That’s why I’m a bigger fan of “relationship building” than “networking.” Yes, it’s a matter of semantics, but it’s also an important distinction. Relationship building means you’re meeting people who can potentially be helpful for your career but who are also interesting in their own right.

You’re willing to get to know them and help out when you can, even if you don’t ever get anything out of the relationship. You probably will, but that’s not the point. The point is meeting new people and then seeing if there’s any way to help one another out in the future.

So I prefer talking about relationship building more than networking, but no matter what you call it, networking or relationship building is important for every freelance designer.

Why? Because who you know determines largely who you’ll work for. When people you know need design work done, they’re inclined to work with people they already know, and when their friends need to get design work done, they’re likely to recommend the people they know.

So freelancers benefit from getting to know more people. The more people they know, the more work they’re likely to get, and the more times they’re likely to get referred. It’s as simple as that.

But there’s more to building relationships than just handing out business cards. That’s the kind of networking that’s annoying. Yes, more people will know you exist, which is a good thing, but a relationship isn’t being built, and it’s very likely the card will get dropped into the nearest trash can.

Instead of business card spamming, freelancers should focus on building relationships. They should focus on meeting people who can potentially hire them for work and refer them to others to generate more work. They should focus on getting to know a smaller group of people who will become an active part of their client and referral network.

Yet there’s something else to consider: how to connect with people online. With so many freelancers working remotely, it’s not easy to meet new people and make new connections. You may be working from home for most of the week with few opportunities to meet new people.

That’s why today’s freelancers need to perfect the art of building relationships online. Surprisingly, it can be done.

If you’ve found yourself in the boat of needing to building relationships online, here are seven things to keep in mind.

Tip #1: Say Hi

The first step is to introduce yourself. If you don’t say “hi,” people won’t know that you exist. And in the same way you say “hi” to introduce yourself in a coffee shop or at a conference, you can say “hi” to people online by sending emails or tweets. Here’s what it can look like:

First, you start reading a popular entrepreneur’s blog. He seems really busy, but he would be a great person to get to know. After you get over the thought that he wouldn’t want to hear from you, you reach out and send him an email.

The first one is a simple introduction to let him know that you admire his work. Now he knows that you exist and that you like the stuff he does. He also may check out your website attached to your signature or view your Twitter profile to find out more about what you do.

As long as you aren’t annoying and don’t ask for anything in the first email, most people won’t mind that you’re saying hi and getting in touch. In fact, they may be flattered, which leads us to the next point.

Tip #2: Send Compliments

The next thing you want to do is stay in touch by complimenting them on the things they do. If you really like an update they make to their website, let them know. If you think a new project they’re working on is amazing, again, let them know.

You never want to be obsequious by being overly complimentary, but you do want to reach out and compliment them on good work and things you’re impressed with. The point is to find a way to stay in touch without being annoying. If you get in touch to ask for something, that’s annoying. If you get in touch to provide a compliment, that will be appreciated.

The more you contact them, the more they’ll be reminded that you exist, and the wider the door will be opened for the time you do actually ask for help, advice, or work.

Tip #3: Get “Coffee”

The next thing you can do is ask to go out for the digital equivalent of coffee. In the real world, you can actually go out and get coffee; in the digital world, it’s more likely that you’ll hang out on Zoom.

Unless the person is really busy, there’s a good chance they’ll have time to talk, especially if they’re a peer. Many people try only networking with famous people, but they obviously won’t have a lot of free time. If you reach out to talented peers who aren’t as well-known, there’s a better chance they’ll have time for a call and will be interested in “hanging out.”

But don’t let this deter you from ever calling up someone famous or really busy (and by famous, I mean a somewhat well-known online entrepreneur and not Tom Cruise). I’ve had success getting through to CEOs and entrepreneurs who are really busy but happy to help young entrepreneurs and business owners out.

However, if you do decide to ask to get coffee with someone in this category, it’s best to have a specific question in mind. Maybe you want to learn more about their business, or you want advice on how to grow yours. Either way, famous people are likely to commit if you have something specific you’re asking about.

Tip #4: Offer Help

The obvious thing to say at this point is that you need to follow up. But again, that’s obvious. You definitely need to follow up and say how much you appreciated the call, but you also need to continue to stay in touch. One way to do this is by offering help.

Maybe you notice something’s not working on their site, so you let them know. Maybe you realize they’ve made a typo on their homepage, so you reach out so it can get fixed. Or maybe you read an article that’s perfect for them and will help their business. All of these are great ways to stay in touch and to let them know you still appreciate what they do and that you want to help them succeed.

The fine line here is that you need to make sure what you’re doing isn’t annoying. Correcting things too frequently or too strongly will be obnoxious. You don’t want to overuse this as a way to stay in touch, but if something big or obvious comes up, make sure to reach out and let them know you’ve got their back and you’re happy to help out.

