“Getting Clients”

For all my entrepreneurial and self-employed readers (which there are a few), I think this article is a great read.

It’s chapter two of a design-related book by Mike Monteiro called, “Getting Clients.”

Among the advice, like getting referrals and be pleasant but not nice, and do good work, he also says get your sales pitch down to a fast ball (not in those words).

He writes:

But if you sound really excited and confident about what you do when someone inquires in a perfunctory manner at a baby shower—and then you shut up—the person you are talking to might actually remember and recommend you when the occasion arises. This actually happens all the time.

Other advice includes, being visible, maintaining relationships and reflecting well on people who recommend you.

On being visible, I carry my camera as often as possible. Last night, we went to an opening party for a project we work on every year. People ask me to take their photos, I give them a card, they become a relationship that I can attempt to maintain.

I carry my iPhone and I say, “You gotta see this!” And I show them a photo of a hot model laying in grass draped in a snake and their eyes light up.

With a camera and an iPhone, I’m a walking advertisement. There’s no reason to be pushy, or show too much. But it’s important to do little salient things that people walk away from with an interested impression.

And just like advertising, you see a hundred ads for Coke and you may never buy one. Or you see a thousand and finally drink one. Companies advertise knowing that the return on investment works, and without visibility and frequency, forget about it.

What’s great about this article is it’s referring to the design industry, but it crosses over into other fields. It could even cross over into what you want to do with your life.