Susan Kirkland

Economic Chaos & FREELANCE

2008-05-14T16:14:26Z

Look for the trickle down affect to start hitting smaller businesses that are still managing to make a profit. This week more than 3 airlines filed bankruptcy based solely on fuel prices. I picture Bush and Cheney sitting with fishing poles over an enlarging worm hole named "big oil" sucking up trains, planes and automobiles and a way of life. George giggles, points and says, "Oh, look. There goes another airline." Companies in almost every industry started twisting and turning within the confines of the law to cover losses due to the growing cost of doing business; that's true for freelancing as well. Every business is affected by the rising cost of fuel, and I'm sure you will join me in weeping for the people at Exxon who were saddened by their measly $10.89 Billion in profits this quarter—they didn't even meet Wall Street's expectations, oh boo-hoo. From shipments of raw materials to delivery of the finished product, the cost of doing business in an oil driven economy is pushing the creative limits of operations managers worldwide. And what about public companies that answer to their new task masters—no, not the shareholders. The financial analysts on Wall Street are the powermongers who drive the price of commodities and goods beyond the reach of the average guy. Operations managers must find ways to meet Wall Street analysts' predictions or lose that precious BUY recommendation. Companies have changed their first priority from making customers happy to satisfying Wall Street. If we did that in design, the industry would collapse. And when a publicly traded company cannot squeeze profits from narrowing margins, what then? Then they reduce the quality of the product which would be career suicide in design. Maybe they quietly make that roll of toilet paper with fewer sheets or remove five tenths of a mil from the thickness of your plastic garbage bag; but the price remains the same. Companies do this to stay within the analysts predictions for the next quarter; when there's nothing left to cut, cut quality and maintain price. When there's no where else to squeeze, investment bankers make the ever so gentle suggestion that operating costs need to be reduced. Lay off those workers, shift operating expenses whenever possible to another department, company or cause. Shift the cost of doing business to the customer; like the power company adds fuel costs to your bill each month. Hey, let's cut back on customer service. Lose customer service in a freelance situation and you might as well kiss the customer goodbye.

Business may be rolling along briskly and one day, a regular client starts slow paying, or word gets out another client laid off a few employees. They still present a smiling face because of pride or optimism. But eventually, no matter how solid your business relationships are, the slowdown will reach your bank account. What should you do?

Reduce your overhead, just like the big boys in the corporate world.

1. Cancel cable or satellite TV; you watch too much TV as it is. Listen to the radio instead.
2. Stop buying newspapers and magazines; you can read most online for free. The library has Communication Arts Magazine, for heaven's sake. Oh, you like to collect them? You're going to die naked, so give it up.
3. Turn lights off when you leave the room. Turn the computer off when you stop work.
4. Stop eating out; and forget that $4 cup of coffee. Remember grocery stores are designed to make you spend more than you want to. Shop the outside perimeter only (produce, meats, dairy and bread) dipping into the aisles for one or two items. Shop with a list that you stick to and, lose that pride, use coupons. Heart disease and weight gain became more prevalent as we became richer; use rice and/or beans to make meat and poultry last longer like our grandparents did. You'll be healthier and your food bill will be lower.
5. Delay buying the new car, especially if the one you have is paid off. Buy a bicycle instead.
6. Make those $300 shoes last another season; and don't spend so much next time. Try switching your need for status from buying great stuff to creating great stuff. Make your status depend on your own great works instead of someone else's.
7. Get rid of your land line if you have a mobile phone.
8. Combine car trips so when you leave the house, you make all the stops you need for a while; whenever it's more efficient, use a messenger or priority mail. The postal service not only provides all the packaging, but in major cities, they offer free pickup. AND they have a flat rate envelope, plus 2 flat rate boxes. If online merchants took advantage of that service, we would all be paying less for shipping.
9. Reduce your thermostat in winter and raise it in summer. Put on or take off some clothes. Save energy; cuddle.
10. Resist buying the latest thing; you don't need it and spending money now on anything less than a necessity is folly when you don't know what the economic future holds.
11. Cold call like your life depends on it; a month down the road, it just might.
12. If you're not hurting for business and you think this list is nonsense, take all the money you might save on this little list of sacrifices and give it to the poor. Learn to live on less and put your disposable income to good works.

If you fall behind on paying supplier bills, don't hermit out and stop talking. Call them up and explain the situation. If you are a long time customer, chances are they will value your good working relationship more than they want to destroy it over money owed. If they don't care and say they will be knocking on your door at midnight to collect, then learn something about who you want to work with in the future. For those who turn hostile, make regular monthly payments. They can sue you, but the judge will almost always throw it out if you are making an effort. I hope none of you ever reach that point, but be prepared if you do. There are 2 or 3 chapters in my book outlining a detailed plan of action to help you survive economic chaos and you can buy a used copy at Amazon. Great if you never need it; but then you probably aren't taking any risks. Risk is where it's at, especially on Wall Street.

After a slowdown; the most important thing you can do is persist in calling on new customers. It isn't how hard you fall that's important in the long run. It's how fast you get back up and start dancing again.

Got questions about freelancing? Tired of working for someone else and doing the boss' castoffs? Better get some good advice on how to protect yourself from those who would pillage and plunder your creative talents. I wrote the book I needed when I first started out in advertising design to keep you from making some of the same mistakes. Start and Run a Creative Services Business. It's filled with a full spectrum of my experiences over 25 years. Not an artist? You'll be in stitches as you follow the pitfalls and adventures of self-employment. And if you've been freelancing for a while, you'll find new information and a trustworthy mentor to stand by your side through thick and thin in Start and Run a Creative Services Business. Excerpts are available online at my website.

Technorati terms: Big Oil Takes All, Freelance in Tough Times, Creative Economics, Owned By Oil

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Sex, Women, Men & QUESTIONS

2008-04-01T16:00:00Z

A few years back, an organizer at an advertising seminar said the reason it was so difficult to find women speakers was that there weren't many qualified women in advertising. He complained about women in the work place; training them and how they leave to make babies, as if we did it to ourselves. Women were unreliable, he said, they lacked commitment to the job. Now, here's an idea on applying that double standard: Maybe we need to rethink men in the workplace since they can't seem to keep it zipped. Or maybe, even better, we need to remember that we're all human beings and fallible as well as equal. You've heard about Elliot Spitzer, ex-Governor of New York, exposed in some of the same activities he used to prosecute others. I wonder which one of the bad boys he prosecuted set him up. He spent $80,000 at the Emperor's Club and couldn't hop a plane to Vegas where it's legal? New York Magazine has him on the cover with an arrow pointing to his crotch, labeled "brain" probably because the guys who wrote the article were jealous—that woman Spitzer hooked up with was drop dead gorgeous. Anyone might consider switch hitting. The magazine asked several art directors to provide visual interpretations of Spitzer's week; but only one out of ten was a woman in the entire city of New York. What, only men can illustrate the feeling of losing everything in one fell swoop? I don't think so.

