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Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: Escapee Speaks Business, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 26 - 42 of 42
26. How to Protect Yourself with a Solid Contract


Before the holiday break, I published two articles examining the warning signs of a problem client and what to do about it.  Today I’d like to go into a little more detail about your best chance at protecting yourself, your Illustration work, and your freelance business: your contract.

If you’re not already, you should start taking your contract very seriously, because it’s your first line of defense if things go sour.  A bad situation is made immeasurably worse when there is no contract to turn to when it comes to settling differences with a troublesome client.  Tomorrow I’ll be posting some sample contracts for those who are interested, but I thought I’d outline some essential features of a solid contract.

Here are some things that you should consider including in your contract:

Project Details

Don’t skimp on the details when getting things in writing, because everything that happens from start to finish should be based on what is stated in the contract.

You should include such things as the number, size, and medium of the Illustrations, the project’s name, and the intended use of the artwork.  You should also clearly define the milestones/deadlines of each stage of the project and how many revisions are available to the client.

By outlining these details, you will be able to justify added fees when the client requests something above and beyond the original agreement.

Payment

In addition to your overall fee, you should clearly outline the process of payment.  For example, you may require half of the total price up front and a fraction of the remainder upon the delivery of each stage of the project.  It can also be helpful to state that your artwork cannot be used by the client until the balance is paid in full.  If these details aren’t in writing, you won’t be able to enforce them, and you might as well be doing spec work.

Kill Fee

A cancellation or “kill” fee should be determined so that you are guaranteed payment for the amount of work that you complete.  If you finish half of the project before the client decides to call it quits, you should be paid at least half of the total price, but you’d better put this in the contract to avoid a fight.

Rights Transferred

Are you selling the rights to use your work on a single print run of a T-shirt, or does the client own the artwork outright?  Be sure to make this clear in the contract, especially if you intend to use the Illustration for your own purposes in the future.

Credits and Copies

You should also agree upon whether you’ll receive written credit for your work, and if you’ll receive book copies, tear sheets, or other products created with your artwork as part of your payment.

Contact Info

This may sound like a no-brainer, but whether you’re working with an individual or a company, be sure to get the contact info and signature of at least one person who will be responsible for payment and any other obligations.

Protect Yourself

5 Comments on How to Protect Yourself with a Solid Contract, last added: 1/8/2010
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27. Setting Up Your Business for the New Year


Today is a new day for your Illustration business.

It’s more than a cliche to say that the new year is the perfect time to revisit and refresh your Freelance career.

In general, people tend to use this time to reflect on the past year and think about what they would like to take with them into the future, and what they would like to leave behind.  This can be applied to every aspect of your life, but today we’ll be looking at how it can improve your business.

The idea is to regularly take some time out to step back and evaluate where you are, where you want to be, and how you want to get there.

Here are some ways that you can revitalize your business for the new year:

Take Stock

As I mentioned earlier, one of the first things that you should do is take some time and space to step away from your business.  That way you can return to it with an outside perspective and reevaluate what is working and what is not.  Some possible areas of focus might be your portfolio, your marketing strategies, your current style and skill level, etc.  Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in the day to day tasks and lose sight of the big picture, so making this step a priority can help you to keep your eyes on the prize, whatever that may be for you.

This is also a great time to address any frustrations that you’ve been putting off dealing with throughout the year.  After a while, we tend to accept pesky annoyances as part of our daily life.  This can become a problem when one or more of them decreases the effectiveness of your business.  It’s time to face the music and clear out any bad habits or working conditions.

Clean House

We all know how quickly physical and mental clutter can build up and cloud our creative process and our daily focus.  The New Year is an ideal time to get rid of anything that distracts you or devalues your business.  This means cleaning up your studio, your computer desktop, and your brain.  Give yourself the room you need to succeed by organizing your workspace and your thoughts.  This will make you more focused, efficient, and sane.

Make Lists

It’s no secret that daily lists are often used to increase productivity, but taking a broader approach as you refresh your business can help to organize your thoughts and aspirations for the short and long term future.  Take some time to outline your goals and responsibilities for the coming weeks, months, and years in order to relieve the mental burden of keeping them in your memory banks and allow you to visualize an overall business strategy.

Organize Your Time

If your current schedule isn’t working for you, now is a great time to make any necessary adjustments.  Are you not devoting enough time to your most important tasks?  Are you wasting hours every week checking your email or drooling over the work of other artists?  Are you not taking enough breaks or time off?  If so, rearranging your schedule might help you to get things done and live a happier, more balanced life.

Learning is Growing

Expanding your knowledge and experience is a valuable activity that will enhance your value as a creative professional and increase the effectiveness of your business.  Take some time to learn more about freelance business, Illustration, Design, or whatever you think might help you progress in the new year.  This can be done through books, 2 Comments on Setting Up Your Business for the New Year, last added: 1/5/2010

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28. Is Your Art Rep Doing Anything For You?


Art reps or agencies can be very beneficial to your Illustration career, because they can take care of all the mundane details, allowing you to focus on your creative brilliance.

But you have to find the right one.

There are some people out there who market themselves as art reps, but who make their Illustration clients do all of the work while taking a substantial portion of the profits from the artist.

