I am in the process of traveling and giving speeches in several cities and countries around the world. A process that started in Las Vegas, then Taiwan, Mexico City and soon on my way to Nigeria, and I’ve come to the sad conclusion that no matter how long you’ve been in this industry (even if you’ve just started) we are all still in the same boat trying to solve two basic issues:
- How do we get clients to pay for our product, talent and services?
- How do we get our next client?
I wish I had a definite answer to give the the many folks who ask me these questions, but unfortunately I do not. However, in today’s Venting, I’ll attempt to give you my top three suggestions that have kept me going for so many years.
How do we get clients to pay for our product, talent and services?
Put yourself in your client’s shoes and ask yourself a basic question: If I was giving a party and I could afford it, would I pay for this? If the answer is no then you need to ask yourself, why not?
Here are three possible suggestions.
- They do not understand why they are paying so much. In this case, you need to explain it very carefully. Explain how much it costs you to produce the event including your time, materials, and talent plus your markup. This works most of the time.
- They do not think it’s worth it. In this case you need to make sure your design is unique and different. Clients like myself would more readily pay for something that has never been seen before.
- They say or think, “I can get it cheaper.” Let them. Do not waste your time or energy on these clients. In these circumstances, they probably don’t appreciate your value or your talent.
How do we get our next client?
Here are my top three suggestions:
- Spend at least one hour a day calling any leads or old clients, reminding them that you’d like the opportunity to work with them.
- Spend another hour a day developing and fine tuning your talent and artistry. Remember, this is what you are selling. We seldom wait until we have a job to be creative. I suggest you practice daily.
- Become your own publicist:
- Make sure you take good pictures of your work, especially since there are so many easy to use, high-quality cameras around.
- You need to have a good website. (This is why I like Macs, they have very easy step by step programs to help you set up your own site.)
- Develop your own mailing list with potential clients and former clients. Make sure you send them a “love email or note” at least once a month.
We are all in the same boat trying to educate our clients about what they are buying, but I think what works best is your ability to be not necessarily better, but different from everyone else. I have worked diligently on this one (not always successfully), however I strongly suggest you work hard daily in becoming the most unique and talented you.
What do you think? Do you have the nerve to tell a client, “I am not interested,” if they tell you they can get it cheaper?
PREVIOUS
George Bernard Shaw once said: “You see things and say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were and say, ‘Why not?’” That quote embodies how Preston Bailey approaches every event.
jacin {lovely little details}
March 21, 2011
great post, as always!
Navjot
March 21, 2011
Liked the tips. Convincing potential client that one is getting more for there money works most of the time for me but many a time a new design concept is what they opt for. Thanks
Grace
March 21, 2011
Thanks for this. Creativity is an art. I read somewhere that to live a creative life, we must loose our fear of being wrong. That’s what sets us apart in the industry and what I believe sets you apart from the rest.
Nazzib Samad
March 22, 2011
Preston,
your question was Do you have the nerve to tell a client, “I am not interested,” if they tell you they can get it cheaper?
My answer is… I just did.
This client of mine was so anxious on their wedding reception, specific requirement stated like their theme, choices of flowers, deco, the whole concept, u name it, but they want my touch on it. After a lot of calculation and re-calculation over and over again, I finally have a figure. So I told them my figure. They agree though they said it’s a bit more than they can afford. After mentioning the figure, they came back to me twice to discuss on concept and the ceremony. And two days ago, they met me again, saying that they can get it cheaper than the price I offer. So I said, I’m not interested and if u still want to proceed with the price, go ahead and look for other planner. I ended the meeting with positively and maintain good relationship with them.
Gloria Brown
March 22, 2011
Hello Preston,
To answer your question; I haven’t had to tell anyone that I am not interested yet BUT if I do feel the need to do so I will tell the client in a nice and sweet manner. There could be a chance that they want to hire me for a different event in the future and/or they may have friends that they pass my name to.
