The Marketing Mix | official blog of the Marketing Mentor community

What to say … when a client says, “How much is a logo?”

How much is a logo? How much is a website? How much is a brochure? It’s easy to be a bit perplexed when posed these questions by prospects. After all, every logo, website and brochure is different, and so is each situation. 

This is how Laurel Black, from Laurel Black Design in Port Angeles, Washington, handles it:

I often get new people who call up and say things like “How much is a logo?”

That used to take me aback until one day I got fed up and said (to a car dealership owner), “Well, I don’t know – how much is a car?”

Big pause – then the caller started laughing. But he got the point, and we were able to create a range as Deidre described in the guessing game post. If the prospect had been a real estate agent, I would have asked: "How much is a house?"

When a client is really dithering and hard to pin down, I roll out the Floor/Ceiling analogy.
I say, “Okay Mr. Client, here’s the deal: you have a budget ceiling over which you can’t go, and I have a floor under which I can’t get your work done. If your ceiling is under my floor, we will need to figure out how we can tailor your project to get it between the two.”

This usually gets the conversation back on track, unless their ceiling is not realistic and they won’t budge it (which is a clear sign that they are not my client). It also helps to depersonalize/lighten the conversation.

What tips do you have for dealing with the numbers game?

If money matters leave you searching for words—the Creative Professional’s Guide to Money provides great language and guidance for a number of money-related situations.

What to say … when someone asks, “How are you?”

When it comes to networking, The Most Human Human, by Brian Christian, has a lot of gems that can be easily adapted into 21st century networking tips for freelancers.

For example, when someone asks, “How are you?” the worst response you can possibly give if you’re trying to start a conversation, is “Good” or “Fine.” It tells the other nothing. In fact, it could be interpreted as a rebuff, a euphemism for “I don’t want to talk,” even though in reality, you (anxious networker that you are) may simply not know what to say to keep the dialogue going.

Here’s a better way to answer the tried and true, “How are you?”

You could say, “Ugh” or “Amazing” or “Better” or even “Good, actually” – all of these responses sidestep the ritual pleasantries, the automatic and robotic response. Instead, in their elegant one-word-ness, they creatively allude to recent events, thereby offering an invitation to the listener to inquire further.

Author, Brian Christian, calls this a “hold,” like those jewel-toned rubber blobs you see on a fake rock climbing wall. “Each is both an aid to the climber and an invitation onto a certain path or route along the ascent,” he writes. “You give the other people an easy first hold – a simple and obvious way to initiate a conversation with you, if they want.”

Credit: Illustration by Iain Keith of http://www.imagicon.ca/

What do you say when people ask, “How are you?”

What to say … when you want to get paid early

Has this happened to you?

The project isn't quite finished, but you want to submit your invoice because you know it will take a while to get your money or just because you're in the midst of a cash flow crunch.

I suggest saying something along the lines of, "We’re winding down and here’s what’s left to do: [list the details]. I’d like to get the final invoice into your system. Does that work on your end?”

When it comes to talking about money—the Creative Professional’s Guide to Money provides great language and guidance for a number of money-related situations.

What to say … when the client claims, “advertising costs too much”

Sometimes, clients simply don’t understand the value of design or advertising. As a creative professional, you might want to educate them. If a client says:

"Hiring an experienced designer will cost me a lot of money." or "Advertising is too expensive."

Designer, Dawn Mitchell, suggests saying: "Yes, it can be expensive, but if you compare the cost of wasted advertising efforts, it will most likely be money well spent... both in time and money.

If you see advertising as an investment and not an expense, you will quickly realize that having a professional design can actually help your bottom line. How many clients do you need to get in order to make your advertising work? Compared to how much money you can make with a particular advertising campaign, the cost may be nominal. It's also imperative to do the right type of marketing for your needs and a professional can help you with that.” 

If money matters leave you searching for words—the Creative Professional’s Guide to Money provides great language and guidance for a number of money-related situations.

