What am I missing?
Do I need more training?
What do I not know?
After 290 YouTube Videos (and counting)...
The #1 question everyone asks is, "How can I charge more and bring in more clients?"
Contrary to what some might think, you don't need more tools or special software.
To get to where you want to be, you need to focus on a simple yet often overlooked part of your business, which occurs during what I like to call 'The In-between'.
Let me explain.
As designers, when the contract is signed and the invoice is paid, we tend to focus on the end product, but there’s so much more that goes into the final deliverable than just a design.
See, it’s not just about the visual identify you create.
It’s about the ENTIRE journey they take with you and each of those touchpoints they actually experience.
Consider the last time you went to a high-quality restaurant. Yes the food was great, but the attentive staff, clean bathrooms, and the after-dinner hot towels were what made the experience memorable.
That’s the kind of experience we need to provide to our design clients. So, the next time you’re looking to grow your business, instead of focusing on improving your design skills, or social media game, focus on improving your customer service. Here’s 3 things worth thinking about: On a discovery call, before providing solutions, empathise with the prospect's issues. Show them you care to ensure they feel seen and heard.
Promptly reply to client enquiries. This doesn't mean you have to drop everything whenever a client emails you. Maybe it's about implementing systems to reduce unanswered questions (like assembling an FAQ doc).
Remove friction for the client by optimising your process. Anticipate potential roadblocks in a project and establish systems to prevent them. For instance, if a client has to email you multiple times for the invoice, contract, or project timeline details, consider creating an onboarding document to prevent this. If you're wondering, here's what I use to prevent this.
Remember, when you run your own business, you're not just a designer. You're the marketing manager, head of customer service, and Chief operating officer.
Until next week,
Abi 😊