Sex as an issue is everywhere, but more so, here in America. Hey, I like sex; but privately. And I'd like you to have it privately, too, at home, in a hotel or in your car or plane and always on your own time. After hours, peachy; but on the clock, who's doing your job? That faux pas at the office; the locked door, the tousled clothing when the door is finally opened, the illicit partner hiding behind the open door, the slow-to-assemble-excuse for the delay in opening the door. Spare me—yes, fix your hair and straighten that tie. Politicians in particular should behave mindful of the attorney's rule, avoid any hint of impropriety at all costs. Recently there's been far too much of it; still a senator Craig; a guy who voted so far right his neck is permanently cricked, voting against everything remotely connected to alternative lifestyles, reaching out to touch someone in the men's room of a major airport. If you read the transcript of his arrest interview, the hedge is evident. It isn't that he's gay, picking up people in public places or that he's a senator; the question inevitably rises—how clear is his thinking in areas pertinent to his job in the United States Senate if he can't see how obvious his sideway maneuvering was during his arrest? All that denial and cloudy judgement probably isn't compartmentalized and might leak into legislative judgement (oh, no, that's right, lobbyists write legislation). There was Senator Strom Thurmond, someone who fought against anything that advanced people of color for years, who admitted in his will that, yes, indeed, he had fathered a child with one of his black servants. Good enough to feck* but not good enough to reap the benefits of white people—interesting but antiquated concept. Congressman Fry and his inappropriate emails to young congressional aids smacks of pedophilia, and this week, perjury by the mayor of Detroit and his young assistant in order to hide a clandestine affair. Oh, and that guy campaigning for his wife now, Bill Clinton; he did not have sexual relations with that woman, remember? Uh-huh, just another orgasmic conversation in the hall with a full mouth.

A few years back, an organizer at an advertising seminar said the reason it was so difficult to find women speakers was that there weren't many qualified women in advertising. He complained about women in the work place; training them and how they leave to make babies, as if we did it to ourselves. Women were unreliable, he said, they lacked commitment to the job. Now, here's an idea on applying that double standard: Maybe we need to rethink men in the workplace since they can't seem to keep it zipped. Or maybe, even better, we need to remember that we're all human beings and fallible as well as equal.

*Feck is the polite substitute provided by the excellent writers of Father Ted, a good laugh.

Technorati terms: Scandalous Sex, Women & Men, Creative Beefcake, Sex and the Job

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Closing Incompletes

2008-01-01T21:18:34Z

For an illustrator, his parameters are within that one illustration. Unlike a designer, an illustrator limits his perspective, concentrating on composition, color and technique. But unlike a designer, when his illustration is finished, well, everything else is simple support. To an illustrator, the final piece is simply a pole for the flag; ah, the illustration. My distant friend Fred sent me a pop-up Christmas card this year. My other friend, Scott the printer, described it as "production costs to die for" done by someone who uses the high priced spread. There was a note on the back from Fred noting the "drop the ball" feeling present from the uninvolved front of the card to the burst inside. My potter friend said, "What's up with that?" What's up with that is that a very good illustrator created that card. He focused on the interplay of the pop-up, the mechanics, the shapes and the colors. And then he stopped. I think each job has imaginary parameters we put in place, determined by our definition of our place. For an illustrator, his parameters are within that one illustration. Unlike a designer, an illustrator limits his perspective, concentrating on composition, color and technique. But unlike a designer, when his illustration is finished, well, everything else is simple support. To an illustrator, the final piece is simply a pole for the flag; ah, the illustration. It's a valid viewpoint, but probably not one appreciated by the audience or a designer. Job parameters are best controlled by an art director or creative director whose job it is to bring all the elements together to support the whole. If you are freelancing, keep in mind that you must step back and act as overseer with responsibilities beyond a single point of view. Commercial illustration is just one element of a concept that must support a client's intent. Thinking outside the box means different things to different people. Simply pushing artistic technique and applying all the plug-ins may not be enough to qualify for the "outside the box" label in the field of design.

Too many jobs have bits and pieces thrown together as an afterthought, and that earns an industry incomplete. A professional job is a resolved job. It takes time, sometimes too much time, to find the solution when you're just starting out. When the job is done, viewers will feel it works, and so will you, because resolution is the most important aspect of design work, not just aesthetics. If it looks good but doesn't work, well, the work is not done. You're not finished. When presented with an opportunity to close the gap between complete and incomplete, both in your work and life, seize the moment and become the resolution. It's all about making things work—making things better.

Happy Green New Year and may it draw closer to more peace and less pestilence.

Technorati terms: Resolutions And Your Work, Holiday Freelance Aesthetics, Freelance, Self-Employed

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LAWS of Authorship

2007-12-01T18:03:59Z

Confusion sets in when one applies the rules of photography or illustration to design. They are very different by definition and one of the steps of registering a creative work is definition. Trust me; if you have trouble defining the parameters of your work as far as ownership, you’ll have just as much trouble defining it on all the forms you’ll need to file a copyright, trademark or patent. Having a clear understanding of the differences between copyright, trademark and patent is important—not only to protect ourselves, but our clients, too. From time to time, forum participants have declared that they have lease agreements with their clients for logos they designed (say what?), that Nike leases its logo from the designer (aw, go on), that on-line logo services are restricting some usage rights (the special Frank Zappa “no foolin’?”). They want to know how much to increase their design fees if a print run is over or under a certain quantity. They ask what wording is used to transfer certain usage rights when they design a website. None of these questions would be asked if everyone selling design services had a clear understanding of the nature of copyright and fair use.

Confusion sets in when one applies the rules of photography or illustration to design. They are very different by definition and one of the steps of registering a creative work is definition. Trust me; if you have trouble defining the parameters of your work as far as ownership, you’ll have just as much trouble defining it on all the forms you’ll need to file a copyright, trademark or patent.