 

What to say … when the prospect doesn’t have enough money

In her CFC presentation in 2009, "What Will Your Freelance Business Be When It Grows Up," Petrula Vrontikis told us exactly what to say when your client's budget is too low.

Instead of slashing your prices, you say to them, "I'm sorry but you haven't allocated enough resources to this project." This implies quite clearly that the reason you can't do the project for that price is not because of your high prices but because of their budget.

When it comes to talking about money—the Creative Professional’s Guide to Money provides great language and guidance for a number of money-related situations.

On the Creative Freelancer Blog, Carlos Castellanos suggested: 

An approach I've used with much success is to ask a few additional questions that help me and my client identify what's of most value and importance to them. For example:

• How will you benefit from having this project done...
• What's most important to you about this project...
• What's the end result you most want to accomplish...

These types of questions do several things. It helps you identify where the client places value and gets them to verbalize those values and benefits. You can then move forward addressing how working with you will accomplish each of those objectives most important to them.

While it's true many clients are more price sensitive in today's economy, they are also more value conscious. BTW- value does not = lowest price. There are many clients out there that are ready, willing and able to pay higher fees for products and services if shown the value and benefits most important to THEM will be addressed and achieved by working with you.

Though, at the core, I think the bigger issue is one of "message to market " and business positioning. That is to say, how you are presenting your marketing message combined with the market you're delivering it to and where that positions you in relationship to your competition. I know, I know, it's a bunch of marketing speak, however...

If ALL of my clients were trying to low ball me, it would seem to me that perhaps there is something in my marketing material (my message) that is responsible for attracting these people to me. Wrong message to market. Conversely, I may have the right message, but addressing the wrong market.

Credit: Illustration by Iain Keith of http://www.imagicon.ca/

What to say … when you want the decision maker involved early.

In this interview, there is more great insight and language from Petrula Vrontikis—who shares her strategy for making sure the decision-makers are involved at the very beginning of a project.

She also tells us exactly what she says to her prospect or client to persuade them, including why they pay the price of any wasted time and effort if they don't do it this way. 

Listen here. 

Get more insight on what to say during sticky situations in the Creative Professional's Guide to Money.

What to say ... when a client asks for "source" files

Troy Birdsong of Birdsong Creative has been getting this question often as "the digital age soars ahead." Here's his question:

Clients are asking for “source” files. With a new client I have the standard “proprietary process” that I’ve pulled from the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines book (which is half price today 4/10). I can usually get them to understand, but they aren't always happy.

However, with existing clients that I have a long standing relationship with, it gets a bit stickier. I don’t want to offend them, but I also expect them to respect that line.

When asked for source files, I usually say “we don’t typically....” and explain the reasons, but give them the files anyway for the sake of the long term relationship. Larger organizations that are used to dealing with creative agencies get it, but in this economy we’re dealing with smaller companies that don’t. Either way it’s awkward.

I feel like there’s more that I should be doing on the front end to derail this conversation before it ever arises.

Stephanie Jones suggests: I have language in my contract about my ownership of the native files and also about how pricing can be negotiated to obtain the source files, so when asked about it I can say, 'Sure, I'd love to prepare those for you. As you're aware from our contract, the ownership of the source files belongs to me as is standard in this industry and consistent with copyright laws. However I am open to discussing a reasonable price for the files.'

Then I discuss the value of the source files and why they incur more cost. The conversation is never really fun to have, but by outlining expectations early in the process in my contract I can at least fall back on that so it doesn't look like I'm trying squeeze more money about of them willy nilly."

How do you handle this question?

If money matters are leaving you searching for words—the Creative Professional’s Guide to Money provides great language and guidance for a number of money-related situations. 

What to say … when you have to say “no.”

Saying no can be one of the trickiest things to say to a client. Recently, D.C. shared the words she used to say “no” to her client. 

The situation:

D.C. was asked to do a website for one of her client’s personal interests. The client thought it was a small project, but D.C. knew it wasn’t.

She didn’t want to alienate the client, and this is how she tactfully responded.

How do you say "no"?