Tip #5: Send Referrals

Another great way to stay in touch is to send referrals. Not only are you hoping the person you’ve met will be able to send business your way, but you also want to be a contributor to the relationship and send business their way as well. You can email them directly about business opportunities or refer people and ask them to mention you when they get in touch.

Sharing content is another way to send referrals. Whenever you share something, you’ll spread content that was painstakingly created and send more visitors to your friend’s site. Eventually, the person you’re building a relationship with won’t necessarily owe you, but they’ll appreciate your support and be more likely to help out in the future.

No matter what you eventually decide to do, the most important thing to remember is that the point of networking is to meet people, to get to know them, and to build a relationship. Once you like them and they like you, there’s a better chance you’ll find ways to help each other in a mutually beneficial way.

It’s also important to realize that people can only know and help so many people at a time. The number of relationships any one person can manage is limited. Thus, if you reach out to really busy people, they may not actually have time to get to know you and send business your way, but if you reach out to someone who’s not as busy, they’re more likely to be flattered and to be interested in learning more about you.

For most freelance designers, it’s more valuable to build a smaller network of people that are really interested in what you do and are invested in your success than chasing after thousands upon thousands of Twitter followers. You’d be surprised what developing real relationships with 15 to 25 people can do for your business.

The post It’s Relationship Building, Not Networking appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

You sit down at your computer and start writing. You’ve been designing for several years now, so you have a pretty good idea of what customers want. Most are looking for a good-looking website that gives their company a professional presentation online. They’re looking for an attractive online presence that positions them as a credible source for whatever it is they do.

So you write copy along these lines. It looks pretty good, and you’re satisfied; you give the green light to the developer to implement what you’ve written. But how do you know for sure you’re selling clients what they want?

The Challenge of Selling Clients What They Want

The challenge of selling clients what they want starts with the fact that every client is different. Some are looking for a beautiful and unique design. Others are looking for something simple that’s less expensive but gets the job done. Still others are looking for something to be finished quickly because they’re on a short time schedule.

Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to write for all of these cases on your website, especially on the homepage. You can create different landing pages for each client, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll all find the right one. It’s also difficult to anticipate every possible client scenario.

Since every client is different, there’s almost no way to cover every need with your website copy, but there is something you can do.

The Solution

The best solution is to pay attention to your clients when you talk with them. As in really pay attention to what they’re saying. Take notes about what they talk about. Write down the problems they mention, the goals they have, and the constraints they’re working under. You should even ask questions like the following:

1. What are you trying to accomplish with this project?
2. What are your goals?
3. What are the top things you’re looking for in a designer?

By asking these questions, you’ll be able to find out what the prospective client is looking for in the project. Sometimes it’s speed, other times it’s a unique design, and yet other times it’s effectiveness. In order to close the sale and best meet the client’s needs, you shouldn’t offer cookie-cutter solutions; you need to know what each individual customer is looking for.

Carrying This Out

Now that you’ve met with the client and identified their needs, objectives, and desires, you need need to know what to do with that information. Here’s what you can do:

Start by writing a proposal that includes the customer’s needs, objectives, and desires. Submitting a proposal helps you come off as more professional and more experienced than just sending an email. So submitting a proposal alone will put you ahead of the competition. And once you include the needs, objectives, and desires of the client, you’ll be even farther ahead.

Including the goals and desires of the prospect means you’ll be selling them exactly what it is they’re looking for. You’ll speak their exact language. If they’re looking to get a website in a short amount of time, you can mention how quickly you’ll finish the project. If they’re looking for a unique design, you can show samples from your portfolio of the most unique work you’ve done.

This also enables you to charge more. By focusing on the clients needs and objectives, you know which solution they need the most. If it’s speed they’re looking for, you can mention that you’ll meet the deadline but it will cost slightly more since it’s an expedited project.

The client is less likely to balk if they’re under a time constraint, and they’ll be assured you understand how important timeliness is for their project. It also becomes a very effective reason to ask for a higher rate on each project.

The most convincing part of your proposal will be the fact that you repeat the clients needs back to them, and then show how you’ll meet those needs. Customers will feel like you’re reading their mind and know exactly what it is they’re looking for.

Wrap-Up

Without using your clients needs as selling points in your proposal, you’ll just mouth a pre-conceived list of things you say to every client. You’ll talk about how original and beautiful your designs are and how they stand out from the competition and win design awards. But is that really, really what this particular client wants? For some it will be; for others it won’t.

So the next time you’re in a client meeting, remember to ask questions that will identify the customer’s needs and objectives. You also want to make sure to pay attention and take notes. Once you do have notes on what it is that they want, sit down and write a proposal that lists every need and desire mentioned with a corresponding solution. Knowing the customer’s needs better than your competition will give you the best chance to convert more leads into sales and ongoing client relationships.

What’s your experience with identifying customer needs? Have you had any luck finding out what clients want in order to close more sales? If yes, leave a comment so we can discuss!

The post Designers, Are You Selling Clients What They Want? appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.