I also get ideas for blog posts (like this one).

»   If I’m stuck on something, I will tweet a request for help. Something like, “Anyone else have this situation? If so, how did you deal with it?” 9 times out of 10 the response is helpful and informative, not to mention I get a chance to connect with someone.

»   Since most of my day is spent alone in front of the computer, taking a moment to chat with other real people on Twitter can be refreshing and rejuvenating. It has also created connections that have led to great things down the road.

Most of my social media time is spent on Twitter, as opposed to other social networks, but I believe the same principles can be applied to Facebook or whatever else you are more comfortable with being distracted by. I know my wife – an avid Facebook user – has found numerous new bands, interesting connections locally and globally, and valuable resources amongst her Facebook friends. Of course, she also falls prey to the “evil” time-sucking quizzes and games that make portions of her day disappear. But you get the point. Use social media as a momentary distraction, but don’t let it take control of your time or what you get from it.

READING (online and offline)

I read so many articles, design blogs, tutorials and more online that I’m not sure how I get anything else done! I love learning and consider myself a lifelong student, so I cannot get enough of all that is out there to assist me in my pursuit of becoming a better person, father, husband, designer, freelancer, friend and so on. The online education possibilities are endless! So I often find myself wandering through different things I’ve bookmarked when I am no longer feeling any motivation for the task at hand. This is a double-edged sword because it’s almost always valuable information, but the amount of time it can take away from the day is dangerous.

I also love to read books. I don’t nearly read as much as I used to before I went to full-time freelancing, but they are always a great escape from the computer and technology. The only real downside is time that is lost, but I am the type of reader that finds it hard to put the book down. I am in training (over the past couple years) learning how to read in spurts, which would be more productive, but it’s a difficult road for me.

How Reading Procrastination Can Be Turned Into Inspiration:

»   Streamlining the subject matter of online reading into relevant topics can make it a very productive and promising use of time. Bookmarking (I use Delicious) for later those articles that have nothing to do with what you’re working on, and reading through those that may help you get your current projects done will often guide you back on the horse inspired and ready.

»   Fiction reading can often be one of the best inspirations of all because it can be an escape while simultaneously providing artistic inspiration (depending on the subject matter and quality.) Choosing to read books that challenge your thinking and inspire your creativity can make this one of the most productive diversions of all.

»   Non-fiction reading can work very much like the online and fiction reading combined, and I would suggest reading topics that are of other interests than what you spend your workday doing. Stretching your mind beyond those things that you already enjoy always strengthens your existing passions and skills. Utilize your local library and your imagination to explore previously uncharted territories for yourself.

MUSIC (online and offline)

I used to make a living as a musician, and while I no longer spend much time creating and composing, it is still a passion of mine – in many ways the one thing I am most passionate about. I love to listen to music of almost all kinds (except most country music – sorry if you’re a fan) and I thoroughly enjoy discovering new-to-me artists and songs. This can end up being a huge time sucker as I look online for the latest or wander through YouTube videos or troll my Last.fm friends’ music libraries. I can end up losing portions of the day just trying to find some music to play as inspiration while I work!

Another way music helps me escape from deadlines is when I can sit at the piano and just play whatever comes to mind. Again, I seldom make time to do this anymore, but it can be a refreshing break from the doldrums when I do. It can also end up becoming a wandering stroll down a path of composing a new chord progression that falls from my fingertips as if by accident. On occasion I have lost an hour here and there to the ivories and their magnetic pull.

How Music Procrastination Can Be Turned Into Inspiration:

»   Last.fm, when used properly, has been a valuable tool for me. It allows me to pick 3 artists to create a “station” that plays nonstop songs in those 3 artists’ respective genres. The whole process takes just a minute or two to set up and I’ve got music for hours before I want a change. The danger, of course, is in wandering around the site’s suggested artists or my friends’ libraries instead of just doing what I cam there for, so keep that in mind before opening that browser window. Of course, you can use other music services to do similar functions (Pandora, Blip.fm, etc.)