When you create a work of art, you are automatically protected by the laws of authorship. Whether a painting, an illustration, a play or a clay pot, no one can own it but you. Now, if someone buys that item from you, then they own the rights to live with it and display it—but they don't own IT and may not alter or destroy it. In fact, if they endanger it in any way, the law says it must be restored and returned to the original artist. This applies whether you file any paperwork or not. It’s automatic; the only thing you have to do is identify yourself as the artist and that’s probably why it’s a good idea to sign your work if you are a fine artist.

The difference between fine and commercial art is that very signature: fine artists put their name on the work, commercial artists get their name on the check. Commercial art involves an assignment from the client which constitutes an understanding that you are designing something specific to that client; custom fees for custom design. Designers who work on the cheap need cheezy schemes to bring in the cash; it’s like a Pay-Me-Less tennis shoe store selling shoes for $5 with a per game usage fee extended for the life of the shoe.

When a photographer shoots a picture, unless he is working under a “work for hire” contract that defines his work product as property of his employer, he owns what he shoots. He may transfer some usage rights or he may sell the thing outright; the difference is the price will rise as the rights increase. When an illustrator receives an assignment from a client, the fee will rise if the illustrator transfers all usage rights to the client, or if he wants to retain some rights so he can sell the illustration again as stock art or if he wants to retain the original. Few clients I know will go to the trouble of hiring an illustrator to do a custom job if they aren’t going to be the exclusive owner of the usage rights. That’s why illustration is expensive.

When you buy a stock photograph, the agency will ask you how many impressions you will make. If you only need 100 brochures, the stock photo will cost less because you are getting less usage. If your run is over 5M, you will pay more because more people are seeing the image on behalf of your cause. The risk, which is inherent in figuring the value of a stock photo versus paying for a custom photo shoot, is that you might see the same photo on a competitor’s sales piece. Why isn’t it the same when you design a brochure? Because you cannot own the elements and their arrangement, and that’s all a layout is. After a finite number of people copyrighted their designs, there would be no more design. Who owns text set nine over ten, flush left, rag right, and positioned in the lower left corner of a page? Can’t be done. Copyrighting graphic design would mean someone owned an idea or way of doing things. The trouble, as well as the basis for understanding, comes in the definition of parameters.

Logos are expensive endeavors. Custom anything is more expensive, but when you sit down with a designer and discuss your mission statement, your customer base, your product line and your target market; all of that time figures into the cost of identity development. It would be unethical of a designer to take the product of all that input and resell it later—and that’s part of the intrinsic value of a custom logo and why you cannot retain any of the rights. No one is going to hire you to design something that time intensive if they don’t end up owning it. Think about it. After the identity is complete and the bill has been paid, the client can register his new logo with the Trademark office; but you can not copyright it because it was commissioned with the intent of identifying someone else’s business.

Technorati terms: Buying A Logo, Protecting Your Work, Copyright, Trademark OR Patent, Owning Original Art

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IOU: What To Do When the Chips are Down

2007-10-20T17:00:52Z

Almost everyone who is self-employed will face a time when they can’t pay the bills. (Don’t pat yourself on the back if you haven’t taken any risks) The hard part is to avoid wasting time debasing yourself over what you should have done or could’ve done to avoid the trauma of empty bank account syndrome. Hard times show what you’re made of; so use your creative advantage when dealing with the shortfall. Suits in ivory towers who purport to know all the answers about the world used to mystify me. You don’t have to be in a think tank or institution of higher learning to know that when the price of fuel goes up, everything that uses fuel in it’s production, transportation or storage will go up. Add Wall Street’s pressure on corporations to minimize operation costs (a.k.a. the cost of doing business) and the price of everything will double overnight. All those monthly reports of negative inflation were jolly juice to keep the masses happy. How robust is our economy when growth is one tenth of one percent (that's one tenth of one one-hundredth for the math impaired)?

Almost everyone who is self-employed will face a time when they can’t pay the bills. (Don’t pat yourself on the back if you haven’t taken any risks) The hard part is to avoid wasting time debasing yourself over what you should have done or could’ve done to avoid the trauma of empty bank account syndrome. Hard times show what you’re made of; so use your creative advantage when dealing with the shortfall. One of the first freelance assignments I had was an illustration for a designer who was pressed to pay. See that guy standing in the clearing in the woods? He included it with his regular, small payments to remind them he was making an effort.

People in the collection industry are not above tricking you either. I know a guy who bought a new car, returned it to the dealer two years later because he couldn’t sell it to keep from losing it. The car company had given away so many incentives, he owed more than the car was worth. Seven years later, the car company is still plaguing him with collection efforts even though the statute of limitations has long expired. Why? Well, if they can get him to feel responsible and agree he owes the money, the statute restarts as if he bought the car yesterday. Don’t fall for it. No one can legally collect a debt after the statute of limitations runs out; that varies from state to state, so google it. And guess what—anything older than 6 months on your credit record (except for bankruptcy) must be removed at your written request because it's no longer accurate.

Remember the throng of ads for cashing in on the equity in your house? That was right before the Credit card lobby got Congress to rewrite the bankruptcy law in their favor. Credit cards are unsecured, making them pretty much uncollectable; but if they can convince you to shift that debt into the equity of your house, hey, why not! They prefer you to be homeless to their taking a loss on a profit bigger than the national deficit. Oh, yes, I know, you owe the money and it’s your duty to pay it back—do the right thing. Are those interest rates right (fair and equitable compounded daily)? Until the common man has the same power the lobbyists wield when legislation is written, right and wrong won’t apply. If you are making the minimum monthly payment on all those credit cards, you are already in deep doo-doo.

One final note; don’t lose hope. Everybody has ups and downs, but not everybody shows it. That competitor who drives the Jag that you find so intimidating might still live at home. Make those cold calls, stay in touch with your industry connections, and business will reappear. The worst thing you can do is dig a hole and crawl into it—though that may be your gut reaction. Call your suppliers and see if you can work out an arrangement. Sometimes, they need design work or have clients who do. Big printers are usually willing to work out a trade when a regular customer gets in over his head. If worse comes to worse, remember that many successful people including Mark Twain, Walt Disney, Francis Ford Coppola, Frank Lloyd Wright and even the "you're fired" guy all filed bankruptcy; so what. I know it's hard when you're a designer, art directing the perfection of your life; but remember that you're not here to get by unscathed. You're here to learn, grow, get beat up a little and see what kind of fabulous lines you can sculpt into that face to show where you've been and what you've learned. Rock on.

