Studio Sales Work
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- r0b0c0p
Let's share how you get you studio (2 or more employee's) new clients. Mind you, a lot of the great clients come to you. But still, let's share the connection technique.
My main one:
1. Find a good Web site that needs some work
2. Go to the WhoIs, find e-mail address
3. Send personal e-mail, get no response, wait three days send another until I hopefully doI have to send out about 100 before I get 1 response. Make phone calls, people hang up on you. Use job boards, people want cheap labor.
SHARE YOURS!!!
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- version30
r0b0c0p = spammist
- d_rek0
1. Spam QBN
2. Watch the work pour in
- utopian0
Jim from Detroit has all of the answers.
- doesnotexist0
I focus on the work at-hand and wait for referrals to come to me.
- utopian0
• Create solid work
• Get yor work published everywhere for free
• Wait for the phone to ring off the hook
• Decline bottom feeder projects- Haha, while funny, this isn't far from the truth. How do you get it published?r0b0c0p
- http://rockpub.com/e…
commarts.com
printmag.com
netdiver.net
tec...utopian - clients don't read thesejohndiggity
- marketing and agency types do, and they can be clientsAmicus
- SigDesign0
In all seriousness, as a newbie to the world of obtaining design clients... does r0b0c0p's method of sending out emails to websites that need help actually work?
- version30
it's actually called spam, and i doubt it brings in enough revenue to covet the time wasted researching sites, trolling whois, and continually being ignored as he sends out his "hey i can help" letters
- r0b0c0p0
So then what do you do? If you can't contact people, your just suppose to sit around and wait for something to happen? Yeah right!! Companies have no idea about design firms, what they do, how good they are. It's your job to tell them.
Can someone tell me one way to get in touch with people? How are you suppose to develop a design firm, even if you are talked about on blogs, magazines, etc. Our clients don't read Print magazine, only designers do.
- dMullins0
You need to work on getting the word out via existing relationships, and I don't mean specifically through your current clients. We have a business development person on staff at my agency, and it's his sole job to get new clients. 99.9% of the time, it's through networking, and existing personal relationships.
Also, start doing daily searches for RFPs. State and federal departments are releasing multiple RFPs a day across the nation. Determine what your key industries are, and start doing research online for RFPs specific to that industry.
In other words, start doing things the legitimate, proven, successful, legal way. Trolling WHOIS and sending spam is likely to have a less than 1% ROI I have to imagine.
- dMullins0
If you really think that good clients don't attend seminars involving technology and design, you're incredibly wrong. Get some PR going for yourself. Write white papers. Get a blog. Get guest writers on your blog from industries you've worked with, or from past client relationships. Pay them to write a piece for you. Start a legitimate email marketing campaign.
Getting new work is not always easy, and your described method sounds like a logistical nightmare. I would never do this, and would laugh away anyone who does.
- d_rek0
*bookmarks thread
- Amicus0
emailing people with crap websites sounds counter intuitive to me. they have crap websites because they don't value, or know how to evaluate, quality design. Out of those few who actually return your email, don't you find another bunch who'll baulk at the price of good design, and many of those who actually use your services probably are terrible clients who waste your time.
- Amicus0
Network. network. network.
This is a word of mouth industry so brush up on your people skills, dress creatively, yet professionally and get out among young prospective clients at business seminars, breakfasts and conferences as often as you can. Better yet, find someone else who does this better than you and concentrate on doing good work, as fast as you can.
- gramme0
What kind of networking events do you guys attend? I've tried BNI, which seems almost like the Masons. Weird vibe there. I've also checked out Yellow Tie, which seems better only because there's no pressure to join. I'm not going to shell out $400/year for some club *before* having any idea if it will help grow my business.
At least here in STL, it seems most of the people who come to the above-mentioned events are older. That's not a bad thing, but there's a serious lack of younger people involved in younger, more forward-thinking/culturally-driv... organizations.
The St. Louis art museum has a Young Friends group that I might check out.
The trouble with many of these networking groups is that to really reap any kind of (supposed) benefits, you've gotta shell out some coin.
- Amicus0
If it's a breakfast for $40 or whatever you only need 1 job or one really good to lead to say it is worth it. These breakfasts are at least a 1000 times better than advertising.
If it's a drinks night then you are much more likely to bond over some crazy stories and the resulting rapport will be even better. Just make sure you don't get too rotten or you'll likely piss off all your potential clients.
- monNom0
1) Take up smoking
2) Hang around business tower plazas
3) Bum lights and chat with the business people
5) profit- trademark this. it's going to take off.airey
- fuck.... he left out step 4. what the hell is step 4??? I need to know!Amicus
- 4) Give blowjobsMilan
- YES!zenmasterfoo
- gramme0
Amicus, when you talk about these breakfasts, what organizations exactly are you referring to? As I mentioned, I've gone to networking breakfasts or "coffee and handshakes" events with BNI and Yellow Tie International. Neither have turned up results yet, although I've only been to one BNI group and two Yellow Tie events.
- you will never unless you hang with the cool people at the events.hektor911
- are you doing BNI now? quit now and save yourself some time and energy.doesnotexist
- no i have never been to those... actually first time to hear about thathektor911
- No, only went to one BNI meeting and will never go back.gramme
- r0b0c0p0
Can I just say that I am happy there is a thread that is actually contributing to this industry? People sharing success stories. This is truly helping me! I hope it's helping others.
- hektor9110
Network is differently good, but I do it a couple of times every 5 months or so. Most of my work comes from word of mouth... I don't event have an actual website... (who wants to do it for $500) lol
- gramme0
bump for Amicus