I appreciate ALL of your important advice and especially in this post “Spend another hour a day developing and fine tuning your talent and artistry”…. so important but most often overlooked!
Preston, have a safe travel on your speech tour and hope you are remembering to get rested at each destination. Tip: take a baby aspirin before each flight or a glass of water. Both work equally well in flowing your blood during long flights to ward off blood clots.
Gloria
kemog
March 22, 2011
love the tips,really cant wait to have you in nigeria
Martine Chery
March 22, 2011
What do you think? Do you have the nerve to tell a client, “I am not interested,” if they tell you they can get it cheaper?
100% yes, I’m finally at this point of my life and my business where I understand my value and don’t let anyone convincing me otherwise, and I’m loving that feeling and feel so grateful for that everyday of my life! Funny thing, when you reach that point, you feel that people show you a respect that wasn’t there before
Yvonne
March 22, 2011
Thank you for making such a complicated topic seems manageable. Let us know that being creative and unique alone is not enough, hard work and being able to sell / get clients are just as important for a business. I would like to ask a question about one of your pointers, about contacting your old clients to let them know you love the opportunity to work them. As a lot of your clients are wedding couples and assuming they only get married once, I am wondering how to approach them. Do you call them to say hello and let them know you can design for any of their events as well, like baby shower, kids’ birthdays, their parents’ anniversaries etc.?
Martine Chery
March 22, 2011
I had to repost to add something and what I’m about to say can make me “l’avocat du diable” (french expression) but it’s a reality that I experienced. One of the main reason that clients don’t understand our value is because WE (us) don’t even understand our own value and don’t think we are worth getting paid $5000, $10000 or higher for our services. Let me explain, the other day, I was in a wedding GTG brainstorming with other weddings vendors, and guess what they were talking about? About the fact that it’s insane and I repeat the word “insane” for a bride to spend $200000 in only one day and they should instead consider investing it in a house…Euh, EXCUSE YOU? FOR REAL? And funny thing, those are the same wedding vendors that are always complaining that their clients don’t understand their value and refuse to pay them. WHAT A SURPRISE! My question to them, how come you expect a bride to pay you what you ask when you have that state of mind? I had a client last year who spend for her wedding $13000 in jewlery ONLY, was I supposed to say to her “Oh, no please don’t do that, invest that money in your future instead? I don’t think so. I learned with working with high-end brides that it’s none of my business what a bride spend. People often say it’s because I see my own interest, well news for them, I’m not running a charity business, nor working for Salvation army although I volunteer twice a month to help people in need. I work HARD, really hard to reach that state of mind in order to transfer myself and take my business to the next level, and it was a long and painful journey, but I’m there now and can charge without that bad feeling, $5000, $10000 for my services and when I look back, I often asked myself, what was I doing to myself during that period because I have the honesty to say that it’s how I conceived and see things that was hurting me so much. And like I said in the previous post, it’s unbelievable how people see you differently and show you a respect that wasn’t there before, and funny thing I don’t often really find these kind of clients anymore, and when I do, I have the right mindset to tell them, you should consider hiring someone else because I don’t think I will be able to do that. And so far they always end up hiring me….lol Thank you for that great post Preston, as always very inpirational!
Darla
March 22, 2011
“take good pictures of your work, especially since there are so many easy to use, high-quality cameras around”
Oh man. After all that talk about paying for talent, you don’t value photographers and are encouraging DIY when it comes to photography?
Silly question, but, do you wear nice high quality shoes? Betcha then there’s no reason you can’t dance like Fred Astaire.
afcpam
March 22, 2011
Preston,
I needed this post so much! You have answered some questions for me.
I am going to invest in some silk flowers so that I can practice every day. It will be worth the investment, for sure! Thank you for this tip.
I am inundated with DIY brides, and I can get it cheaper somewhere else attitudes. I tell them that my work speaks for itself, and I don’t apologize for my prices. I also ask them if they are comparing apples to apples. Will the bouquets from “somewhere else” contain mostly greenery and a few flowers, or will they contain the 25-30 blooms like the picture they showed me?