Thinking of freelancing for a living? Tired of doing the boss' castoffs? Better get some good advice on how to protect yourself from those who would pillage and plunder your creative talents. Look for more stories and adventures in advertising design in my book Start and Run a Creative Services Business. It's filled with great links and a full spectrum of experiences. Not an artist? You'll be in stitches as you follow the pitfalls and adventures of self-employment. And if you've been freelancing for a while, you'll find new information and a trustworthy mentor to stand by your side through thick and thin in Start and Run a Creative Services Business. Excerpts are available online at my website.

Technorati terms: Can't Pay, Dealing With Collections, IOU: What To Do, Buried In Debt

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Close, But No Banana

2007-09-15T04:10:29Z

One of a proofreader’s tests for checking leading consistency in text heavy copy is turning it upside down and looking for uneven spacing or single characters that shouldn’t be there. This works because it removes distractions. Right side up, one might be tempted to get involved with reading copy or enjoying the accompanying illustration. Call me crazy, but when I saw these two video captures next to each other, it sure looked like different people. Turning these pictures upside down helps—as does using the measuring tool in Photoshop. I don’t know about you, but I question whether dying somebody’s hair automatically changes their nose; or for that matter, their hairline. Hairlines are supposed to be just like fingerprints. They are distinctive and if you focus on his facial hair, there’s a hairline there, too, which varies considerably below the chin and around the cheeks (more notable because trimming one’s beard is a big no-no in that culture). I suppose it could be male pattern chin balding. Maybe he just held his head over the cosmetologists dye pan too long and it broadened the flat plane of his forehead. The browline sits differently from face to face, too, so I suspect though it is a good likeness, matching bone structure might be too difficult.

Then there’s that gangster lip that hangs slightly lower on the right (our left) side of his mouth. No, don’t tell me; he chews tobacco or favors tucking a pinch of snuff just under his gum line on that side. Maybe those are spitoons and not latrines at the Hard Rock Cavé he’s been staying at in Pakistan’s tribal region. That’s got to be a hard life; so I wonder how it is he has the very same backdrop and outfit perfectly preserved over a period of rough living for three years; when I get done with a photoshoot, the backdrop is fingerprinted, ripping in at the edges and covered with footprints; ready to be pitched.

What do YOU think?

Technorati terms: Osama Bin Laden's TWIN, Miracles of Photoshop, Dye Job or Plastic Surgery?, Finding Bin Laden

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Marketing 4Ps: Extended to 7 for SERVICE

2007-09-10T21:04:59Z

PEOPLE are part of the marketing methodology—everyone associated with the production and delivery of the service plays an integral part in the success of their business. Whether you manage the process, create or package the product, deliver the final proofs or simply answer the phone, the weakest link might sink a service business. So, mind your humanity.]]> People

The Booms and Bitner Journal expanded McCarthy’s marketing strategy tool in 1981 to include the service industry, services like design. Part of the success equation in any service industry is PEOPLE. A rude waiter at a posh restaurant can ruin an expensive meal; just as an incorrectly burned DVD is an inconvenience and delay to what might have been an otherwise successfully completed job. For that matter, your knowledge base as a designer also plays a part in the quality of service you deliver. PEOPLE are part of the marketing methodology—everyone associated with the production and delivery of the service plays an integral part in the success of their business. Whether you manage the process, create or package the product, deliver the final proofs or simply answer the phone, the weakest link might sink a service business. So, mind your humanity.

Process

Like printers who cling to antiquated stripping procedures, registering negs on sheets of goldenrod, there are still a few typesetters clinging to the fantasy that people will abandon their computers and straggle back to professional typesetting. These kamikaze dreamers have stifled their own business growth by ignoring technological changes; and that’s where PROCESS comes in. If you're still sitting at a drawing table with your exacto and a wax machine, creating keylines with your rapidiograph and charging your client for the long hours you spend while the rest of the competition produces more perfect jobs on a computer, you are not paying attention to PROCESS. In widget manufacturing, they came up with the ISO9000 standards so manufacturers can measure and improve processes, keeping up with new technologies in their particular industry. In our service industry, procedures like client conferences, initial roughs and print dummies will always be used to control the PROCESS. No matter how much technology changes our tools, we will still submit final proofs to clients for approval and signature. It’s a proven PROCESS that clearly delineates liability.

Physical Evidence

In case you haven’t heard, that D.C. judge who sued his cleaners for $56 million for losing his pants—he’s filed an appeal in spite of being brought before the Bar Association. You can spot a dry cleaner by the traffic—cleaning being dropped off and picked up, equipment you see and hear, and by his reputation. There is PHYSICAL EVIDENCE that he has the capacity to provide the service. Your tangible evidence is a portfolio filled with samples of work and maybe a list of references from previous clients. All that computer equipment and high-end design software is also tangible, physical evidence that you can provide a service. Equipment alone is no guarantee, though, as we all know a few people who bought the equipment and studied the software manuals without having a lick of design expertise. The intangible part of Physical Evidence is the experience of your existing customers, their level of satisfaction, and your ability to relay that satisfaction to potential clients. Yes, it's true that a good line of bullshit will help you find new clients and build a rigorous business in spite of all other factors. Unfortunately, intangible BS coupled with tangible equipment still won’t help you deliver that intangible client satisfaction required to be a success in the design field. As any woman will tell you, a tool is just a tool, even if it is a charming one. Knowing how to use the tool is the single determining factor in achieving satisfaction. Any questions?

