How do you feel about working with your clients? What are your pain points around doing client work? What challenges are you facing working with clients? Frustration. Scope creep. Scope change after approvals. Changing their mind. What if they don't like your design? Taste different? Clients. Tastes. Ignorant. In this episode we re-examine what it's like to work with clients to see if there's a better way. -- 04:24 How do you feel about working with your clients? 10:25 Common pain points about client relationships and projects 11:50 The clients not knowing what they want is a good thing 13:30 What is your creative formula? 21:44 Brain Dump - Clients who urgently need work done do this 23:15 Danger Sign #1: Don't send your clients a questionnaire - Engage in dialog 26:20 Danger Sign #2: Beginning a project with unclear or abstract objectives 27:48 Danger Sign #3: The Ikea effect - Once you start putting hours into your work, you fall in love, and lose objectivity 29:33 Crash & Burn - After your presentation, your client gives you abstract feedback. 32:22 More design - Present again, client becomes an art director 34:50 Surrender - Finished work behind schedule, over budget and compromised work 36:50 Horror Story - Friends and Family Rates leading to referrals expecting same low rates 37:40 Put the options/choice in their hands to work with you at your true price range. 38:55 The Problem - Fuzzy Goals. Fuzzy Results. 40:27 Amateurs Vs Professionals : Amateurs have a goal. Professionals have a process. 41:12 Think More, Say More, Work Less. 41:50 Start With Why - Translate Gut Feeling into words 43:19 Have a Defined Process. Create Defined Goals. 46:30 Our Defined Process / Creative Formula 47:25 What does your ideal partner look like for this engagement? 48:48 Take those words and prioritize them. Narrow them down. 50:09 Translate into images - Get on the same page 50:45 Get Agreement: Get buy in from the key decision maker 51:40 Rapid Prototype: quickly create a rough draft. 53:30 Refinement: creation phase - make it look beautiful 54:20 Deliver: Client is pleased but not surprised by the result. 55:09 Business Design Course 55:39 Learn to ask better questions 56:00 Go beyond the cosmetic 56:57 3 Golden Questions 58:35 Become a Sustaining Member 1:00:00 Mail Time 1:05:02 Words you should know 1:09:11 How does the c-suite respond to you taking control of the meeting/agenda? 1:12:10 If you are going to guess, estimate on the high side to cover unexpected costs. 1:15:22 Ask how a change or redesign will impact your bottom line / business 1:18:13 Q: How do you explain to a client if an ROI is difficult to calculate? 1:20:45 Never price the job, price the client. 1:28:40 Have 3-6 Months of runway so that you have a choice of what projects to take on. 1:32:07 Summary & Outro Want to go deeper? Take the course: Business of Creativity/Design $69 http://academy.thefutur.com/p/the-business-of-creativity-and-design Show References --------- Branding Rebranding - Darren Taylor & Mark Schreiber Start with why - Simon Sinek Seth Godin, Ramit Sethi, Simon Sinek Business Dictionary Support The Futur today w/ $5/ mo. https://www.thefutur.com/product/donate-every-month/ — The Futur is a startup, and we need your support! Here’s how: See all of our products: https://goo.gl/J52GqA Donate to The Futur: https://goo.gl/GKhI2c LEARN & GROW Pro-Group Membership: https://goo.gl/1s62Gp Sales and Marketing Class: https://goo.gl/iF5xua Lettering I Class: https://goo.gl/lNHaqh CORE Strategy Kit:https://goo.gl/Uc3IKp Agency-In-A-Box Kit: https://goo.gl/lyEdjK Selling & Overcoming Objections: https://goo.gl/qS91x2 The Pitch Kit: https://goo.gl/MgZY6z The Perfect Proposal: https://goo.gl/XNF4ZH CORE UX Facilitation Kit: https://goo.gl/aAfeAL UX Masterclass: https://goo.gl/8yH8dP — OUR AFFILIATE LINKS* Skillshare: https://goo.gl/YCo2uT Amazon: https://goo.gl/K1bIhg Creative Market: https://goo.gl/g4jlTE Music from ArtList.io: http://goo.gl/22VpQi — Listen to the Futur podcast on iTunes: 🎙 https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-futur/id1209219220?mt=2 Android Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/aaron/the-futur Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Itg3hr5bs4a54w73o2toxcr4vhe Sound Cloud https://soundcloud.com/thefuturishere — Connect with us online: 🔔 https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/ https://twitter.com/thefuturishere Logo Crits: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FuturFeedback/ — Need brand strategy help? Visit Blind LA’s WEBSITE: http://blind.com — Credits: Executive Producer– Chris Do Host– Chris Do Director– Erica Pead Cinematography– Aaron Szekely, Mark Contreras Editor– Erica Pead Show Open– Roy Kang Futur Theme Music – Adam Sanborne http://www.adamsanborne.com Annotations & SEO – Isaiah Nwukor Typefaces: Futura, Din Futur theme song— Adam Sanborne