I recently received an email question from Illustrator Eddy Crosby, in which he voiced concern about his current relationship with an Illustration agency:

Earlier this year I joined an illustration agency for the first time. I signed a one year contract. I have received two requests for jobs via the agency but not in the manner i expected. In these two occasions i have received an email with attached brief.

The email would say something to the effect of:

“If you would like to be considered for this job please do a rough and send it in.  If the client likes your rough you have a good chance of getting the assignment.”

The email makes it clear that this “job offer” has been sent to the other illustrators as well. The agency has about twenty illustrators on their books.

Basically i am competing with the other illustrators (who are with the agency) in a sort of open call.  My understanding of an agency is that they find right illustrator for the right job. I didn’t expect every job to be a sort of competition! To me this seems like doing spec work but since this is my first time with an agent i am not sure if this is common or accepted practice?

Do you know if it is? I would certainly appreciate your views on this.

Thanks to Eddy Crosby for agreeing to let me share this with the EFII community.  His playful Illustration work can be found at eddycrosby.com.

An art rep who asks for spec work?

In my opinion, this is a bad situation all around.

Eddy’s story screams the words “SPEC WORK”, and the fact that his artist agency would ask their Illustrators to compete for projects without a guarantee of payment is shameful in this industry.

Your art rep is supposed to work with you to find projects that fit your style, and help you to secure new work.  In an ideal situation, your relationship with your art rep is a mutually beneficial arrangement where both parties work together towards overlapping goals.

In my opinion, the scenario that Eddy described is unethical and out of sync with good business practices in the Illustration and Graphic Design industries.  Eddy is right to feel like something is wrong.  I would recommend ending that relationship, or at least not participating in future calls for spec work.

What do you think?

Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Illustration courtesy of Eddy Crosby.

Related Posts:

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29. The 8th Element of an Effective Portfolio Website


Escapee Speaks:

In a recent post, I outlined the 7 Elements of an Effective Portfolio Website, and in the comments of the section on site design, Illustrator Michelle Lana posted a link to her website, asking for my opinion.

Michelle’s portfolio website brought to mind an 8th Element of an effective portfolio website:

Personal Style

Upon visiting her site, I was instantly struck by the unique voice that was presented.  You really felt like you might be entering her creative world, which is an incredibly effective way to draw her audience in closely to see what she has to offer.

The most effective aspect of this approach is that her Illustration work fits right into the style of the site in a way that is really only possible by expressing your personal creative vision through your site design.

In addition to Michelle Lana’s method, there are many ways to make your website feel like it has your creative stamp, and I encourage you to visit your favorite Illustrators’ websites to see the varying degree to which this element is being used, and to what effect.  When it is done well, the personal style of an Illustrator’s portfolio website can help to plant the artist in the memory of an Art Director for future recall.

That is what personal branding is all about.

Escapee has spoken.

How do you present your personal style?  I invite you to share your thoughts in the comments.

Related Post:

How to Find Your Own Style

7 Elements of an Effective Portfolio Website

Explorations of Style: 5 Illustration Voices Speak

Read More Escapee Speaks Inspiration

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2 Comments on The 8th Element of an Effective Portfolio Website, last added: 12/10/2009
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30. Successful Client-Freelancer Working Relationships


Following up on EFII’s recent series, How to Educate Your Clients, I thought I’d highlight a recent post by Brian Casel over at Freelance Switch entitled Rules for Successful Client-Freelancer Working Relationships.

The article speaks to the client who is hiring the freelancer, but I recommend that you read it because it will help you to know what you should expect from your clients and what you deserve as a freelancer.

Do you have any stories of dream clients?  How about the opposite?

Feel free to share below.

Related Posts:

8 Best Freelance Business Online Resources

How to Educate Your Clients

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31. Escapee Speaks: Things to Consider When Pricing Your Work


Pricing Your Work is Hard.

There’s a lot to think about, and it can be tricky to find the right balance between making your  clients run the other way and working for less than you deserve.

I can’t tell you what to charge for a given project, but I can highlight some factors that you should consider when coming up with your next quote.

Keeping the following things in mind will help you to get as close as you can to a fair and reasonable rate that will sustain your freelance business:

Cost of Living

Obviously, you need to put your survival first, so do you best to figure out the bare minimum that you need to earn per month in order to keep up with your expenses.

Industry Standards

What is the going rate for the project at hand, what do your peers charge, and where do you fall within that range?

Complexity and Scope of Project

How difficult is the Illustration and how long will it take you to complete?  (Try to pad this answer, as most Illustrators underestimate the number of hours involved.)

Number of Revisions

How many times will you be required to go back and forth with the client?

Usage

What is the intended purpose of the Illustration, and what value will it provide for the client?

Rights Transferred

Are you selling all rights to use the Illustration for anything, anywhere, or just for one specific purpose?

Your Experience / Reputation

How much can you charge based on the demand of your work, if any?

Perceived Difficulty of Client

Some Artists refer to this as the Pain-in-the-Butt Fee, and it can help you to tolerate an otherwise taxing relationship.

The Client’s Budget

What can your client afford, and how can you accomodate their needs?

The Takeaway

Obviously, the intention of this post is not to answer all of these questions for you, but rather to help you to know which questions to ask when coming up with a quote for your next project.  There is plenty more here to talk about in future posts, so stay tuned.

Escapee has spoken.

Now it’s your turn to share.

How do you determine your rates?