For more details on marketing methodology, refer to the graphics.com archives:

Product
Position
Price
Promotion
People
Process
Physical Evidence

Technorati terms: Marketing Methodology, Extended Marketing in Service, Freelance Marketing tips, Overcome In-house Marketing

Artists & War

2007-07-26T23:23:25Z

Congress quietly gave itself another $3000 raise; I still haven’t recovered from hearing Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) justify his $140,000 salary (plus a myriad of manicures, haircuts, healthcare benefits, and a pension that would make a working man blush) by saying his job was the same as the Chief Executive Officer of a corporation; and we all know how most Americans view the exorbitant salaries of CEOs. Looking down from such a lofty perch, the rift is growing between the working class and Washington D.C.’s ruling class. Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she thinks the American public is losing faith in Congress because of the war. She’s right, we are tired of the war. But more importantly, we are tired of Congress taking care of itself before it takes care of more pressing concerns like the homeless, the hungry, the high costs of education, the rising price of energy, the nearly impossible costs of healthcare in addition to the burden of sending their future—their sons and daughters—to face sudden death in a foreign land. Congress quietly gave itself another $3000 raise; I still haven’t recovered from hearing Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) justify his $140,000 salary (plus a myriad of manicures, haircuts, healthcare benefits, and a pension that would make a working man blush) by saying his job was the same as the Chief Executive Officer of a corporation; and we all know how most Americans view the exorbitant salaries of CEOs. Looking down from such a lofty perch, the rift is growing between the working class and Washington D.C.’s ruling class.

I am a patriot, and firmly believe in our democracy. But lately, I wonder if the people entrusted to fulfill our Founding Father’s intentions are more concerned with lining their own pockets than working on our behalf ( a close look at the delay involving the Net Neutrality legislation tells an interesting story about lobbyists filling politician's coffers). More often than I care to count, Senators and Representatives appear on the news saying, “I’m grateful for the votes of my constituents and promise to do what I think is right when I get to Washington.” Unfortunately, that’s not their prime directive. Our representatives are elected and sent to Washington to represent the views and opinions of the people in their constituency; not to do what he or she thinks is right. When congressmen and women forget this very important duty, they forget the fiber of the country’s weave. They forget the founders fled an overburdening tax in the presence of under representation in Great Britain’s government. Representation is key and without it, government becomes parasitic.

The recent widespread Tribal Casino & lobbyist scandal, the Representative from Lousiana filmed taking cash bribes who was found with $80,000 in his freezer, the quiet, almost secretive raises for Congress, the stories of fighting men without proper gear, the piss-poor healthcare facilities and services for returning vets, the lack of follow-through after Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, an Attorney General with a short term memory problem rivaling a pothead, and the fact that only millionaires can run for President are all reasons the American public has had it with the ruling class. So, no, Nancy Pelosi, it’s not just the war. It’s bigger than that.

The sad thing is whether it’s Democratic, Republican, Independent or Libertarian—inserting a new set of elected officials into a corrupt and complacent system probably won’t create change. Just like in painting, we all need to step back and get a good look at the big picture. Like they say in painting class, everything can change.

*Quotation courtesy of Douglas Eby and his excellent site,
Talent Development Resources, that nurtures creatives.

Thinking of freelancing for a living? Tired of doing the boss' castoffs? Better get some good advice on how to protect yourself from those who would rape and plunder your creative talents. Look for more stories and adventures in advertising design in my book Start and Run a Creative Services Business. It's filled with great links and a full spectrum of experiences. Not an artist? You'll be in stitches as you follow the pitfalls and adventures of self-employment. And if you've been freelancing for a while, you'll find new information and a trustworthy mentor to stand by your side through thick and thin in Start and Run a Creative Services Business. Excerpts are available online at my website.

Technorati terms: Pelosi Mourns Lack of Faith, Artists and War, Changing Political Landscapes, Picasso's Guernica

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Last of the 4Ps: PROMOTION

2007-07-17T21:02:36Z

For my very first self-promotion, I wanted something nice I could give to my clients that they would keep; something that didn’t die when the end of the year came around, and something equally appealing as a reminder after a cold call or portfolio showing. That’s when I started a regular series of self-promotional posters; starting with Melon at the Plaza, NYC which you can download by clicking on the phrase, "the joys of eating melon". I mailed each one in a tube so it would be hard to ignore. It was reassuring to see it nicely framed and prominently displayed everywhere I went. That was before cyber times; now all you have to do is create a PDF file that can be downloaded at will. Self-promotion is easier and cheaper than ever. One very reliable promotion: Calendars are one of the oldest, most trusted methods of promotion, no matter what the business, product or service. There’s a reason for that; staying power. Few people can discard a calendar; ask an older, male mechanic where he used to get his favorite free babe calendar and he'll probably say Snap-on Tools well enough to remember the brand when he needs new tools. Calendars are common promotions because they stick around for at least a year, but if you’re self employed, they might be a bit costly to produce on a large format offset press, at least I thought so when I first started freelancing. For my very first self-promotion, I wanted something nice I could give to my clients that they would keep; something that didn’t die when the end of the year came around, and something equally appealing as a reminder after a cold call or portfolio showing. That’s when I started a regular series of self-promotional posters; starting with Melon at the Plaza, NYC which you can download here. I mailed each one in a tube so it would be hard to ignore. It was reassuring to see it nicely framed and prominently displayed everywhere I went. That was before cyber times; now all you have to do is create a PDF file that can be downloaded at will. Self-promotion is easier and cheaper than ever.

Marketing Managers everywhere: HEADS UP. If you want to control your Ps, at least know what the words refer to in strategic plan execution. In the late 1950s (about 60 years ago), Jerome McCarthy came up with the 4Ps of Marketing in his book, Basic Marketing. If you learned one of the Ps was Place; you’re behind the times. Place has evolved into POSITION. If you’re thinking POSITION means logistics and where you store your product, move into the Twenty-First Century. McCarthy wrote that book before iPhones, Star Trek, a computer in every home, the internet and massive marketers like WalMart. Try to apply PLACE to any one of these and you’ll see the conundrum.

Yes, when a marketing manager decides whether it’s a brochure, a direct mail piece, a point-of-purchase display or an ad campaign, that falls under PROMOTION. No, they should not design, write copy, choose the color scheme, or even pick the typeface. Please try something different and allow the professionals your company places at your fingertips (like the art director or designer) to do their jobs in support of your product launch. Oh, and that means without pesky, nitpicking interference which you see as careful task mastering. One of the worst things you can be called is a micromanager—besides, it’s distracting and drives us all NUTS.

When creating a PROMOTION for your product, concentrate on motivating your target market and put yourself in their place. What type of offer will motivate your target? Air Lines have great promotions when they open a new HUB, such as Allegient Air’s $89 airfare to Vegas. A limited time promotion always attracts attention, both from the market and the competition. What kind of leverage will you provide to salespeople that will motivate them to sell your product over the competition? One cell phone company offers to buy out your current contract if you sign up with them. What kind of deal will you create that will seem like an offer your target can’t refuse? Advertising, Public Relations and Publicity will keep your product or service out front, ahead of the competition; and these are all parts of PROMOTION.