»   If you play an instrument, please don’t stop. If music is in your soul, I say unleash it. It’s one of my deepest regrets that I no longer give this passion of mine the attention and time I want to give, so if you have the ability to use composing or playing music as a distraction, please go for it! Is there truly anything more inspiring than music anyway? I think there is much more benefit to how music inspires us than there is negative connotations for the time lost in the pursuit of it.

OTHER FAVORITES

I am becoming more and more of a computer and technology geek. This opens up all kinds of doors for diversion. Between finding apps and games for my new Android phone, searching for browser add-ons to improve my experience, trying various computer performance tweaks, wandering through the latest applications and open source toys, and all the other treasures that can be found, I could make it through entire weeks without getting any actual work done if I choose. I guess for these and any other distractions I fall prey to the first step is admitting I have a problem. Identifying and admitting to the time-suckers in your daily routine should at least help you to begin finding ways to either use them to your advantage and inspiration or else determine to eliminate them altogether. Either way, I encourage you to allow for procrastination to an extent, because all work and no play will definitely make you miserable. But learn to be the one in control of your diversions and make them work for you, rather than allow them to take over your schedule and eventually create problems.

What are some of your favorite procrastinations? Do you turn them into inspirations, and if so, how? Please share with us in the comments below so we can all learn how to be in better control of our work and our play. After all, who wants a bunch of dull, unhappy workaholics hanging around?

Please leave your answers in the comments below, and let’s learn from each other as we undergo some self-examination and perhaps revelation. Okay, start typing…

In case you haven’t stopped by this blog lately, my last few posts here have been focused on promoting new, upcoming and/or lesser-known designers. It has been a wonderful experience getting to meet and interact with other designers that I’ve never known or heard of before, and the satisfaction of creating a forum to raise awareness of their work – and even their existence – has been priceless. It has truly been a joy and it has inspired me to continue finding ways to contribute to the expansion of the design community however I can.

Along the way, however, the inevitable question has come up: am I endangering my own freelance design business by promoting other designers who compete for the same clients? So after thinking about this I thought it would be an interesting post and possible discussion with others in the creative community. So here is what I’ve found.

I ONLY COMPETE AGAINST MYSELF

I am an extremely competitive person. I want to be the best at whatever I do, whether it’s writing, designing, music, sports, being the “world’s greatest Dad and husband”, and on and on. But in recent years I have come to the realization that comparison and competition can be extremely destructive.

Think about it. How much of our life is built around comparison? I am too fat (compared to the ’skinny’ people). I am too short (compared to the ‘normal height’ people). I don’t have enough followers on Twitter or enough friends on Facebook (compared to the more ‘popular’ people). My clothes are out of style, my car is not cool enough, and so on. The entire advertising industry feeds on our insecurities and comparative nature, banking on that within us that is never satisfied with what we have in comparison to what others have. Keeping up with the Joneses is as old as the Original Sin.

But if I will take the time to stop looking around and comparing myself to others, and instead focus on who I am, what I have to offer, and how I am growing, I will most likely discover that I am my own truest competition.

I have high standards for myself. As a designer I want to be creative, original, and unique. As a freelancer I want to be genuine, honest, affordable, professional and helpful to my clients. As a business I want to be able to provide for my family financially.

In many ways I am accomplishing these things. Maybe not as well as others, but I am doing better at every single one of these things today than I was a year ago. By comparing my past experiences and accomplishments with what I am currently achieving I can see that I am winning this competition. On the other hand, if I looked back and discovered that I have not improved or grown at all, I would have to admit my failures and get busy with changing the status quo. Either way, it is obvious that I have the ability to succeed or fail based solely on the comparison of my own past and present accomplishments. Isn’t that enough to go by rather than looking at others in the same field as a measuring stick?