Have you ever used the Pain-in-the-Butt charge?

I invite you to share your thoughts in the comments below.

Related Posts:

Marketing Lessons from Fast Food Chains

Read More Escapee Speaks Business.

Who is this Escapee guy anyway?

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32. Escapee Speaks: How To Educate Your Clients Part 4 – Sharing Further Knowledge


This is Part 4 of the 4-Part series, How to Educate Your Clients, where we will examine the important role that education plays in your Freelance Illustration business. I’ll be releasing the future articles in the series over the next 4 days. If you’d like to follow along, simply bookmark this page, because I’ll be updating the links in the list below to direct you to those topics as I post them. If you prefer, you can follow updates via email or RSS.

Sharing Further Knowledge

Would you like to get referrals from your clients?

How about testimonials?

If this is something you would benefit from, then this article is for you, because it’s all about the difference between a satisfied client and an ecstatic client.  The best way to make someone want to talk about their great experience of working with you is to go above and beyond to help them to succeed.

After all, they hired you to fulfill their needs.

To be honest, sometimes creating awesome Illustration work isn’t enough to evoke praise from your clients.  This is because they hired you based on the quality of your portfolio, so they pretty much knew what to expect.  Therefore, it’s a good idea to surprise and delight them by going the extra mile to help them in ways that they didn’t see coming.

Helping Your Clients Succeed

It’s probably obvious to most Illustrators that when a client succeeds with the help of the Illustration or Design that you created for them, it is good for your own business as well.  Most of this shared success comes from exposure and more great work for your portfolio.

What is often overlooked is the concept of doing whatever you can to assist your client in other aspects of their project, such as printing, self-publishing, or promotion.

The benefit of this added service is that you are increasing the chances that the project will be executed in a way that presents your work in the most flattering light.  Also, you are impressing the client with both your expertise and your generosity. These are the things that they will remember when sharing their experience with their friends or responding to a request for a referral.

How to Apply This to Your Next Project

The next time you finish your work on a project, ask if the client needs any recommendations for quality printing services, advice on self-publishing, or assistance in creating a blog to promote their new book or product.  Chances are, they would love to hear anything you have to say, especially if this is a new venture for them.

I’m not suggesting that you spend a lot of time doing free work, but many Illustrators have already done this type of research for past clients or projects of our own.  Therefore, sharing links or mentioning things to watch out for will probably be the easiest thing you’ve done for this client, and the payoff can be huge.  Not to mention, they may even end up hiring you to create that blog design they need, or to provide consulting for their promotional efforts.  If you let this chance go by without at least exploring the possibility, they may end up going elsewhere for these services.

Making Use of Your Knowl

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33. Escapee Speaks: How to Educate Your Clients Part 3 – Spec Work


This is Part 3 of the 4-Part series, How to Educate Your Clients, where we will examine the important role that education plays in your Freelance Illustration business. I’ll be releasing the future articles in the series over the next 4 days. If you’d like to follow along, simply bookmark this page, because I’ll be updating the links in the list below to direct you to those topics as I post them. If you prefer, you can follow updates via email or RSS.

Spec Work

To many Illustrators, these are the two filthiest four-letter words in the industry.

Part of the reason is that every day clients are asking artists to create work without guaranteeing that it will be used, or more importantly, that they will be paid.

The fact is, spec work is never going away.  No matter how much you may disagree with the ethics involved, some clients will still be requesting this lowly form of free work until the end of time.  You can, and in my opinion should, avoid doing spec work like the plague that it is.  Many professionals claim that it devalues the industry, and to those who would debate this, I would say that at the very least, it certainly devalues your own worth as an Illustrator.

There are two main reasons that spec work will always exist:

1.  There will always be Illustrators who will agree to do spec work.

2.  Most clients who ask for spec work don’t know or understand that it is bad, or why.

While all the education in the world won’t alleviate the hunger that drives artists to accept spec work, there are healthy ways to refuse to work for free while teaching your potential clients at the same time.

Some Misconceptions About Spec Work

Some creative professionals will react to a request for spec work by attacking or insulting the person asking for it.  I understand the anger that spec work evokes, but this response assumes that the client is knowingly trying to take advantage of hungry artists.  While this may or may not be the case, I propose that it’s a better idea to give the client the benefit of the doubt.

As Illustrators, we hear the term spec work spat out of each others’ mouths everyday with enough distaste to make our mothers cringe.  Because of this, it’s easy to forget that many of the people who ask for spec work have probably never heard the term before in their lives.  They simply don’t live in our world.

Therefore, rather than persecute them, we can take the opportunity to educate them and maybe even get them to pay for our services.

How You Can Enlighten the Lost

Before I share my own personal approach to educating my clients, I’d like to highlight two resources where you can find more information:

  • No!Spec (no-spec.com) – A campaign that takes a very aggressive stance on spec work and strives to spread the word.
  • AIGA – The professional association for design shares its position on spec work and offers a sample letter to send in response to spec work.

Now I’ll share an example of how I generally respond to a client who requests spec work via email:

Thank you for contacting me.  I would love to discuss your project in greater detail.  Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to create work on speculation, because my time is reserved for my paying clients.  That being said, I stand by the quality of the work in my portfolio, and if you’d like to commision me to create comps before you commit to hiring me for the overall project, I’m happy to negotiate a reasonable rate.