How does Advertising differ from PROMOTION? Advertising is supposed to get everybody’s attention. Signs, brochures, videos, direct mail, email campaigns, corporate blogs and community events all fall under the fourth P of PROMOTION. So the next time a marketing manager steps in with specific instructions regarding his promotional materials, remind him that his job is strategy, not application. And I want to be a fly on the wall when you suggest that his dabble in graphics at college did not equipt him with what’s required to be a professional designer. And, no, redecorating a bathroom does not qualify as design experience.

*Chindoya street performers photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Technorati terms: Promotion: Professional Services, Marketing, Promoting A Service, Marketing 4Ps: Promotion

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Marketing 3 of 4Ps: What exactly IS your PRODUCT?

2007-06-25T20:07:31Z

Play the game, be persistent and always do periodic followup; including dropping off recent samples with your business card and a note attached. Something as simple as “Just off the press–wanted to update you on my recent work. Give me a call if you need some help.” This won’t work if your portfolio is filled with sloppy, unprofessional, or unresolved work. This is an easy task. Take a few days to think about what you enjoy doing most, then consider what you do best. If the two coincide, deciding what services to sell will become clear. Art directors and production managers in ad agencies want to know which of their needs you can satisfy. Can they count on you for illustration, concept work, corporate identity or publication design? Are you fast and efficient in production? Learn to think of your skill as a PRODUCT with features and benefits for the person buying your service. Neither here nor there, your service is the product traded for currency. Your customers want your work, you want their money; so a trade is made. This is called THE OFFERING.

One of the reasons it’s so hard to get your foot in the door is all the bad work out there. Agencies are flooded with unqualified and poorly educated portfolio bearers asking for time to show their work. There is always a gauntlet to pass through; a secretary who knows little about what you do but who still must determine if you're worth the time, or a desperate production artist who is the bottom of the rung and sees every freelancer as competition. These folks are stopgaps in a big agency's desperate effort to invest the minimum amount of time wading through a sea of hopefuls. If you are gifted and your work is well worth their time, you must suffer through the mess that’s been created by the mass of wannabees and hope your talents are clearly evident. It pays to be nice to everyone, even those whose job is to keep you out. Sometimes, you may not get seen and that is the real injustice of the system. Play the game, be persistent and always do periodic followup; including dropping off recent samples with your business card and a note attached. Something as simple as “Just off the press–wanted to update you on my recent work. Give me a call if you need some help.” This won’t work if your portfolio is filled with sloppy, unprofessional, or unresolved work.

Take the time to define the characteristics of your service; make sure you meet the needs of your clients while you’re at it—don’t forget Service, Support and Warranty. That old saying, “The customer is always right” is no longer true. Like common sense, reasonable expectations are no longer common. A recent case is the Chung family drycleaning business where they misplaced a pair of pants owned by a judge who sued them for $54 million based on their satisfaction guaranteed sign. The test of reasonableness is frequently applied to injury cases; is it reasonable to find a chicken bone in chicken salad? Yes. Case dismissed. An Associated Press news story on the verdict quoted Judge Judith Bartnoff when she ruled that the Korean immigrant owners of Custom Cleaners did not violate the city’s Consumer Protection Act by failing to live up to Roy L. Pearson’s expectations of the “Satisfaction Guaranteed” sign that was once placed in the store window. Judge Pearson must now pay the Chungs everything they spent protecting themselves against his frivolous lawsuit and he gets the pants, which they found and tried to return earlier.

When service is your product, the list of marketing Ps is extended to allow for the special nature of expectations regarding transactions. I’ll cover those 3 additional, controllable variables next time.

To those of you residing stateside, enjoy your 4 day weekend and celebrate like true colonists. Try to keep all your apendages when playing with fireworks. Rock on.

Technorati terms: Product: Professional Services, Marketing, Defining A Service, When Your Product Is Design

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Marketing: 2 of 4Ps

2007-06-14T19:20:48Z

Remember to consider skills, speed and know-how when comparing yourself to the competition. Be careful to include your cost of living—a freelancer in New York City or San Francisco should charge a great deal more than a designer in Beaumont (TX) because overhead is higher. In general, when setting pricing parameters, don’t rely on prices quoted in books or you'll price yourself right out of work.]]> Let’s take it one step further and ask if you were dying, how much money would you pay to stay alive? The exchange of money for curing human ills is a sordid business. It would be interesting to see how they determined the $360US price of the new cervical cancer vaccination that must be renewed each year. How many days this year would you like to be protected from cancer? Would a dollar a day be too much? Sheer unjustifiable extortion or an assumption that poor people don’t have lives worth saving?

A popular topic of conversation on message boards and forums is price; how much should I charge for what I do? Setting the right price is very important when marketing professional design services. Set it too low, and you may lose potentional clients who suspect shoddy work for bargain prices. Book writers without real world experience have some radical ideas about freelance fees including suggesting you use the average income of a full time designer in a corporation as a basis—an annual income that has no bearing on your expenses, range of projects or reasonable price expectations in your practice area. Base your charges on the range of services you offer and juggle that against your level of expertise and education; with a pinch or two for taxes, overhead, and a few bob for that yacht. Also consider that a well educated, seasoned designer can produce more quality work in an hour than a novice who is still learning. A client shouldn’t have to pay for time spent figuring out how to do the job, or trying at random a dozen or more typefaces because of uncertainty.

If you still aren’t sure about how much to charge, try an anonymous poll with competitors in the area by putting out a small job for bid. What should you say? You’ve got a small job you’re subcontracting out. Here's an excellent article on pricing strategies that appeared in Communication Arts Magazine. But this article walks you through what works and what doesn't; and was written by a person who faced the dilemma from every angle. Remember to consider skills, speed and know-how when comparing yourself to the competition. Be careful to include your cost of living—a freelancer in New York City or San Francisco should charge a great deal more than a designer in Beaumont (TX) because overhead is higher. In general, when setting pricing parameters, don’t rely on prices quoted in books or you'll price yourself right out of work. A unique style and experience require a price that reflects the value added services you provide. Don’t cast pearls before swine by selling yourself on the cheap and never work for free.