WE NEED EACH OTHER

As I have been discovering the amazing design community that until recently I didn’t even know existed, I have come to realize how invaluable my interaction with other freelancers and designers and bloggers has become. Before this revelation I relied solely on self-education. I am completely self-taught as a designer and in the past I have used the internet and my local libraries to expand my knowledge and abilities. But recently I have increased my learning exponentially at a ridiculously rapid pace thanks to the numerous blogs, tutorials, freelancers and designers that I have been introduced to, primarily through Twitter. The wealth of people and information that my eyes have been opened to has made me a better designer, freelancer, writer and person across the board, and I am experiencing personal and professional growth that is increasing quicker than ever before.

I have come to realize that I am better off looking to others, learning from them, interacting and engaging with them than I was holed up in my own little world. And together the design community is assisting anyone who wants to engage in becoming better at our craft, our business and our lives.

So why in the world would I try to be better than others in that community? Instead I want to encourage their growth and improvements as they support and assist me in mine. In the end, we are all better for it!

I DON’T HAVE TIME TO DO ALL YOUR WORK IF I HAD IT ANYWAY

I am a full time freelance designer. By definition that means I work as much or as little as I choose. I am my own boss. But ultimately I am driven by the need to provide for my family and to continue having the freedom that freelancing can provide. This usually means that I work 10-14 hours per day anywhere from 5 to 7 days per week. I love what I do, so it’s not a stressful atmosphere or something I wish I didn’t have to spend as much time doing. It truly is a wonderful way to make a living.

But if I were in competition with you and trying to steal your clients or at least get them all to notice me, when in the world would I find the time to do your work along with the work I already have?

Yes, the economic state we are currently living in dictates a need to maintain the best financial security possible. But for some reason my client count has increased more in these “hard times” than in previous years. Recent developments in social media and internet services paired with businesses looking for low overhead solutions (like e-commerce) have created an abundant need for web designers, social media managers, and more of the various services I provide. An abundance that is far beyond what I alone could handle.

So in the end, if I were to somehow convince all your clients to migrate over to me, I would have to hire a slew of employees to make sure all the work was completed.

That would pretty much ruin my ability to be a freelance designer, wouldn’t it?

CONCLUSION

In a nutshell, I have learned that I am FAR better off supporting and encouraging and even promoting other freelancers, designers, bloggers, and so on than I am trying to compete against them. I have gained new friends, new clients, new understandings, new education and on and on. It is my hope that I am also helping others to do the same. Together we can only marvel at how society is improved by our refusal to live in comparison and insecurity, and together we can encourage more people to do the same. It’s an idealist pursuit, but why not? I think it’s much better than the alternative. By comparison, anyway.

What do you think?

In my wanderings around the internet and especially on social media channels, I have been privy to an abundance of very helpful articles and blogs providing a bevy of tips and tutorials and advice for freelancers. As a full-time freelance graphic and web designer myself, I have benefited from quite a few of these articles, discovering everything from software to accounting practices to pricing advice to freelance peers. As has been my practice from the time the internet became commonplace, I have been continuing my education and strengthening my skills and business thanks to the authors and research that is being offered.

In considering what I could offer to the plethora of knowledge as an experienced and reasonably successful freelancer, I realized that the most important contributor to my achievements has been my passion. My skills have been and continue to be acquired and honed along the way. My education – mostly self-taught – has no end and is driven by my desire for infinite increase in knowledge and understanding. My financial investment has been minimal, if almost non-existent.

But my passionate desire to make a living and provide for my family by doing what I love instead of pursuing something that gives me a nice paycheck with little or no personal satisfaction or fulfillment is the primary reason I am doing it today.

So I want to give you my number one key to success as a freelance designer. Are you ready? Here it is:

Do not have a backup plan.

Yes, I realize that some may say this is foolish. And yes, I understand that just tossing out your backup plans alone will not guarantee that you will succeed. But education, skills and drive alone will not guarantee your success either. Realistically, what could? I don’t know of anything that will provide a 100% guarantee for succeeding at committing your career aspirations to the freelance world. But I do know this: as long as you have a backup plan, the strength of your pursuit is tainted.