I look forward to the possibility of working with you.

What I like about this response is that it assumes the client’s innocence, asserts the value of my time, and opens the door to a fair, contracted relationship.  Of course, if they are not interested in these terms, they will simply move on.  At the very least, they will hopefully get the impression that if they want something of value, they are going to have to pay for it, without me having to confront them in a negative way.

More often than not, clients with good intentions will in turn hire me to create comps, and sometimes more.

Assert and Avert

Whatever strategy you use, taking the time to educate potential clients about spec work will help to encourage them to pursue ethical business practices and turn away those who would rather waste your valuable time for no pay.  In the meantime, you can make this task a little easier by asking your fellow Illustrators to do the same.

Escapee has spoken.

Check back tomorrow to find out how to educate your clients about Spec Work.

Now it’s your turn to share.

Do you take the time to explain industry standards?

How do you justify your price quotes?

I invite you to share your thoughts in the comments below.

Read more of How to Educate Your Clients.

Read More Escapee Speaks Business.

Who is this Escapee guy anyway?

2 Comments on Escapee Speaks: How to Educate Your Clients Part 3 – Spec Work, last added: 11/19/2009
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34. Escapee Speaks: How to Educate Your Clients Part 1 – The Creative Process


This is Part 1 of the 4-Part series, How to Educate Your Clients, where we will examine the important role that education plays in your Freelance Illustration business. I’ll be releasing the future articles in the series over the next 4 days. If you’d like to follow along, simply bookmark this page, because I’ll be updating the links in the list below to direct you to those topics as I post them. If you prefer, you can follow updates via email or RSS.

The Creative Process

Throughout your Illustration career, it is likely that you will be contracted by clients who have never worked with a creative professional before.  Therefore it is important to be able to shed some light on the creative process.  In fact, even when working with those who know how to work with an Illustrator, it is a valuable practice to educate them about your own personal process.  As stated in the introduction, it always helps when everyone knows what is expected of them, as well as how the project might unfold.

How Do You Describe Your Creative Process?

A great way to do this right off the bat is at the point of your initial contact, which is often through your portfolio website.  For more about this, read my article on the importance of including a Process page on your site.

In addition to this, I find value in outlining my approach when I first speak with them on the phone or via email.  This lays the groundwork for the project and helps to instill confidence in the clients who are less familiar with how to proceed.  Naturally, your personal style will dictate the way you tackle a given project, but in general it helps to explain such things as how you will gather information and produce concept art, as well as how your client might approach the revision process.

As a further measure, I like to reinforce this knowledge at each stage or milestone to make sure everyone stays on the same page.

Explaining Concept Art

In the beginning stages of a project, most Illustrators produce conceptual sketches that far from resemble the finished product, and this can be difficult for some clients to comprehend.  After all, they’re paying you for something that doesn’t yet exist, and the quality of concept art is generally inferior to what they will eventually receive.

Therefore, it’s important to explain the way that they should look at the first work that you produce.  Try to encourage them to look at the basic ideas that are being represented in the drawings, instead of the level of detail or rendering of form (or lack thereof).  You may find yourself holding their hand much more through this stage, but doing your best to make your intentions clear from the start, and reminding them that the quality of work that they hired you for is still just around the corner, will help them to take the leap of faith necessary to see the bigger picture.

When you make the effort to educate your clients about the ways to interpret the initial concept art, you will decrease the amount of frustration that comes from an unsatisfactory response, or a request to improve small details in particular parts of the drawing that aren’t ready for that level of attention.

One way to get this point across might be to show the progressing stages from a previous project.  This can help your client to see how your ideas develop over time, eventually surfacing as a compelling work of art.

Paving the Road

I encourage you to consider doing this extra work early on, as it will help your client to understand you and communicate with you about their needs.  Anything you do to smooth the road ahead can be seen as an investment in a successful outcome that exceeds the expectations of your clients and makes your job more rewarding along the way.

Escapee has spoken.

Check back tomorrow to find out how to educate your clients about Industry Standards.

Now it’s your turn to share.

Do you take the time to explain your creative process?

How do you approach concept art?

I invite you to share your thoughts in the comments below.

Read more of How to Educate Your Clients.

Read More Escapee Speaks Business.

Who is this Escapee guy anyway?

Follow EFII updates via email or RSS.

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35. Escapee Speaks: How to Educate Your Clients – Introduction


This is the introduction to the 4-Part series, “How to Educate Your Clients”, where we will examine the important role that education plays in your Freelance Illustration business.  I’ll be releasing the future articles in the series over the next 4 days.  You can read Part 1 here.If you’d like to follow along, simply bookmark this page, because I’ll be updating the links in the list below to direct you to those topics as I post them.  If you prefer, you can follow updates via email or RSS.

Why is Education Important?

In order to increase your chances of a successful working relationship with your clients, it is crucial that everyone understands what is expected of them, as well as how the project will likely unfold.  Taking the time to educate your clients will help to make them more comfortable with the process of working with a creative professional and smooth out any potential bumps in the road ahead.  Illustrators should consider the sharing of knowledge to be an integral part of the services they offer.  After all, we are more than just artists.  As contractors, we are often required to provide project management, and even consulting, to help ensure the success of a project.

