How do I market myself?

[designmill]

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[MissieK]

I have a number of clients who are graphic designers and they mostly get business from networking & word of mouth. Another one of my clients set herself a target of 20 phone calls a day for 5 days, simply asking to come in and show them her portfolio. She ended up with a few clients and got her foot in the door to see some big companies.

Melissa

[Burgo]

What about a beautifully designed brochure something that is uniquely you, sent with a personal hand written note, as though your target is the only customer your are interested in, then a followup phone call.

Cold calling is the hardest and not always the most successful way to go about persona;l marketing.

Lets open the door a little first with a stunning brochure that is about you.

After all you are actually applying for a job. Research the organisation as if you want to work there.

When I went into photography we had three customers, within twelve months we were National with customers in ever state and city major department store and photographic outlets. This happened because I designed a very personal letter then followed up with a phone call the a visit.

The impossible we can do immediately, miricles take a little longer.

[Steven Hudson]

Missiek 20 calls X 5 days also is our formula. We try to do this week in week out and we have a weekly activity map which tells both Tony and me when during the day we should be doing this Monday to Friday. Tony’s activity map is different to mine however the results are simular.

Understanding Head Group Global is on a massive growth path and this amount of activity might be over the top for you. The thing is be it 20 calls x 5 days or 5 calls x 2 days a week do it on a weekly basis and the work will start to flow in.

Brochures, you really need massive amounts going out for this to be effective, considering market expectation is .005% return per mailing that’s a lot of brochures. They do work and if your data base supports the numbers required and if you are up for the cost then do it.

If you want an ice breaker try a Coffee Letter or something simular, this is how it works; Send a personalized letter to a prospective client with two satchels of coffee or tea bags explaining how you would like to sit down with them over a cup of coffee or tea and show them your portfolio, include some example of work which is optional.

Send out say twenty a week then follow up with a phone asking if they have received the letter and the coffee or tea and say you calling to book ‘that’ time to sit down with them to have ‘that’ cuppa. It gives you a hook to break the ice with have a bit of a laugh and away you go. You will still get the cold replies but generally you will be received with more warmth.

Good Luck

[Brown Mouse]

An E-newsletter is a brilliant low cost option for generating pre-qualified warm leads. Admittedly, doing it well takes plenty of commitment, especially time but they are cheap and it is possible to do it all yourself.

[Astrid]

Yes, but you have to be very careful with unsolicited email campaigns, the fines are hefty.

@ Laura - I found word of mouth and networking also the best way to find new clients.

Letterbox drop and advertising might not attract the right clients for you. With cold calling you really need to know what to say and how to manage the phone call. I personally don't like it, especially not getting over the "receptionist hurdle".

Referrals through existing clients is worthwile to - offer them a discount for every new client you get through them.

Another good way is promoting yourself - through talks, articles and networking ;-)

Astrid

[divapromotions]

ok, so how about taking a different angle on this, and answer the question "why would these people choose you, over any other option they have, including doing nothing?"

So, what makes you different? You can probably do a really great job, so can other designers.

You can compete on price, although that is a very, very short term strategy and only generally used when entering into a new market to grab some of the market share.

So what makes you different? And how does that help me? (or in your case, the businesses you've hand picked to promote to?)


As for strategies, again, it depends on the businesses you are targeting.

Would they prefer to see your work, rather than a letter that says you are great? If so, set up an appointment to see them with a portfolio.

Have you surveyed your market yet? Go and ask them what they want out of a graphic designer - then offer it.

[Angela, communic8 design]

Hi designmill,

Well done for starting a business, the early days are exciting and scary in equal parts.

Before you attempt to market your business there are some key questions you need to ask yourself:

1. Who do you want serve? What will your ideal client look like? When you're new this can be a bit tricky and you may have to make an educated guess. If you've recently left a paid job you could draw on that experience, what types of clients did you prefer? Which ones seemed the easiest and most interesting to you?

Try to be as specific about your ideal client as possible. There are plagues of graphic designers so the only way you will differentiate yourself from the pack is by specialising. You could focus on an industry, size of business or both.

2. What problems do these types of clients face? What will be going on in their business that will lead them to require your services? If everything is cruising along perfectly it will be very hard to encourage them to buy from you.

3. Why you? What will you do differently to everyone else? Will you be the best at XYZ or the expert in ABC?

I know it might sound strange for one designer to be advising another designer on branding, but that's really what it's all about. And I don't mean your logo, I mean the fullest understanding of what 'brand' is - what clients and potential clients expect when they think of your business.

That means that all your marketing materials need to clearly convey your answer to those three questions - who you work for, what problems you solve and why you are the best choice. Ideally you'll craft a short, snappy little tag-line or value statement and plaster it all over your business cards, website, brochures etc...

When you've done this exercise all your client attraction strategies will be so much easier. For a start once you know who you're targeting, you'll be able to work out how to find them. For example, small business networks, so if this is your target market, get out and join some networking groups. Larger businesses will require other strategies like cold calling and direct mail.

I've found publishing a regular e-zine phenomenally successful, but of course you'll need to build up a list of people who are happy to receive your emails. You'll also need to have clearly worked out your target market as your information will have to resonate in order to get read.

When I was starting out I also found cold calling worked really well. Plain fact is, so many people are terrified of the phone and won't do it. So if you can be brave and just give it a go you will stand out. Just bear in mind that the person on the other end of the phone doesn't know you at all, so make your expectation low, don't expect to land a client straight away, just the chance to show your folio and stay in touch.

Good luck and hope this helps.

[Lisa Murray - Biz Coach]

Hi
When I first started out I found an easy way was to attend every single networking event I could find. It started to build my profile and over time has been a fantastic source of business for me.

Another option may be to do some work for a high profile charity or not-for-profit organisation (gratis of course) - this can put you in front of decision-makers that you may not otherwise come across.

I know a graphic designer who receives heaps of referrals from friends and family - she is outstanding, and her service fabulous. Decide what you want to become known for and deliver it to every client!

Hope this helps
cheers
Lisa
www.ReviveCoaching.com.au

[Glenn]

Making cold calls is hard because mostly you are interrupting people. But it is different if people are looking for you.

Graphic designers might consider pay per click advertising. Why?
- Your ad only gets displayed when people are searching (you aren't interrupting them), so you are talking to people at the right time
- Your ad only gets displayed to people searching for your particular niche (for example, graphic design brochure is more specific than just graphic design, and you can tailor your ad accordingly)
- Your ad only gets displayed to people searching in your chosen geographic area (for example, just your suburb/s or city)
- You only get charged when searchers click on your ad

Cold calling has a certain 'cost per call', and you pay for all calls. Pay per click ads are paid by the click (and these days it is around $3 to $6 per click, depending on the words). When you consider how precise you can be, perhaps this will give you a better return than cold calling or brochures.

Pay per click advertising won't be for everyone, but maybe it is worth considering whether you can try it out.