How badly do you want to live a life in which you are your own boss? How badly do you want to spend your days (and probably nights) doing whatever it is that you love most? What are you willing to sacrifice in order to be able to do it?

Most aspiring freelancers would answer those questions saying things like “I will eat dog food for a month if I have to” or “Whatever it takes, I am willing to do it”. Some will testify to working multiple jobs while building a client base that will support a full-time freelance business. Others will share the difficulties and struggles that kept them from achieving that final goal.

But I can tell you, based on my own personal experience, that the most fulfilling goals are realized when caution is thrown to the wind and pursuit does not waver, even for a moment, to glance aside and wonder if another route should be taken.

That is why my primary goal in life is to reach the end of it and be able to say I tried my best at everything I put my hands to without consideration for failure hindering the process.

Because in reality, isn’t that what a backup plan is?

It’s a safety net. It’s a “just in case”. It is a confession of doubt and a provision for failure.

And I have learned that whenever I attempt something believing I could fail to the point that I create a backup plan, I almost always end up using the backup.

Hear me out. There will be times when you WILL fail. You should consider all aspects in your pursuits and look at the best routes and the possible struggles. You should weigh all opportunities and plan your steps carefully and wisely.

But the moment you build a safety net, that’s the time you’ve decided it’s okay to fall.

My point is not to be foolish. My point is that you will experience the greatest fulfillment, the most overwhelming personal satisfaction, when you give your all to that which you are most passionate about and do not worry about anything in the process.

This is not about confidence in your abilities. This is not about the finest education or the most qualified skill set.

This is about you recognizing what it is that you were made to do and embracing it with your whole being to the point that anything less is unacceptable.

I could share several experiences that have helped me to develop this philosophy, but this blog post would end up being a small book which none of you would have the time or possibly the interest to read. Trust me when I say that I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you will achieve success as a freelancer if you pursue it without a backup plan.

Here’s the thing: sometimes success gets redefined along the way. You may start with one definition and end up realizing that what you set out to do is not your ultimate goal. You may even realize that your most fulfilling achievement is NOT working full-time as a freelancer. But I have learned that it is better to come to that realization by reaching your goal untainted by a backup plan than to detour to your safety net along the way and always wonder “What if?”

So why not give it your all? Why not set your face toward the goal and never look back or to either side? Why not weather the obstacles and experience the failures that make you stronger?

Trust me. In the end, you will be happier. And isn’t that truly the definition of personal success?

It seems that one of the most difficult gaps to bridge is the language barrier between designers and clients. Yet I am certain that if one could build that bridge and birth a method of interpretation the two very different species could not only coexist peacefully but would unite in exuberant harmony and exultation. Designers would have a clear understanding of what their clients want, enabling them to produce spectacularly pleasing projects with efficiency and prowess. Clients would be confident that their designer caught the vision and would be ecstatic to discover that the completed design was even better than what they had dreamed.

As a freelance designer, this utopia is one I want to live in.

Far too often I have witnessed designers berating their client’s failure to grasp the complexities of what goes into a design. I have also had numerous experiences with clients who have shared their nightmarish stories of a previous designer’s failure to provide quality work, satisfactory results and decent customer service.

The reality is that clients hire designers because they don’t know how to design it themselves. So why in the world would a client have a full understanding of design concepts, software, processes and the like? How can a client be expected to be fluent in design speak? Why should they know the questions to ask and have answers at the ready?

On the flip side, designers are an interesting and unique breed all their own. At our foundation, we are artists. That fact alone can make us difficult to work with, to understand, to communicate clearly with. As beings with typically more progressive and possibly esoteric creative leanings, we seldom want to work “inside the box” of what is considered to be normal society and methodology, which can frustrate the corporate client to no end. As artists, each design we create has the potential to become our next masterpiece, and although that sounds like a positive it can breed negative implications such as ownership, perfectionism and more.

