Five Ways to Position Yourself as Creative Director (not a Mac Operator) with Clients.

I talked to a friend recently about a designer he knew who was getting a lot of leads but they weren’t turning into clients.

I asked - what is their process for selling?

“They have a 15 minute conversation with the prospect then email them a quote”.

Then what happens?

“They get ghosted”.

Hmmm.

Something’s missing there and it's a problem I hear a lot.

The solution is being framed as a money thing not a solution thing.

The designer is too afraid to talk price and is missing out on the hot opportunity of the sales call when the client is emotionally ready to commit.

They have some time to read your quote, logic sets in, uncertainty sets in and ultimately it goes into the too hard or too expensive basket.

I have never used the word quote because it focuses the client’s attention on the wrong thing - time and money.

Your plumber quotes you for fixing your toilet so you aren’t getting an overflow of poo all over the bathroom floor.

Not your designer, who is consulting with you on the future of your business.

I’ll send you a quote - It’s our way of saying - let’s not talk about price, let’s just shelve it cause I don't know or I'm too afraid to say a price to your face.

How and when we frame things for the client really does matter.

In other words, how we ‘position’ something with a client, be it an idea or an offer, determines how that client receives it.

And as an outcome of that, oftentimes if they listen to us or if they ignore us.

Or if they pay us money, or pay someone else.

So consider switching out the word quote for proposal.

Consider positioning the price on the call and getting a small commitment then.

I hope it helps you.

PS check out the full list here