Anyone charging $25 an hour to create original art makes me wonder where they rank themselves among professional services and trades. Even in rural areas, plumbers charge $75 an hour plus a service fee. “Lady, it’s $50 just to see my face, then it’s additional for the work.” Attorneys charge upwards of $450 an hour. Is knowing how to unclog a sink or understanding the law much different from all the knowledge required to take a project from concept to print or develop a corporate identity? As a matter of fact, basing the value of design work on sheer sweat and knowledge alone must demand a higher premium than pipe jockeys, especially since we’re producing original art. Custom prices for custom work and don’t forget to add that 15% sales commission for outside services like printing.

Technorati terms: Pricing Professional Services, Marketing, How Much To Charge, Pricing Design

Defrosting Those Icy Cold Calls

2007-05-28T21:16:53Z

I do one of two things when faced with (sticking my finger in a pot of boiling oil) cold calls. I remind myself that I am selling an original style of work that is uniquely my own; and even if they don’t have an assignment for me at this moment, if they are smart, they will take this opportunity to view it—keeping it in mind for future needs. That’s a double whammy because if they don’t want to see my work, it means they’re not thinking ahead. And who wants to work with short sighted people, eh?]]> The second tip for making a cold call less painful is what I call the Fifty-Fifty Save. Everything is a 50/50 proposition; the results of your cold call will either be yes or no in all of their various shades of gray. That means there’s a 50/50 chance you’ll get to show your book, a 50/50 chance you’ll land a new client, a 50/50 chance they’ll keep you in mind for the next job. They will or they won’t and that largely depends on the quality of your work. For me, cold calls have resulted in some long time friendships that keep me growing both professionally and personally. The added option to those cold calls; you, too, may make valuable friends.

Some friends in the business were slow to take to cyberlife. I, on the other hand, was smacked in the face by another friend I cold called in the eighties. Dennis Meyler was the guy who took care of the Art Director's Club of Houston Job Board, so I had to call him when I was looking for a job. When computers took over the industry, he told me to “get on the computer or take up flipping burgers for a living because you’ll be out of a job.” I took his advice and always listen when he speaks, or er . . . emails. My other cold call friend is Richard Laurence Baron III who was the creative director at a pretty famous Business-to-Business (B2B) ad agency in Houston. I called him up and asked if he would he give me some pointers on my work. I had been freelancing for 4 years when I showed my book, mostly for small businesses that barely had budgets. One brochure in my portfolio was what the client demanded, not what I thought was best. He said, “So, you decided to roll over instead of fighting for what you know is right?” Richard taught me the importance of doing a good job instead of appeasing an uneducated client. After all these years, I wonder if he’s noticed that I took his advice to heart. I would’ve missed both of these friendships had I not made those cold calls.

My third tip for cold calls is to reframe your mental perspective. Business books say set a couple of hours aside each week to make cold calls. If it was that simple, fewer books would be written about it and more people would be doing it. I get a feeling of dread whenever I have to do something I don’t want to; unless I can reframe it for my creative mind. I do one of two things when faced with (sticking my finger in a pot of boiling oil) cold calls. I remind myself that I am selling an original style of work that is uniquely my own; and even if they don’t have an assignment for me at this moment, if they are smart, they will take this opportunity to view my work—keeping it in mind for future needs. That’s a double whammy because if they don’t want to see my work, it means they’re not thinking ahead. And who wants to work with short sighted people, eh? If you're good, they missed more than you did.

The second reframing technique is to escape my dread for whatever chore is at hand. At the first sign of dread, doing almost anything else is more desireable. That, I find, is the most opportune moment to make a cold call. Facing the unknown to avoid drudgery turns the cold call into sheer adventure (and temporary escape from the drudgery). After all, it costs you nothing and you risk nothing. Most important, remember you gain nothing if you don’t try. Don’t want to clean your studio? Why not make a couple of phone calls to complete strangers? It's bound to be more fun than cleaning the cat box.

FOR CAT LOVERS ONLY:
*The very best organic "leaf only" catnip is grown and hand picked by a family in West Virginia. Order the $3 monster bag and watch the show.

Technorati terms: Cold Calls, Marketing, Portfolio Cold Calls, Build Your Client List

Marketing: One of 4Ps

2007-05-10T19:09:00Z

It was big news when the low price leader announced generic prescriptions for $4 a month. All the people on fixed incomes were excited and hopeful that finally their prescription costs would be manageable. What they found out was there was a limited list of generics that were available for $4, and those only included 20 pills. I worked with an Englishman and I looked forward every day to hearing his ever-so-eloquent pronunciation drip like the golden honey from inside a perfectly ripe honey dew melon. Having a drab midwestern accent makes me appreciate anyone with a bit of regional character. He argued with me about what the 4Ps meant; and I didn’t have the heart to tell him that positioning had nothing to do with ad placement on a page. Here's a few examples of positioning, see how you can use positioning to your advantage either for yourself or your clients.

I am a totally weird shopper. There’s nothing wrong with spending top dollar on things that matter; computers, iPods, software, fine Italian shoes even. But when it comes to things like vacuum cleaner bags, well, I used to look to the “low price leader” for the lowest price. I’m not going to give anyone free advertising here, especially if their positioning is a big fat lie. Look for that smiley face and the flying scissors and you will find the low price leader isn’t. They are so protective of their positioning, they evicted a product comparison shopper from their stores, saying their pricing was proprietary. Vacuum cleaner bags are 3 for $4.29 at the low price leader, but the same package and brand are 3 for eighty-nine cents at BIG LOTS. When temperatures are looming around the mid-fifties, low-end air conditioners are $78; and after watching the low price leader’s TV ads, you might expect that price to go down. But noooooooo (Steve Martin Style, please)—as the temperature rises, so, too, does the price at the low price leader right up to $108. Positioning has nothing to do with reality. Marketing managers decide where they want to compete in the market and control their image accordingly. Positioning tells your target how to think about you, sometimes accomplished by using an effective tagline like low price leader even though it has nothing to do with the truth.

