Well, you need to change your own diapers now, pilgrim.

We should be grateful when we can even recognize that we need a change.

Sometimes we are in denial, and refuse to acknowledge that we’re unhappy.  When that happens, we’ve been stewing in a dirty dipey so long that we’ve gotten used to the smell, even though everyone else is walking by holding their nose.

We know, change is tough.

But so are you!  Strength is not something you have a lot or a little of.  Instead, strength is something you do.  Every day is a new chance to show strength.  Show a lot of strength, and you’re very strong that day.  Make a habit of it, and guess what?  You’re very strong.

We know, change takes hard work.

But you’re a hard worker!  Somewhere along the line, people started adopting the idea that if you’re working hard, you’re a sucker.  That true success is easy and breezy.  I promise you, the vast majority of happy, successful people worked very hard to get where they are.  The remaining lucky few are just very, very lucky and should be shot.

We know, change is uncertain.  But so are you!  Wait.  Crap.

Well, I guess you ARE uncertain.  Welcome to life as an imperfect being.

Spot a desirable landmark in the distance, and take little steps toward it.  You don’t need to map out the whole route.  Many times, it’s beyond us to do that.  Just make sure you’re taking steps that bring you in the general direction you need to go.  And keep your eyes peeled for better trails.  If you get stuck, reverse and find another way.

After all, life is, in the words of Will Meyerhofer, “A brief opportunity for joy.”  Don’t squander it.

Strong Image, Strong Business
First, strong brand imaging demands that your business be taken seriously. A small business cannot take the leap from “small business” to “market leader” without professionally-designed images. Kids’ artwork looks nice on the fridge, not so much on letterhead (unless you are a children’s charity, maybe). As we have said before, you wouldn’t wear a tank top to an interview – you need to look sharp. The same goes for your business. Lead with strong, professionally designed images and success will come more easily. You don’t want sales leads to look at your brochure and think that they’ve seen better art on cocktail napkins. You want them to be impressed. Killer graphic design can do that for you.

Pay Peanuts, Get Monkeys
You’ve heard it before – you get what you pay for. If you don’t pay a lot for design, you don’t get a lot. It seems like a deal at the time, but you’re only hurting your business. A sloppy or rushed design looks just like what it is. And bad design is a big turn off for customers.

For a bit more, you can have quality work done that will boost your business in every way. It may feel like you don’t know where the money is going, but the simple fact is that you are paying for a graphic designer’s time. The more you pay, the more you get. You wouldn’t want a cut-rate plastic surgeon that rushes the job, right? Then don’t subject your business to one. Get the work done right, and create an asset that pays dividends every single time it is seen.

A well-designed logo makes your customers feel like they are dealing with the best. Quality letterhead says to your partner businesses that you are well-organized and you are here to stay. Your brand imaging is how your business communicates with the world. Seriously. Take a look at your logo. What is your business saying to the world?

Many logos are memorable, but is yours memorable for the right reasons?

1. Know your audience
And tailor your presentation to them! Presentations are not one-size-fits-all. You have to consider your audience’s needs and wants, and figure out how to convince them that your product or service satisfies them. What are their main concerns? Soothe them. What benefits are they most interested in? Prove that your product or service will deliver them. For example, if you are selling marketing and branding services to people looking to expand into the Middle East, you obviously don’t want to talk about how well you understand Korean attitudes toward their business. Talk about what is relevant to them.

2. Stick to main points
Don’t describe a hundred things. People can only absorb so much information, even when they’re interested in the topic. Therefore, keep it simple. Stick to a few main points so that they understand your message and can recall it. If you give them too many things to think about, it will just wash over them, and they’ll tune out. At that point, all your talking at the front of the room might as well be a gas leak.

3. Listen to the client
The best presentations get a discussion going. Getting input and info from your audience is invaluable. Listen to what they have to say, and you’ll know exactly what people think of your topic. Then, you know what you’re up against. Invite comments, make people feel comfortable participating. Get them drunk, if you have to! Otherwise, their brains are black boxes, and you’ll never know what people think of your presentation.

4. Don’t forget the bottom line
Show how your product or service makes or saves money for your audience. Don’t leave them to speculate about it – give it to them in step-by-step fashion, if need be. Use examples and numbers, if it helps. If you prove that your product or service will have a positive impact on the bottom line, you win.

5. Be genuine
People are pretty good at spotting a fake. If you don’t really believe what you are saying, everyone will know. Don’t try to stretch the truth or employ gimmicks. Find what is authentic about your topic and deliver it clearly. Genuine enthusiasm is infectious.

6. Keep it short
Don’t waste people’s time. Don’t take more time than is necessary to deliver your material. If your first five minutes are spectacular and then people feel like the last 25 minutes are labored, they will remember you as someone who held them hostage long after the time when they were ready for a bathroom break. Don’t be that guy.

7. Be ready to make a deal
If you are selling, know what points are essential and non-negotiable, and which can be changed. That way, when people want adjustments, you will be prepared to tell them what is possible and what is not. Remove obstacles between you and closing a deal. Delay can mean lost business, even if it’s only a couple of days.

8. Make next steps easy
Tell your audience exactly how to take the next step, and give them all the information they need. If they want information emailed, send them emails. If they want brochures or business cards, hand them out. The point is, make it easy. If they have to spend any extra time or energy to take the next step, they might skip it.

Now you have some good tips to rely on. And remember, the worst that can happen is that they say “no.” And make fun of you behind your back. But don’t worry, you’ll be gone by then. Good luck out there!

You Get the Worst of Our Work

Good graphic design requires time to research the client, time to discuss, time to brainstorm, time to tinker with ideas, time to fine tune … time, time, and more time.  The entire process is necessary to create fertile soil in which ideas can form, harvest the best ones, and shape and polish them into striking images.  There are no shortcuts here.  The basic structure of the Golden Arches might be a letter “M,” but the current logo obviously is much more than that.

If we were to work on spec, we wouldn’t be assured of payment.  This means that it doesn’t make sense to put too much time into the project.  After all, paying clients are our priority.  Therefore, spec work is rushed, and done with incomplete information.  The result would bring out the worst in us.  You don’t want that, and neither do we.

 We’d Have to Charge Everyone More

Our rates take into account all of our overhead expenses and the amount of time we have each day to cover them and then make our living.  That is, there is a basic target that must be reached every day or we would go out of business.  If we spend hours on unpaid speculative work, we need to charge our paying clients increased rates in the remaining hours to cover the day.  Put another way:  the more time we spend in a day working on paid work, the less we need to charge everyone.

Spec work increases the cost of work for all of our other clients.  This makes us less competitive with our rates and less stable.  If we disappear, all of our regular clients have to go through a turbulent period of finding a new designer and teaching them about their business all over again.  This is a pain in the butt and a big waste.

In conclusion, spec work is bad for us, bad for you, and bad for America.  Thank you and goodnight.