It’s important to point out that each client will require varying degrees of this type of education, and the more seasoned clients, such as Art Directors, will likely require none at all.  The key is to always operate from the mindset of a professional who is willing to share knowledge in order to enhance the experience of the creative process and maximize the potential for a successful outcome.

First, Educate Yourself

Naturally, the idea is not to assume that you are smarter or more experienced than your clients, and it is equally important to remain open to the opportunities to learn from them as well.  The purpose of this series is rather to help to bridge any knowledge gap that lay between you and a successful collaborative experience.

Part of this is making sure to educate yourself on the various aspects of Illustration.  This will be a constant endeavor throughout your career, and will make you an increasingly effective artist, consultant, and project manager.

Also, if you are ever faced with a question that you don’t know the answer to, try to be equipped with ways of finding the knowledge you may lack by making education a continuing part of your life as an Illustrator.

So, What Knowledge Should You Be Prepared to Share?

To begin with, it will be valuable to have the ability to educate your clients on the creative process, industry standards, the concept of spec work, and any further knowledge that may be of use to them now or in the future.

Click on the links below as they are made available over the next 4 days to learn how to educate your clients in the following areas:

The Creative Process

Industry Standards

Spec Work

Further Knowledge

Be sure to check back over the next 4 days as the further parts of the series are released.

Read More Escapee Speaks Business

Who is this Escapee guy anyway?

Follow EFII updates via email or RSS.

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36. Escapee Speaks: Marketing Lessons from Fast Food Chains


Today I’d like to explore the lessons that we can learn about marketing from the world of fast food restaurants, and how you can apply it to your Illustration business.

Stay with me.

After all, it’s a good idea to draw inspiration from everywhere you can, both for your Illustrations and your business.  The fact is that whether you eat at fast food restaurants or not, they are doing some things very right to grow their business.  There wouldn’t be so many of them if they weren’t.  In the future, I’ll be looking at the things that they have done horribly wrong, so that you can avoid the same mistakes.

So, for those who stuck around, let’s take a look.

Would You Like Fries With That?

The Concept

I don’t know about you, but I would ALWAYS “like fries with that.”

Fast Food restaurants know the power of upselling.  When a customer is already ordering a meal, this simple question can potentially add a couple of bucks to every sale.  Multiply this by billions of customers and you’ve got quite a profit.

How this applies to your Illustration Business

At any point in a project, it’s a good idea to offer further services to your client.  For example, in addition to Illustration you could offer to help them with layout design, printing, website design, and even how to market their new product or business.  These are all things that you might have some degree of knowledge of by virtue of running your own business.  Don’t offer something that you can’t deliver, and don’t bludgeon them with suggestive selling, but let them know about other services that they might have looked elsewhere to get.

The Dollar Menu

The Concept

We’ve all been there.  Stuck in traffic with a rumbling in our tummy and 2 dollars in change in the ashtray.  But wait!  Burger Czar has a Dollar Menu!  Salvation is here.

How this applies to your Illustration Business

Sometimes a client’s budget is way below the price you’ve quoted.  Rather than go your separate ways, try slimming down your services to cut their costs.  For example, suggest a black & white version of their full-color Illustration idea, offer less revisions, or extend the deadline.  Chances are the client never considered these options, and it can help you to get more work without compromising your rates.

The Drive Thru

The Concept

The invention of the Drive-Thru made it easier for people to buy fast food.  While you may question whether or not that has been good for our health, it’s hard to deny it’s effect on increasing sales.

How this applies to your Illustration Business

Consider taking steps to automate certain aspects of your business to make it more convenient for your clients’ busy schedules.  Some examples of this might be including a contact form on your website, accepting payment through PayPal, or using online invoicing services.  The time you save them might make them more likely to hire you for “rush” projects in the future.

Marketing Tips To-Go

Obviously, there are tactics that you wouldn’t want to glean from fast food chains, and I’ll be talking about some of these in a future post, but there are always sources of inspiration to be found in the world around you if you’re paying attention.

Escapee has spoken.

Now it’s your turn to share.

Can you think of other marketing ideas to borrow from fast food chains?

Where do you find inspiration?

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Who is this Escapee guy anyway?

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37. Escapee Speaks: An Effective Portfolio Website Part 7 – The Call to Action


This article is part 7 of the series entitled 7 Elements of an Effective Portfolio Website, which aims to encourage Illustrators to consider some crucial features when building or refining their portfolio websites.  You can find the rest of the series here.

In previous parts of this series, we’ve focused on how to approach the design of your website, image gallery, and About page.  We’ve shown a proven record of successful projects, given them the opportunity to dig a little deeper with a blog, and even educated them on how we work.  So how do you get them to take the most crucial step of all?

The Call to Action

We’re going to assume for the purpose of this post that you’ve maximized the potential of your portfolio website and instilled in your visitor at least a faint interest in contacting you.  The best way to throw it all away is to leave out any means of doing so.  This may sound silly, but I really have seen some Illustrators fail to have their contact info in a prominent location on their site.

It’s important to remember that up to this point the potential client has been operating in a mostly passive state, taking things in and looking for reasons that they should not contact you.  Once you’ve gotten their attention you need to make it as easy as possible for them to switch to the more active state that is required to initiate contact.  That is the only thing that will move you towards your goal of closing the deal.