It was big news when the low price leader announced generic prescriptions for $4 a month. All the people on fixed incomes were excited and hopeful that finally their prescription costs would be manageable. What they found out was there was a limited list of generics that were available for $4, and those only included 20 pills. I personally haven’t had a month with only 20 days, so it’s no wonder they didn’t include that information in their ads or on the multitude of news reports that extoled the program. Positioning is about painting a pretty picture of how you want people to think of your product or company; the catchphrase should be simple, easy to remember and satisfy the audience enough so that they won’t look too closely at the wicked web you weave. If you want to save on generic prescriptions, the best prices are at a place that usually requires a membership, but not to fill online prescriptions. Try it.

One of the jobs I held while I worked my way through school was at a data entry job in a major retailer. That lovely Ellie Tahari skirt I wanted was purchased from the manufacturer for $12 but retailed for $75. Now when I see a department store advertising up to 75% off end of season items, well, that’s no big deal. It also taught me that my peers in the design industry who consider the trade markup practice on printing and other sub-contracted purchases underhanded and unethical haven’t got a clue about the way the rest of the world conducts their business. Just a reminder; the standard mark-up should be the gross times point 1765, which will give you 15% of the gross, not the net. Take your profit because you earned it, and remember that agencies frequently mark stuff up as high as 45%.

There are all kinds of good examples of positioning; another good one is the insurance web site that advertises price comparisons with the competition. That insurance company's policies cost hundreds of dollars more than the caveman/gecko brand which conveniently is not included in the comparison. More Ps to come—remember to eat all your vegetables, not just your peas.

Technorati terms: Marketing Positioning, Marketing Managers' Realm, Art Direction is not Marketing, Understanding Positioning

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Convert Files Free

2007-05-06T05:01:05Z

There are so many file types being exchanged, downloaded and replayed, it would be handy if everybody could convert them quickly and easily, especially with video and music files. Well, now you can and free of charge. Convert those music files and save some money. So compliments of Eric Peterson over at Experts-Exchange here’s an excellent site that everybody can use to convert files up to 100mgs—this includes all those hysterically funny videos available online at YouTube and MySpace. And if you decided to change mp3 players or switch to the iPod (or throw your Zune out the window because you’re tired of music files that expire), convert those music files that you paid for before they do and save them somewhere else besides on your looney Zune. This is the site and below is a list of file types that can be converted.

Image formats:
bmp, gif, ico, jpg, pcx, png, tga, wbmp, and wmf

Document formats:
docx, html, ocp, ods, cdt, pcx, pdf,
csv, ppt, ps, rtf, txt, wpd, wps, xls, and xml.

Video formats:
3gp, avi, fiv, gvi, ipod, m4v, mov, mp4,
mpg, ogg, rm, rmvb, vob, and wmv.

Music formats:
aac, ac3 flac, m4a, mmf, mp3,
ogg, ra, ram , wav , and wma.

Now, don't say I never gave you anything handy.

Technorati terms: Convert Music Files, Convert Files Free

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Serious STUFF

2007-04-20T23:47:09Z

We never saw him again, but stories circulated for years afterwards. Ken works quietly on his paintings in a small town in Ohio now. I was reminded of these strange happenings and my close call during the news reports about the 32 students at Virginia Tech who were gunned down by a classmate. Reporters keep asking how it happened and why they didn’t suspect he was a danger. Let me answer that: Sometimes you know and sometimes . . . it don’t show; I know. As I got to know him, during afternoon tea and assorted other outings, I learned he worked summers at a local hotel restaurant. Though his father was a successful architect, Ken was unwilling to accept monetary help for anything beyond his tuition. His annual routine was to work at the restaurant for 3 months a year, gain as much weight as he could and avoid buying anything at the grocery store except for Cream of Wheat. Blah! As any fine artist will tell you, oil paint is not cheap and his apartment offered little comfort beyond a mattress on the floor. He spoke romantically of understanding some of the passionate painters he studied (that painting of the nude to the left is by Jean Baptiste Camille Corot) and frequently painted long into the night until he collapsed exhausted in front of his canvas. His record was 4 days without sleep. Weeks went by when I didn’t see or hear from him even though he lived a block away; but he was hungry for my companionship when he reemerged from his self-imposed hermitage.

One night just a week before Christmas, he asked me if I would model for him. It was the sexually permissive seventies, so taking my clothes off to sit as a model seemed less intimate than some prior acts. It took a different kind of courage to sit naked before an artist as he carefully, though objectively, captured the voluptuous details of my form on his canvas. I posed for about 5 hours, and left with grateful thanks from the artist, a kiss on my cheek and promises of a Christmas Eve get-together.

Christmas was a quiet holiday when you are away at school because almost everybody goes home to spend it with their families. I spent it with a few friends who straggled in; and quietly wondered about Ken, the no-show. A few days later, there was a knock on my door around 10 at night. My art school was in a rough neighborhood, so I was careful about opening the door. It was Ken, all dressed up in a white shirt and tie, a camel hair coat and a ski cap. “I’m pretty mad at you; where’ve you been?” He was apologetic and looked at the ground, “Yeah, I’m sorry. I decided to go home for Christmas after all. Here, I wanted to return these paints you gave me.” I crossed my arms and said, “No, I want you to have those. I’m pretty angry, but maybe I’ll see you next week,” and I closed the door in his face.

A couple of days later, my closest friend came over and asked me if I’d seen Ken recently. I told him about the late night visit and he was surprised. “You’re lucky he didn’t kill you, my dear, because that was his intention when he came over with that knife in his pocket.” They had found Ken in a public phone booth at the end of my street shortly after I slammed the door in his face. He had called a friend back home and accused me of being the devil because he couldn’t get me out of his mind. Then he slit his tongue in two with an exacto knife, saying that he spoke with a forked tongue. He was carted off to the emergency room to get stitches, sedatives, and counseling—then his parents were called to take him back home. He was out of it, as they say, and I had barely escaped being in it.

His parents quietly retrieved his belongings, including over 75 paintings of me stacked against the walls. We never saw him again, but stories circulated for years afterwards. Ken works quietly on his paintings in a small town in Ohio now. I was reminded of these strange happenings and my close call during the news reports about the 32 students at Virginia Tech who were gunned down on Monday by a classmate. Reporters keep asking how it happened and why they didn’t suspect he was a danger.

Let me answer that: Sometimes you know and sometimes . . . you don't know; I know. God bless us all and keep us safe . . . from ourselves.

Technorati terms: Virginia Tech, Blackburg VA Students, Insight Into Shooter Cho, Pinpointing Mental Illness, Killing Behavior, College Kids Amok Time

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