Announcing the “What to say when...” series!

Being a creatively self-employed person can pose a myriad of tricky situations. Since you’re in charge of your business, it’s up to you handle them right. Over the next two weeks, I thought it would be helpful to share what to say in certain scenarios.

Since these examples are specific, they’ll need to be adapted to your own conversational style, personality, particular client and situation.

Are there ever situations that leave you tongue tied? Email and let me know.

If money matters are leaving you searching for words—the Creative Professional’s Guide to Money provides great language and guidance for a number of money-related situations.

How to say, "Your (blank) needs help!"

Have you ever seen a really bad web site (or brochure, or wine label, etc.) and wish you could tell the company how bad it is and how much better it would be if they hired you to fix it?

But you can't just call them and say, "Your materials need help" -- right?

Well, maybe you can, although you'd have to be more diplomatic about it. And you'd have to be fearless and know you have nothing to lose, if you do it right.

That's the lesson Jeff Tara of BrandVue Design in Rochester NY learned when he did just that. And he got a new client with ongoing work as a result.

Dear CL Vineyards,
I've been a fan of your brand for years, and actually grew up with your wine on our family dinner table. I would like nothing more than to see great brands such as yours to succeed in Rochester, so I've chosen to share my opinion of your recent label redesign of "Name of Wine."

Recently I was given a bottle of "Name of Wine" and didn't recognize it to be your bottle or label design. With all due respect, I believed it to be a price fighter brand, meant to compete from a shopping cart with fluorescent sale signs hung around it. Without your company logo on the front, along with the change from a screen printed bottle to a paper label, too much change happened at once for me to make the connection that this was your product.

I believe there is a difference between a complaint and a criticism, and the difference reflects the desire to help. CL has a great line of wine products, and you deserve to do well. Your "Name of Wine" happens to be my favorite, so I was passionate enough about it to write to you today. I also happen to be a designer, and would be happy to talk with you more about this if you have time.

On a Friday night, Jeff sent this message to the "info@" address since he didn't know who to send it to. Before the weekend was over, he'd heard back from the winery and got an appointment to meet shortly thereafter.

Obviously, this isn't going to happen every time, but there's no reason not to do it, especially when you have strong feelings about a brand or a product.

Have you tried to do anything like that? If so, share your story!

And don’t forget to check out the Creative Professional’s Guide to Money for language to help you handle money-related situations.

How to disappear for 2 weeks…

Hi, I'm Deidre. In my posts, I talk about my voyage down the road of self-employment as a copywriting partner to designers, my achievements and roadblocks along the way, and what I’m learning as I go (with Marketing Mentor as my guide).

Sometimes I leave early on Friday or take a mini-vacation to Starbucks, but thanks to iPhones, it’s pretty invisible to my clients. I’m available, I’m working, and I’m here when they need me.

But with a two-week trip to Ireland coming up, I’d like to unplug. How to do it? I got this idea from Stephanie Helline, who announces her vacations in advance. About 3 weeks before my trip, I added this message to my email signature:

Please note: I'll be traveling to the Emerald Isle from April 8-19th. Let's make a plan to keep projects moving forward smoothly (so we don't need to rely entirely on the luck of the Irish).

As I’m starting to pack my bags, work is under control. The message really helped! It:

• Made it okay to say, “I can’t do this now.”
• Put clients in the loop, and gave them some control.
• Prevented last-minute surprises.
• Left time to plan and come up with other options. 
• Lessened client disappointment (and my own guilt).

Most of the time, you don’t get “out of office” messages until people are already gone. I found this way to be much more effective. I have 3 projects lined up for my return. And I didn’t feel bad, guilty or awkward at all.

Everyone was accepting, flexible, and supportive of my trip. Actually, I’ve been instructed to “drink a Guinness” for a number of clients. (Being the good partner that I am, I will of course fulfill that request.)

Pretty much, you can do anything as long as you communicate. Advance communication is always better than after the fact, but both work.

When you go on vacation, how do you handle it? Any tips?