How can the two come together? I don’t believe a single blog post such as this one can provide all the answers, compelling designers and clients to skip hand-in-hand off into the sunset. But hopefully I can provide a few insights that will contribute to the building of the bridge. So here are some thoughts and tips for clients to better equip them as they enter into a project partnership with a designer.

FINDING YOUR DESIGNER: RESEARCH

I can’t necessarily give you resources to find the best designers (besides, you’re already here!) but I can encourage you to look at more than the portfolio. Get a resume. Meet and talk to your prospective designers. Get to know their design philosophy. Understand their process. Find out everything you can that relates to how they will approach your project. Talk to other clients they have. Get references.

I believe one of the most important elements you can focus on when choosing a designer is their attitude toward clients in general. Listen to how they talk about other clients. Do they bad-mouth or complain about them? If they do, it’s quite possible they will treat you the same way. Keep in mind it is pretty much guaranteed that every designer has at least one client horror story, and scars to show for it. But any good designer is profusely aware of their need for clients in order to exist and learns to refrain from stereotyping all clients in the negative.

Look for designers who are more than designers. Look for designers who know how to treat and interact with people with a level of respect, humility, selflessness and gratitude for the opportunity to serve you.

STARTING THE PROJECT: PREPARE

The more details you can provide about the project, the smoother the process will be. Good designers will usually have a standard questionnaire they use to get general and specific ideas about the project. This is an invaluable tool that you should answer with extreme detail. But try going beyond the standard questions. Provide the story that brings the design to life for you. Why is this project happening? What was the first spark that ignited the fire within you to pursue the design? What are your hopes and dreams for the design and what it will accomplish for you or your organization?

The more the designer can feel what you feel about it (or at least identify with your passion), the more the potential that it will become not just a logo or a website or a brochure, but a piece of art. Why is this important? Because in the end the designer will embrace your vision at the core, rather than on the surface. And isn’t that what a GREAT design should capture and express?

Good design should not just look good. It should speak. It should express. It should attract. It should engage. It should compel.

Give your designer the best possible chance to create your design to do these things. The most extensive preparations and communications will aid them in accomplishing this. Ultimately this should be what you both want.

DURING THE PROCESS: TRUST

I don’t think this point can be accomplished successfully without the previous two, but it may be the single most important key to a successful client/designer relationship: trust your designer.

It is obvious to all involved parties that if you possess the ability to create your own design work, you wouldn’t hire someone else to do it. Sometimes designers grab ahold of this concept and horde it over their clients with messiah complex condescension. Hopefully at this point in the process you have already eliminated that possibility in your selection process. That being said, I do not know anyone who enjoys being told they don’t know what they’re doing or that the person who hired them to do it has better skills or ideas than they have – in any context.

While the project is underway I believe it is vital that you trust the skills, abilities, ideas and processes of your designer. The more you believe in their ability to accomplish your vision, the more they will delight in producing design that exceeds your wildest hopes and dreams.

By trust I don’t mean that you should blindly let them create whatever they want without discussion or interaction. It is the responsibility of all good designers to communicate with the client throughout the process and get their approval and input along the way. But I do believe you should give the designer freedom to experiment and explore what they are best at: creating good design. Sometimes along the way you may not see the final result the designer is envisioning, but it is more likely than not you will be pleased when you arrive there together.

Here is an example of what I’m talking about. I have several tattoos. Most of them I designed or came up with the foundational concept. But my favorite piece is one where I trusted the artist to create what he believed would be the right design and style for the space I gave him. I gave him a blank canvas and he hand drew a unique piece that fit the space on my arm and adapted to the curves and intricacies. In the end he created a piece of art that I could never have conceived because I trusted him to fulfill my vision in the best way he could utilize his abilities. Both designer and client were overjoyed with the results!

FINISH LINE: REWARD

Obviously you will already have an agreed financial reward/payment in place. But how about something more substantial and lasting than final payment for services rendered?

My best client experiences have a common ingredient: they continue. The client returns for any and all design services, but even more importantly, they make a point of recommending me to others. Almost all of my business comes from word of mouth, and there is no better advertisement than a satisfied customer.

