Start & Run a Creative Services Business. Susan Kirkland
the prestige he thought it would bring to his company. He got a lot of mileage at cocktail parties telling everybody he’d hired a big New York ad agency to handle his company’s account. But $500,000 is a lot to pay for boasting rights. He forgot the first rule of the fishbowl — if you want to be a big fish, find a small pond. Clients who want to be treated as if their work is important should hire talent that considers them important because they are the lifeblood of their operation — talent such as freelancers. A medium or small company always benefits by hiring freelancers because the client becomes the center of attention. As a freelancer, take advantage of this and sell yourself as hands-on management. The client who hires a freelance designer has immediate access to creative talent. Of course, when there is no one to pass the buck to, personal diligence becomes even more important. You must commit to and become responsible for your client’s happiness.
If you are willing to bend over backwards or jump through flaming hoops to corner the business, make sure you communicate this to potential clients. The upside is that a focused attitude means certain success. Remember, however, that professional relationships don’t allow for emoting; there just isn’t time. In a portfolio viewing, seize the moment and tell it like it is, because time is short and you may not get another chance. Don’t hint that you give good service; just say it outright and make your point. You must say there is nothing more important than your client’s project and that it will receive your undivided attention — whether or not this is true. Your client doesn’t need to know you have ten other projects. All the client needs to know is that you will finish his project on time and under budget to the best of your ability.
4. Promote Services via Your Portfolio
The best way to attract attention is to put your best foot forward. If your work is excellent and outshines the competition, show it off. A portfolio presentation is your chance to either show off your excellent work or, if your work’s not the best, show off your personality. And don’t be surprised if the meeting doesn’t go as you expect. I was referred to a new firm by an acquaintance who said: “I’ve had my fill of working with engineers and I just can’t face taking on another one. Would you like to introduce yourself to these guys?” I made an appointment to show my work. Portfolio showings are usually one-on-one meetings in a small cubicle. This time, much to my surprise, I was escorted to a large conference room with more than a dozen businesspeople seated around a big table. I stood at the head of the table and made the usual remarks about each piece as the black mount boards were passed from person to person. At the end of my talk, the principal of the group stood up and thanked me, complimented my work, and said, “And I think everyone will agree with me, it’s refreshing to meet someone in your field with a brain.” They all chuckled (which made me wonder who was there before me).
Best foot forward means just that. Show your strongest assets and use them to land the work. Business boomed at a local animation studio when management hired a pert blonde and a buxom redhead as client liaisons. In an area rife with gas and oil money, the clients stopped by just to visit and always looked for an excuse to drop off a job with these two. Sex appeal sells in advertising, so if you’ve got it, flaunt it. Just don’t go over the line of common sense and good taste.
Every portfolio presentation is the perfect opportunity to show enthusiasm for the client and the client’s project. Do some research on your client’s industry and his or her nearest competition. Then spend time putting your best ten sample pieces together (your “book”). Mount them on presentation board and practice what you’re going say about each piece. If you can’t think of what to say about a particular piece, leave it out. Use each description to convey a sense of enthusiasm for the work and for the experience you had with that particular client. This is also an excellent opportunity to sell creative services by showing how your creativity sold the other client’s product or service. Be positive and complimentary.
The presentation will be more interesting if you relay stories and details; to that end, share things you learned by doing each project. This gives the prospective client insight into both your creativity and your professionalism. If you don’t have strong language skills, let your work do the talking, pointing out details and focal points as you move from piece to piece.
Every portfolio presentation is the perfect opportunity to show enthusiasm for the client and the client’s projects.
One last piece of advice: No matter how tempted you are to say something bad about a previous client or professional peer, don’t. It will reflect badly on you and your working relationships. Your client will be left with a bad feeling and will associate it with you, not with the subject of your ill will. Speaking negatively will also show your prospective client you don’t respect the boundaries of professional courtesy and he may find himself on the other side of a similar rift. When in doubt, bite your lip.
How do you decide what to show in your portfolio? Here’s where a bit of advance research will pay off. Samples of your work communicate the marketable skills you’ve accumulated over the course of your career. They should show your versatility, but they should also be relevant to the client’s needs. Don’t show up for a portfolio presentation without knowing if your skill is being presented to a viable market. Said Barbara Bills, a longtime production manager at a big ad agency, “Kids show up in my office without a clue about how to market themselves, or if I’m even in the market for their skills.” Make sure there’s a need for what you’re selling where you’re selling it. Sometimes big agencies will ask you to drop off your book and leave it for a few days. This is common practice at the big-city agencies because, as you probably know, most work is on deadline and successful art directors are often pressed for time. Remember, though, sometimes your book never gets opened, and it might be a good idea to revisit agencies you never hear from. Don’t jump to the conclusion that they aren’t interested in your work or that they don’t need your skill set; it’s possible there just wasn’t an opportunity open long enough for them to see your work. Many freelance creatives don’t succeed simply because they give up as a result of assumptions that don’t apply.
Be persistent, keep going back; show you have a solid interest in developing a working relationship and your efforts will usually be rewarded. It also pays to have a promotional mailer ready to send a few days after they’ve seen your book to remind them that you’re available for assignments. Some creatives call it a leave behind. Don’t leave it behind, but use it as a follow-up mailer within the week. Waiting a few days to remind the client of your visit will reinforce your name and increase the likelihood of getting a first assignment.
For the perfect leave behind, try to create a soft-sell promotional piece that offers something to the recipient and quietly, secondarily, includes your contact information. That’s why calendars are popular at Christmastime. Most people keep them around for a year, giving the source free advertising in the process. Apply the same sensibility to your marketing piece and you, too, will create an enduring promotional piece. My promo pieces were always posters with full-size cartoons. They ended up on the wall, nicely framed, where everyone entering could see my name. You can’t beat that for continuous promotion around town, and the cartoons always lasted longer than the previous year’s calendar.
5. Guidelines for Building a Strong Portfolio
Build your portfolio so it sells your work even when you aren’t in the room to provide commentary. Here are some guidelines that will help you choose the right pieces and display them to your best advantage.
5.1 Select ten pieces of your best work
Portfolio showings should be short and sweet. Don’t overstay your welcome. For this reason, I suggest selecting no more than ten pieces of your best work for your portfolio. Don’t spend time convincing people that you’re right for the job. Let your work do the talking.
5.2 Show pieces that promote specific skills
If you are an excellent illustrator, show work that highlights your ability. Don’t expect a portfolio filled with strictly editorial design to bring in corporate publication work. If you’re particularly creative