The least you should do is make your contact information visible.  This part is easy, but you can do so much more to inspire action, such as create a contact page and link to it from the other pages of your site.

The Importance of a Contact Page

It’s a wise business move to have your contact info on every page of your site, as long as you’re not being obnoxious by throwing it in front of your visitor’s face.  One thing to keep in mind, however is that people are conditioned to look for a contact page, especially Art Directors who look at a lot of online portfolios every day.

Another great reason to use a contact page is to have a place to post multiple means of contacting you.  If you are active on social media sites, for example, you can include links to your profiles elsewhere online.  The benefit of this is that different people are more comfortable with different forms of communication. Also, a potential client may not be ready to hire you right away, but they may want to connect with you through social networking to initiate a relationship and keep you on their radar.

Here are the forms of contact that I list on my contact page:

Phone

Email

Twitter

Facebook

LinkedIn

design:related

Biznik

If I posted all of these on every page of my site, it would have a negative effect on my overall design. The contact page, however, is made just for that purpose.

The Contact Form

The absolute best thing that you can do to increase the chances of your visitor contacting you is to include a contact form on your site.  People live busy lives in this day and age, and by inviting a potential client to fill out a form right then and there instead of having to login to their email account, you are making it as quick and easy as you possibly can for them to start a dialogue, which is the point of all the effort that you’ve put into your website.

Inspiring Action

There is nothing in this post that is rocket science, but by providing an easy path to initiating contact, you are increasing your chances of connecting with your visitor on a human level and potentially landing a project and building a lasting relationship with a new client.  The small steps outlined here can have a big impact on the effectiveness of your site.

The Effective Portfolio Website

The goal of this 7 part series has been to help you to maximize the potential of your portfolio website.  After putting so much time, energy, and hard work into your beautiful Illustrations, you deserve to show them off in a flattering light.  Your website should be something that you are proud to lead people to, and that gives you the best possible opportunity to reach your target audience.

I hope that these articles have encouraged you to revisit your approach to your marketing efforts.  Thank you for taking the time to read them.  Please tell me what you think about this series in the comments below.  It will help me in my efforts to provide useful content in the future.

Stay informed about the next series on EFII, How to Educate Your Clients, by following updates via email or RSS.

Now it’s your turn to share.

What do you include in your Contact Page?

How do you encourage your visitors to contact you?

Is there anything I’m missing here?

Read more of the 7 Elements of an Effective Portfolio Website.

Follow EFII updates via email or RSS.

4 Comments on Escapee Speaks: An Effective Portfolio Website Part 7 – The Call to Action, last added: 11/13/2009
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38. Escapee Speaks: An Effective Portfolio Website Part 6 – The Process Page


This article is part 5 of the series entitled 7 Elements of an Effective Portfolio Website, which aims to encourage Illustrators to consider some crucial features when building or refining their portfolio websites. You can find the rest of the series here.

In previous parts of this series, we’ve focused on how to make the most of your website designimage gallery, and About page, as well as the benefits of including testimonials and a blog.

Now we’re going to explore the reasons that you should consider using your site to educate your potential clients on your creative process.

The Process Page

In addition to marketing your portfolio website to seasoned Art Directors, it’s a good idea to cater to potential clients who may have never worked with an Illustrator before.  This second group of individuals includes self-publishing authors, business owners in search of a logo design, musicians in need of album cover art, etc.  These types of people may be uneasy about trusting an Illustrator with their project, as well as uncertain about how the process works, how much it will cost, and how long it will take.

While you may not be able to answer every question your visitor has about their particular project, an outline of your creative process can help to make them more comfortable with the idea of working with an artist, and possibly even more likely to hire you.

A Transparent Approach

The idea here is to start a dialogue with the potential client by lifting the veil of mystery while sharing some vital insight about what it might be like to work with you.  The fact that most Illustrators don’t take the time to do this will automatically help you to stand out from the crowd of other professionals that they’ve been considering.

By shedding some light on the steps involved in working with an Illustrator you can win points with your visitor because you are already providing a valuable service for free.  Education is an aspect of the Illustration business that is often overlooked by most, partly because we spend so much time in our own little worlds that we tend to forget that the Illustration process isn’t necessarily common knowledge.  You may remember that before you started out, you probably had no clue yourself as to how this industry works, or what an Illustrator actually does.

What Should Your Process Page Say?

It’s important to keep things simple when outlining your process, remembering that you can go into much greater detail when you meet with your client for the first time in person or over the phone.

In general, you should share the basic steps that you take in order to nurture a project from concept to completion, such as the initial meeting, creation of concept art, revision stages, completion of final artwork, followup, etc.  You can of course take your own personal approach to the way you want to share your process, and you can include it in your About page or designate a specific place for it on your website.

Here are two examples of different ways of sharing your  process:

My Process page at ThomasJamesIllustration.com

Holly DeWolf’s About page at HollyDeWolf.com

You can see that these are two different variations on a theme, but the intent is the same.  On my website, I have even chosen to go a step further by beginning to write an educational series called How to Work with an Illustrator.  This is because I feel that there is a lack of this type of information available, and because I consider educating and consulting my clients to be a major part of the services I offer.

Greasing the Wheels

Including a description of your creative process can go a long way to presenting yourself as a professional, increasing your chances of landing more projects, and smoothing out the experience of working with your clients.  When both parties are clear about what to expect from a working relationship your job as an Illustrator will be much easier, and the potential for a successful project will be far greater.

