#1 Rule in Freelancing!
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- meffid0
Learn how to say no. In all respects.
- MHDC0
- identity0
Build relationships.
Be as interested, or more, about growing your client's bottom line.
Build value (profit, intellectual, leadership)
They know THEIR business better than you - listen to them.
Sometimes making the logo bigger, while argued against, is what's going to let them sleep at night. Build the work beyond a single assignment and you'll gain their trust to do it right the first time in the future.
Be empathetic.
Have a larger goal (freelance is great, running your own small shop is better).
Live beyond the critique, last minute changes and money haggling.
- Spot on. Apart from the bit about the Small Shop. This doesn't always suit everyone.breadlegz
- breadlegz0
LEARN TO SELL!!!!
I know you love your creativity, your design skillz and your Photoshop mastery... but 99% of clients want results.
If you want to make decent money and survive, don't position yourself as "just another designer".
- pango0
lot of you posted my 1 rule already. so i'll just post an advice.
"stay healthy and keep your energy up."
when i'm tired as shit and brain dead. it seriously reflects it on my work.
- Hombre_Lobo0
Mine are -
1) Always get a deposit up front. I like to split my total fee into thirds (one third up front, one third half way, one third before the handing over of final files), but naturally depends on the client, if its a studio they'll have their own terms.2) Even if you're busy and a dealine isn't for a while, read the entire brief and have a think about it as early as possible. Then even if your not working on it, it will be working it self out in the back of your mind. *high five subconscious*
3)reply to client emails ASAP, even if you can't do what they have asked for another week. I think it helps clients to know you are reachable and active.
Great thread guys, some ace advice in here.
- This. I follow these rules religiouslyMHDC
- I'd be happier if the freelancers I hire would follow #3formed
- I follow these even working in house.monospaced
- CALLES0
Always try to get intimate with your client.
- yurimon0
Make sure your sword is sharp. Chainmail is a must. I usually wear armor and chainmail.
freelance (n.)
free lance, free-lance, "medieval mercenary warrior," 1820 ("Ivanhoe"), from free (adj.) + lance (n.); apparently a coinage of Sir Walter Scott's. Figurative sense is from 1864; specifically of journalism by 1882.
- cannonball19780
Dont let them stack fear on your reputation. Aside from advertising, it's much harder for them to find you for the work than vice versa. As lOng as you can demonstrate quality and business value it's a professional's market.
- babaganush0
^
Great point. NEVER let a client give you the:
'Well so and so, said they will do it for x'.
or
'My nephew can do this on his home PC' crap.
It just exposes idiots that are going to beat best disrespectful and doubtlessly wasting your time.
A friend of mine had something like this with some big shit - I mean *shot banker...
The friends retort was:
' Yeah, I know what you mean. I do all my banking online now. Don't really see the point in paying people in banking'...
- breadlegz0
babaganush - absolutely. If you ever hear any of the statements like "if you do this cheap, there's more work in it for you", then you're going to get treated like crap for the whole process.
I've been there in my early freelance years and it was a painful experience.
The best way to get people to respect your opinion and skills though, is to first respect yourself.
It's likely that you know way more than the client about design, creativity and marketing (and sometimes how to actually run a business).
So keep working hard on your skills and have the confidence in yourself that working with you is one of the best decisions they can make!!!
Then double your costs ;)
- identity0
Back up your work and strategic decisions with applicable case-studies and examples of those who have done it well. Clients like to feel like they're not setting Off across the Atlantic for the first time in search of the new world.
Most of my advice comes down to a solid time-based strategy, and a reputation that clients new/old trust.
- uan0
'solid time-based strategy'<- I need to get there.
- ohhhhhsnap0
"Don't be a bottom"
- ...with the client i mean.ohhhhhsnap
- power bottom?MHDC
- what's that look like for freelancing?ohhhhhsnap
- rascuache0
Some awesome stuff in this thread. I'm new-ish to freelancing so it's pretty helpful. At the moment I'm trying to:
1. Not freak out when work gets quiet, accept that there will be an ebb and flow to my first couple of years while I build my clients & reputation...
2. Know when to say no (or: know what I'm worth), and not be afraid to turn work down or withdraw from/decline invitations to pitches if the conditions aren't right/money is shit etc.
3. Develop routines for the boring/less fun stuff - bookkeeping/banking/admin blah blah blah. (not doing tooo great at this).
4. Update folio regularly. (Totally failed at this for the last 6 months).
5. Show my work - be able to explain why I've taken every creative decision in a particular way makes it harder for clients to disagree for the sake of it. Same principle applies for itemised estimating & invoicing.
6. Talk to my peers as often as possible - contacts at subcontracting gigs, other friends in the business etc.
7. Generally, just be more like Mike. http://typotalks.com/video/2012/…
- Terrible advice - point 1... If quiet DO freak out and get more work!fadein11
- Hah, I'm not saying to just sit and wait for work to turn up, just not to panic when it goes quiet.rascuache
- #5 don't do this. it takes forever, and if the end product isn't right, no amount of process will make it right.monNom
- ...sometimes you just miss the mark. ask more questions next time. don't try to sell someone something they don't wanna buy.monNom
- ...buymonNom
- Of course. I agree with you about asking questions, and establishing as much as you can beforehand, I suppose this mostly refers to...rascuache
- ...mostly refers to the smaller individual details rather than an overall idea, and it's definitely not used to..rascuache
- ...push clients into something that's not right just for my own sake.rascuache