To put the final touch on building a successful client/designer relationship, make the extra effort to recommend your designer to others in any context you can. Use social media networks to brag about their design and give them credit whenever someone compliments their work. Keep their contact info and website address handy so you can pass it on to your colleagues and friends. Bring them more business and they are likely to give you more for your money when you require their services again. Everyone wins and the gap between the designers and clients decreases with every conquest.

I realize there are certainly countless more things that can be done to build this bridge, so please share your ideas and experiences in the comments below. The more that clients and designers can communicate and learn from each other, the more we will together create great design. Maybe Utopia is near!

I have been thinking a lot lately about my various approaches to providing the best services I can for my very distinctly different design clients. I have seen a few really interesting and educational articles and blog posts recently that talk about the different types of clients, ways to keep clients from dictating your schedule, things to understand about clients before starting a project, and even 5 Rotten Things No One Else Has Told You About the Clients You’ll Work For. In my 10+ years as a freelance designer I have learned that although not every client is necessarily the nicest person, or the best communicator, or has what I consider to be the best design ideas, each one is ultimately a contributor to the existence of my freelance business. My clients enable me to do something I love, get paid a decent wage for it and enjoy the freedoms that come with being your own employer.

So I thought it might be helpful to share some of my own experiences and how I have learned to work with my clients to give them the best possible products and services I can. Perhaps you have had your own experiences and can share your personal solutions and guidelines so we all can learn and grow together.

THE GOLDEN RULE

Although I try to enter into each project with an open mind and a clear understanding that everyone is unique, every project needs its own approach, and no one comes to me wanting a production line design, there is one golden rule I try to live by: always treat people the way I want to be treated.This is not just a business rule for me – it’s a lifestyle. When I call a company to complain about how I’ve been wronged, I don’t yell at the person on the other end of the line. I (do my best to) calmly express my dissatisfaction and expectations for resolution, sometimes even apologizing that the poor customer service representative has to deal with an angry customer, since they are not actually the one who personally did me a disservice. Think about it – do you want to get yelled at for something your employer did?

So when I think about how I want others to treat me, there are some key elements: respect, kindness, generosity, and humility. I believe that if everyone human being treated each other with these primary goals, the world would be a better place. The risk that is involved – as in any relationship – is that the other party will not reciprocate. But I cannot be responsible for anyone else’s actions, so I try to focus on my own. So far, this is working for me. I believe it is working for my clients too.

THE FIRST ENCOUNTER

After years of trolling Craigslist ads, cold-calling and asking everyone I meet if they need any design work, I am pleased to find myself in a place where business comes to me. I am not a salesperson or a networking/marketing man, so it is refreshing to (most of the time) be able to choose the projects I take on. Every week I receive emails requesting price quotes and proposals, and maybe someday I will try to analyze the statistics for how many of them have ended up rejected. It is still amazing to me how many people truly believe they should be able to acquire a completely customized website that takes weeks to build for less than a McDonald’s employee makes in a day. But rather than laugh in a client’s face, I try to approach the initial discussion with a case-by-case mentality. Every organization has a different budget, different goals, and different expectations. So I try to learn about these things first before I write a proposal or give a rough price quote.

In that initial encounter I state my hourly rate and explain that my project pricing is based on estimating the amount of hours it will take to complete the project. I ask questions that will aid in my calculations, and I really try to ascertain the goals and expectations the client has in as much detail as possible. If I can, I try to allow the client’s passion for their project to infect me, so I can become a passionate participant in producing the best possible outcome. On occasion, though, I have taken on projects that do not line up with my personal political, religious or social views. In these situations I have learned to disconnect from the goals of the organization or individual and instead connect with the pride I take in producing quality design and functionality. Of course, there are certain lines I will not cross, and if those lines arise I just politely suggest they use someone else’s services. In fact, if you are reading this and enjoy creating websites that deal with pornography, guns, racism or illegal acts, please send me your contact info and I will refer these people to you. On second thought, never mind.

