October 2003 Meeting Synopsis

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Bob Bly Says, “Time Is Money – Use It Wisely”
By Deborah Herr

In a dynamic presentation peppered with questions from the audience, Bon Bly held the attention of a room full of S•W•A•Nees and guests at the October meeting. Author, copywriter, consultant, and seminar leader, the ever-popular Bly has been a long-time friend to our organization, and freely shares his expertise on freelancing, pricing creative services, and finding and keeping clients.

October’s topic was pricing – a vital and often touchy topic for freelancers. Here are a few tools from Part I of Bob Bly’s presentation:

When a prospective client asks – Why should I hire you? Or – Tell me about yourself:

• DON’T try to please by spitting out the high points from your resume

• DO ask what the client needs done and ask about his/her business

• HINT – Instead of talking about yourself, send the client to your website

When a client asks – Why do you cost so much?

• DON’T worry about justifying your price

• DO collect and use testimonials

• UNDERSTAND that this client may compare your price with that of a creative who’s done work in the past. REMEMBER, the client is considering giving you his business for a reason – probably dissatisfaction with someone else

Why do we tend to blurt out a number when a client asks for a price? Instead, say:

• Let me work up an estimate and I’ll call you back

• Or – Would you mind sharing your budget number for this project? Do you have a dollar figure in mind? (Most will tell you.)

TOOL: Give a price range with a range of solutions:

• The low end is a bare bones price with a bare minimum you’ll be happy producing

• The high end contains all the bells and whistles and can include frills the client may not have thought about

• The mid-range is the job you’d like to do with a price that will make you feel rewarded

TOOL: Clients realize that the cheapest price is not always the best deal. If a client presses the issue and you still want the business, ask: “Would you want the lowest bidder to make your parachute?”

In Part II of his presentation, Bly neatly turned the tables on the audience by stating that everything we had heard all evening was “crap”. His real secret for getting the best price on every project is:
Negotiate As If You DON’T Need the Work!

You must create an environment where you have much more work than you can handle. Then, like the “busy doctor,” you can just about name your own price. However, you must work hard to build the demand.

How to market and promote yourself:

1. Write an article for a trade journal – in fact, write a regular column for a trade journal – you might even get paid – or, negotiate free ad space in return for an article.

2. Use multiple promotional techniques – send postcards – start an on-line newsletter that you send to potential clients.

3. Follow up on ALL leads even if you’re busy. Use a contact management software to help with this effort.

4. Keep in touch by sending your e-zine or sending news clippings of interest to your clients – send the email link to the news story.

5. Spend one hour a week thinking about the businesses of your primary clients or ones you’d like to work for. Send these free ideas regularly and remind the client that you’d be happy to work on them.

Remember, you must still market even if you’re busy, in order to smooth the natural peaks and valleys of business. When you must turn down work, try and refer the job to a fellow S•W•A•N member. Be service-oriented and try to be helpful to your clients even if the job isn’t right for you at the moment.

Bly admits that, without a million bucks in the bank, it’s tough to turn down less than ideal projects. And sometimes, we just need the “psychic boost” a particular project will bring. However, if the job isn’t right, or the client gives off “bad vibes” – trust yourself and walk away. Go back to marketing yourself and the right jobs will follow.

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