Escapee has spoken.

Now it’s your turn to share.

Do you have a Process Page?

Is there some other way that you reveal your creative process?

Is there anything I’m missing here?

Check back tomorrow to read Part 7 of the series – The Call to Action

Read more of the 7 Elements of an Effective Portfolio Website.

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0 Comments on Escapee Speaks: An Effective Portfolio Website Part 6 – The Process Page as of 11/10/2009 12:09:00 PM
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39. Escapee Speaks: An Effective Portfolio Website Part 5 – The Blog


This article is part 5 of the series entitled 7 Elements of an Effective Portfolio Website, which aims to encourage Illustrators to consider some crucial features when building or refining their portfolio websites. You can find the rest of the series here.

In previous parts of this series, we’ve focused on how to make the most of your website designimage gallery, and About page.  We’ve even gone a step further in making our case as a seasoned professional by including a list of recent projects and testimonials.

Now that you’ve proven your worth as an Illustrator, how do you get your visitor even more invested in your work and present yourself as a prolific, motivated, and dynamic artist?

The Blog

Let’s face it.  No matter how awesome your portfolio website is, for all your visitor knows everything they find there may have been created 5 years ago.  Your website is a static, timeless environment that offers no clues as to your continuing activities as an artist.  Also, if a potential client bookmarked your site last year only to return to find that nothing has changed, how do they even know that you’re still alive?

This may be a dramatic way of putting it, but the fact is that a blog can add a dynamic layer to the more rigid format of your site, while providing a forum to update your followers on your recent news and developments.  It can also be a place where you can loosen up a bit, write in a more casual way, and even inject some personality or humor.

Without diving too deep into the topic of search engine optimization, it’s also important to point out that since blogs are generally updated more frequently than websites, they will rank higher in search engines like Google, making it easier for people to find you online.

What Should You Blog About?

Your blog posts should primarily be about your current events as an Illustrator, such as recently finished projects, collaborations, interviews, new personal work, new studio space, etc.  The idea is to present yourself as a working artist who is constantly creating, evolving, and hopefully making waves in the Illustration community.  If something exciting happens, take advantage of it by sharing it with your audience.

Another great use of your blog is to promote yourself as an expert in your field by writing tutorials for your fellow Illustrators.  This will not only show a level of mastery of your style or medium, but will also help you to connect with other artists who find your content useful.  A similar approach is to create a post outlining your process on a particular project.  Opening a window to your creative methods can have the combined effect of educating and entertaining your audience, which will increase their chances of coming back for more.

Your blog can also be your place to post work that you wouldn’t normally include in your portfolio, because you’re not trying to blow anyone&

2 Comments on Escapee Speaks: An Effective Portfolio Website Part 5 – The Blog, last added: 11/9/2009
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40. Escapee Speaks: An Effective Portfolio Website Part 4 – The Testimonial


This article is part 4 of the series entitled 7 Elements of an Effective Portfolio Website, which aims to encourage Illustrators to consider some crucial features when building or refining their portfolio websites. You can find the rest of the series here.

In previous parts of this series, we’ve focused on how to make the most of your website design, image gallery, and About page.  Now that you’ve impressed them with your work and told them about who you are, how do you prove that you’re not just fancy pictures and big talk?

The Testimonial

As you probably know, working as a professional Illustrator is more than just drawing pretty pictures.

Nurturing a project from concept to completion requires listening, understanding, collaborating, conceptualizing, revising, communicating, re-revising, and long hours of hard work.  A potential client needs some sort of sign that you’ve done this before.  After all, you’re asking them to pay for a service that they’ve never seen in action and a product that doesn’t yet exist.  A portfolio full of stunning work doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve created work for anyone besides yourself, and sometimes an Art Director needs a little more proof before they decide that you’re worth their valuable time.  As I mentioned in previous parts of this series, Art Directors look at a lot of portfolio websites everyday, and they need to have certain requirements met in their mind before taking things to the next level.

Two Forms of Proof

In order to instill confidence in your visitor that you’re the right person for the job, it can be extremely helpful to show them either a list of recent projects, client testimonials, or both.  I’m grouping these two forms of proof into one article because they are both good ways to show a record of successful projects that you have completed for other clients.

Record of Success

The easiest way to prove some level of experience is to include a list of recent projects or clients.  This shows that it’s not your first time around the block, and it’s also a good opportunity to brag about any well-known clients you may have worked for.  It might even be a good idea to briefly describe the types of projects, such as book cover, logo design, T-shirt design, etc.  If you’re just starting out with your Illustration career, it’s probably not a good idea to have a list of recent projects that is only two or three items long, unless of course you have worked with some big name clients.  This only has the opposite effect of highlighting your inexperience, so it’s better to wait until you’ve got something to talk about. Until then, you can focus on making the most of the other areas of your site.

Social Proof

An even more impressive form of validation is a list of client testimonials.  If multiple clients were pleased enough with your results to give positive testimonials, placing them on your site suggests that the next project will be equally successful.  The power of “social proof” can help you to gain the trust of many future clients.  You can say whatever you want about yourself, but having other people say it for you is much more effective because they have nothing to gain by recommending you.  Have you ever been convinced to buy a product or service online by reading the positive reviews left by other people?  You have no idea who those people are, but their words probably played a big part in nudging you past the tipping point.  You can use this same concept to add some clout to your own services, and unlike the list of recent projects, it only takes one or two testimonials to have a positive effect.