THE PROPOSAL

Once I have a good ‘feel’ for the project, the client and the budget, I prepare a contract and proposal to submit. The proposals I write follow a standard format, itemizing each element of the project and the amount of hours I estimate it will take, along with the corresponding price. I use a standard contract that I adjust as needed for the specific project. I have learned the hard way that it is VITALLY important every detail of what the client will get for what they pay is outlined clearly. Far too often there are changes and new directions made along the way that MUST be covered in the paperwork in order for everyone to walk out of the completed project satisfied and unscathed. This is for the good of the client and the designer. Any confusion will only lead to unhappy clients and/or disgruntled designers. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have everything in writing and in detail. Here are a couple great resources for things to be aware of at this stage:

• Freelance Design Contracts & Templates
  
• What to Include In Your Design Contracts

Again, I like to approach the concept of having everything in writing not just to protect myself, but more importantly to insure transparent communication and a universal understanding of what all parties are responsible for. This saves a lot of questions and potential disagreements in the long run.

THE MOCKUP

For me, this can be the most enjoyable part of the process or the absolute worst nightmare. Most often my experience has been the former, but every now and then there is a client who forgets they hired me because they don’t know how to do it themselves. There is a difference between someone who has a vision or a style they feel strongly about and someone who believes they should micro-manage every design decision along the way. In those cases I do my best to try to expand the client’s vision to include the aspects they have not yet considered or even knew existed. It is a serious challenge for most designers because we consider ourselves artists and therefore everything we design has the potential to become our ‘baby’. No one messes with your baby, right? But once again I am reminded of the value and the virtue of humility, so I try to work with the client to keep from changing their vision to fit mine and instead meld and shape the two together to find the best possible compromise. In the end, the client MUST be happy and satisfied with the work, so I do everything I can to work toward that goal. It is not always easy, but usually it ends up with everyone stretched somewhat and ultimately united.

THE BUILD

I have found that the most important step I can take for the client in this part of the process is communication. Constant, consistent, concise communication. This is usually the longest stage and the one in which the client has little or no visual update throughout. So I try to give regular – daily, if possible – updates regarding the current status of the project. That may mean a quick phone call or a morning email that just states which parts of the site we’ve completed and what’s being worked on that day. Usually the client doesn’t need any in-depth explanation. They just want to know that work is being done and you care about them enough to keep them updated. Think about it. Wouldn’t you?

THE LAUNCH

I realize I’m skipping the testing phase, but I never let the client participate in testing a site, at least not until I have completely tested it myself. The last thing the client wants is to click on a link that doesn’t work and begin to allow the doubts or questions to creep in. Of course, neither do I. I want the client’s first experience with their shiny new website to be one that excites and amazes them. I want it to have that new car smell and ride like it’s never been driven by another. So when it comes time to launch, I simply allow the client the final walk-through to be sure that everything is exactly as decided in the proposal stage, including any changes that were made along the way.

In my opinion, the launch should be a party. An experience. A day that is remembered by the client as money well spent to receive something that surpasses their original dreams and provides sustained anjoyment and satisfaction. I consider myself a frugal man, and whether I am buying new shoes or a new car, I want to enjoy the anticipation and excitement of the purchased item for as long as possible. So I want this experience to be no less for my clients. This means planning and making sure the site is not rushed into launching before its time. This also means celebrating the client’s success as a partner in the launch, instead of focusing my personal pleasure on the completion and payment for the project.

THE CONCLUSION

In the end, you can see that ultimately the “Golden Rule” prevails throughout the process. Contrary to popular belief, the client is not always right, and to treat them as such would be patronizing and usually end up with substandard results. But I do believe the client must always be satisfied. Whatever it takes. That’s how I want to be treated as a client and as a human being. So that’s how I treat my clients. And other human beings.

I would love to hear your thoughts and your own guidelines and experiences that have formed your client relationships. Please feel free to share in the comments below.