Pam Archer
Jody Urquhart
March 22, 2011
Hi Preston, My first time at your blog. It is great. Very nice post with lots of great insights. I agree clients need to feel it is worth it.
The idea is not to be better but different. So true. I walk away from low paying engagements all the time. I have a fee and the only way i can justify it is to charge everyone that fee. I rarely negotiate. if i do i leverage other things like book sales at a conference or referrals
Nikola @ PlatinumTouchEvents
March 22, 2011
I would probably not say that I am not interested, however I would be sure to explain WHY I charge the way I do. I think it’s all about educating the client because in most cases they have never spent such a large amount of money before so they are unaware of what things actually cost. I would be sure to let them know that getting something for a cheaper price is not always the best decision because we all know you get what you pay for. If they are still interested in going the cheaper route, I’d let them go. In most cases, people that are constantly haggling prices are the hardest clients to please because they want so much for so little. You just have to remember every client is not a perfect match for your business.
Jeanne
March 22, 2011
@Darla
I don’t think Preston is suggesting that clients not hire photographers, but that you have photos of all the work you have done to build up your portfolio.
I take photos of my work so I can have them for my portfolio. I don’t often have the chance to know who the photographer is (even though I ask) and I’ve found when I ask the photographer for a photo of my work, they are charging me for the photo. I don’t expect people to give things away for free (yet how many couples expect the top tier of their cake to be a gift!!) but I also can’t afford to spend hundreds a year on photos of my work so I have to take my own photos. I don’t expect my photos to come out as well as the professional photographers but a photo is better than telling a client “Well, once I had an event where we did this and this and this… but no, I don’t have a photo of it…”
Zyanya Itzel
March 22, 2011
Thank you Preston for not giving us the fish but teaching us how to catch it!
Jean Neuhart
March 22, 2011
Thanks Preston for your great tips. I love your idea about sending a “love email or note” once a month. Are you meaning a “thinking of you” type of email, or something more substantial?
Darla
March 22, 2011
“I don’t think Preston is suggesting that clients not hire photographers”
I didn’t say he was. He’s advising event planners to DIY when it comes to their own photo needs. I think that’s a poor choice.
“I don’t expect my photos to come out as well as the professional photographers but…”
That’s correct. So think of how professionally an amateur looking photo represents you.
“I also can’t afford to spend hundreds a year on photos of my work”
The answer is not in taking cheap photos but in raising your prices to afford to have the better material with which to represent yourself and your services. You can’t afford to look cheap is what you really can’t afford. You don’t show up to a meet and greet in tattered jeans just because you can’t afford designer clothes. There are some areas it’s good to invest in, and this is one of them.
And what is the message you give a bride when you tell her why she shouldn’t DIY and to value professionals when it comes to event planning but there you are taking your own photos? “Don’t do as I do, just do as I say”? or is it “I’m going to refer photographers to you but hey – I wouldn’t use them for my stuff”?
As I said, it’s a poor choice.
KAOS
March 23, 2011
We must have the nerve to decline projects if we ever feel the client is not worshiping or respecting our level of creativity.
working in design and production have its risks but as you say we should have the package to defend our budgets, and people with talent never fear that part.
the topic is really interesting and so realistic. hope to work one day with such a successful designer as you.
you can check our work on Facebook on KAOS event architecture.
Kimberly Sevilla
March 23, 2011
You can always find something cheaper, it doesn’t mean it will be the same.
I learned not to waste my time for someone who won’t appreciate the work I do, and not to waste my time with people who will never be happy.
Kemi Adeleke
March 24, 2011
Fanstastic post. Thx boss
Gloria Brown
March 25, 2011
Very well said, Darla! I completely understand your points. I think Jeanne is speaking from a kind and very considerate heart but that she may have overlooked these important lessons. Thank you for your excellent and very true statements.
Gloria