How Do You Ask for Testimonials?

I read too many articles and listen to too many podcasts on Illustration and Freelance Business to remember where I came across the following approach, but it’s a brilliant way to get testimonials without having to ask for them outright, which can be uncomfortable for both you and your clients.

After a project is completed, send an email to request feedback on your client’s experience of working with you, in order to help you to improve your services in the future.  Most satisfied clients will be happy to do this, especially after they’ve got the finished product in their hands.  If they’ve got some wonderful things to say in their response, simply ask if they wouldn’t mind if you quote them in a testimonial for your website.

It’s that easy.

The obvious benefit of this approach is that instead of putting them on the spot by asking for a recommendation, you are inviting them to share their true feelings.  By requesting it via email, you are giving them the time and space to consider their feedback, rather than interrogating them face to face in your final meeting.

I must admit that I’m late to the game on this one, but I’m finally beginning to compile a list of testimonials to post on my own site.

Now What?

There is no hard and fast rule regarding where to place your testimonials, or list of recent projects, on your portfolio website.  The most effective places are on their own page or included in your About page. The important thing is that you include them somewhere on your site, and that the potential client finds them without thinking to look.  Showing proof of a record of success can help to tip the scale in your favor and encourage an uncertain client to contact you instead of someone else.

Escapee has spoken.

Now it’s your turn to share.

Do you agree with these concepts?

Do you use Testimonials or a list of Recent Projects?

How do you ask for Testimonials?

Where do you place them on your website?

Is there anything I’m missing here?

Read Part 5 of the series – The Blog

Read more of the 7 Elements of an Effective Portfolio Website.

Follow EFII updates via email or RSS.

0 Comments on Escapee Speaks: An Effective Portfolio Website Part 4 – The Testimonial as of 11/9/2009 4:15:00 PM
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41. Escapee Speaks: Cold Calls


Have you ever considered “Cold Calling” potential clients?  It’s not easy to know the best way.

For this edition of Escapee Speaks, I want to highlight something that Holly DeWolf said in the comments section of EFII Podcast Episode 10 – Breaking Into Freelance Illustration.  Today is the last day to get free advice from her and also enter to win her new book by sharing your biggest question when entering the Illustration field.  If you haven’t read some of the great conversations going on there, I highly recommend you check it out.  Holly is offering up some real pearls of wisdom, and I decided to feature the following quote because I think it’s a truly valuable method to consider:

Okay-We all have heard of cold calls. Not too many like them let alone actually doing them. So if you tackle this task as research either by phone or email, it takes the pressure off.

• First step- make a list of who you want to contact.
• Second- set aside time to contact them. I say start with 3 people to contact. More than that can sometimes feel overwhelming or stressful. Do this one to 3 times a week depending on your time.
• Third- look online for their information such as names, email, phone number, see if they state anywhere on their site how they might want to be contacted (some do put this up), look at their work, look at their clients and arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can. If you have a directory like the 2010 Artists & Designers Market, then read up on possible potential clients there.
• Fourth- type up a e-mail template. Add in why you are contacting them, who you are, what you do, your information and anything important that a possible client might want to see. Remember to put yourself in their shoes and try to imagine your self as a client-What would you like to see if you were them? Phone call set up- write up a a possible phone speech. Add the same things you would in an email. Then practice.
• Fifth thing to consider- these are for research. This allows you to approach a dialog with a potential client without selling. It feels a lot warmer and less icy. Also, from here you can compile a list. A list of maybes, interested, interested in a follow up, interested in promotional materials, not interested right now but will keep you in mind for the future and lastly, the not interested. This way you will feel like you are getting somewhere, getting out there and you will also feel organized while feeling like you are a business.

Holly has spoken.

Thanks Holly!

What is your experience with cold calling or cold emailing?  Has this been difficult for you?  What types of responses have you gotten?  Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

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2 Comments on Escapee Speaks: Cold Calls, last added: 11/3/2009
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42. Escapee Speaks: The Golden Rule of Social Networking


One of the questions that I hear the most from aspiring Illustrators is “How do I network?”

That’s a pretty broad question, and it’s one that will take more than one post to answer.  There is, however, one piece of advice to rule them all:

Build genuine relationships.

In other words, the one action you can apply to all forms of social networking, whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, or meeting people face-to-face, is to be authentic.  Making the rounds with the narrow goal of simply building your contact list won’t get you very far, but working to connect with people on a human level will reward you with real relationships and a growing pool of resources and inspiration for years to come.

So, how do you do this?

Seek out those that genuinely interest you, and that you may have something in common with.

Be equally, if not more, focused on what you can give to the relationship as what you can get out of it.

Promote others when they do something great and help them when they are in need.

All this is to say that you have to mean it.  Networking at its worst is called “spamming”.  Networking at its best is called “community”.

Escapee has spoken.

What is your experience with successful social networking?  Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

For more on Social Networking, listen to Episode 5 of the EFII Podcast

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1 Comments on Escapee Speaks: The Golden Rule of Social Networking, last added: 10/31/2009
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