Look where you want to go

My sister just came over from England to spend Christmas with her new nephew (and apple of my eye), Teddy.  Among other things, we were chatting about the Porsche she just bought and the free (!) training day that came with it.  The day out involved some supervised hacking around the driving track and learning how to handle the car in all sorts of situations (as opposed to just looking really good in it!)

One piece of advice really resonated with me - if you go into a tail-spin, don’t look at the tree you want to avoid, but rather where you want to go.  The logic being, if you look at the tree, that’s what you’re going to hit.

I thought that was great advice for life in general.  Focus on the negative and that’s what you’ll get more of.  Alternatively, if you set some clear and positive intentions, you’ll move in that direction.

So this new years day, take a little time to think about where you want to go in 2012.

Happy New Year!



Do you have good chemistry with your clients?

I recently started working with a new client and she’s just a delight. She’s invested, receptive to being outside of her comfort zone and willing to roll up her sleeves and get in there.   Not only is the process more energizing for both of us but it yields much better results (which are good for everyone!)

So why do we continue to try to stick a square peg in a round hole and work with clients that we don’t have that chemistry with?  After all, didn’t we go into business so we could choose who we work with?

I’ve learned that ignoring my instincts and taking on a client who’s not a good fit usually comes from a place of insecurity.  That unhelpful little voice that says “surely you’re not going to turn down work”.  But at what cost do you ignore those signals?  You’re miserable, your client is less than satisfied and the results suffer.

So next time you think about taking on a new client ask yourself the following questions:

What can I do for this client?
How do your services benefit your client? Be honest about where your expertise lies and how that jives with their needs.

Am I the best person for this project, or could someone else do a better job?
Passing a client on to someone who you feel might be a better fit makes sense because:

• it creates good will by showing that you understand their needs and have their best interests in mind. Good will = good Karma.
• Referring a client within your professional network builds relationships and referrals go both ways.

Am I excited about the work we could do together?
When I’m genuinely invested and excited I’m just more on my game and it shows in the results.

Do they feel the same excitement?
It takes two. If this relationship's going to work, both parties need to be feeling the love.

Do we have a similar outlook/approach
Trying to persuade a fearful conservative client to live outside of her comfort zone can be hard work. Know your style and be sure that your client’s temperament is aligned with that.

What would the consequences be if I passed?   
Try to stay away from the dark side on this one i.e. focusing on the money you’ll be passing up. More often than not, the only real ‘consequence’ is that saved both parties a lot of aggravation and left the door open for another client who will be a better fit.

Calling all copywriters. It’s time to up the portfolio ante

When I first got into artist representation 15 years ago, the only way freelancers could showcase their work was with a portfolio (isn’t it crazy that there was ever a time that we didn’t have websites and speedy email)?   And how they ran the gamut – from the big shot art directors with their gorgeous leather embossed books and glossy print outs to more haphazard (and dare I say it, cheaper looking) books.  But one thing that was alarmingly common was the lack-lustre presentation of the copywriter's work.

To be fair, copywriters face challenges those in the visual arts don't.  Copy doesn’t always end up on a glossy ad that lends itself to being showcased - but there had to be a better way to share their work in a visually appealing way.

Well I’m happy to say that with the rapid growth of user-friendly websites and on-line tools, everyone has the ability to create a polished arrangement of their work.  Of course you can create your own website (and I'm happy to say that all of my copywriters have lovely ones).  Another great on-line tool is Issuu, a website that allows you to easily create gorgeous looking on-line books out of your articles and work.  Just check out this one for copywriter Mark Welsh…..not bad huh?  You can easily tailor presentations to your target customer and if you use Behance ProSite, you can also embed the presentations on your website.

So no more excuses copywriters – it’s time to showcase your work as beautifully as those big-shot art directors.


What do you do when a project goes wrong?

If there’s one thing I’ve learned being a creative agent is that it’s not about getting the job, but about making the perfect match between client and creative.  Creative magic happens when the client’s vision and goals are perfectly aligned with the unique skill or services you offer and that shared vision is a key factor to the success of a project.  But life isn’t always perfect and sometimes we find ourselves working on a project where disconnect or miscommunication can de-rail the job, not to mention our confidence.

So what do you do if you find yourself in this situation? First of all, know that it happens to everyone.  Secondly, do everything that you can to ensure that both you and the client walk away feeling good (or as good as possible) about the collaboration.

Here are a few tips:

1) Don’t beat yourself up about it
Hindsight is 20/20 and it’s very easy to dwell on what you could have done differently and imagine all of the possible disastrous outcomes (the client bad mouthing you and you never working again etc. etc.)   Keep everything in perspective, which leads me to point 2.

2) Be objective
It’s very easy to become defensive and emotional in these situations, so make a conscious choice to take your ego and emotions out of it.  Look at the facts – what went wrong and what solutions you can offer to get things back on track.

3) Acknowledge the problem to your client
Just by acknowledging the fact that things have gone a bit pear shaped and hearing your client out can stop a potentially contentious situation from escalating. Listen to them and offer constructive ideas.

4) Be proactive
Don’t wait for the client to come up with a solution.  Have an action plan (or 2) of how you can remedy the situation.  Clients don’t want excuses, they want solutions.

5) Don’t take it personally if the project gets killed
Some situations can’t be fixed and it’s better that the project gets killed.  It’s a bummer, but try not to take it personally.  No one has a 100% success rate.

I know it’s hard to not let these set backs bother you, but remember what your mother used to say - ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”.  Learn from the situation and move on knowing you’ll be a better creative because of it.

New Workshop - Kick off September and get better clients’

Saturday, September 10th from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Despite the fact that I have a typically British complexion, I love New York’s scorching summers.  When you come from a country where it’s always cloudy or rainy, you never knock a sunny day, not matter how uncomfortable.

That said, summer can be challenging for freelancers – what with summer Fridays and holidays, clients put new projects get put on the back-burner.  But come Labor Day that all changes – there’s a distinct ‘back-to-school’ feeling and along with that, lots of energy and work to be done.

So are you prepared to approach those new clients and land the juicy projects, or are you frustrated by your workflow and quality of your projects?  If you’re feeling less than positive about your career then I’ve got just the solution – my ‘Kick off September and get better clients’ workshop.   This step-by-step workshop has been developed to help freelancers position and market their unique skills to their ideal clients and manage the ensuing avalanche of great projects like a pro.

The workshop will be on Saturday, September 10th from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. and will be held at In Good Company in Manhattan.

Please click here for more detials and to sign up.

I’ll look forward to seeing you there!