ok, the subject line is a joke. ;)
i've been MIA because i got pregnant, required more naps, and haven't had the time or energy to do things like POST on discussion boards. yeah, i suck.
but seriously--i'm suddenly SUPER busy. ran into somebody on saturday that needs website fixing. then today (monday) a friend called, saying she wants to talk about getting a website. AND a client called to see if the person he referred had gotten a hold of me yet.
DANG!
that's how it's been going for the past month.
if you don't plan on getting pregnant, as a marketing tool, try this:
-TELL people you are swamped (if you're not swamped, GET swamped. start doing extra things for your current clients--for free. or, take more naps!)
-the first thing out of your mouth in a conversation (after you hear how they're doing) should be, "my web design business is going great!"
people WANT to work with swamped, happy people. it's the round-about way of saying, "my clients love what i'm doing for them and you will, too!"
-keep doing pet projects. remember the fun websites we did when we first learned how to code? we stayed up til 3am fixing that last bit of java.... and finally went to sleep EXCITED to see what people would be saying the next day about the site.... ahhh....... those were the days. we have to keep doing things like that! it keeps this industry fun, gives you motivation to learn some new things, and puts those bizarre stock photos to use.
my other half and i are now addicted to MOB WARS on facebook. he is an anal-retentive, super-competitive engineer. so.... he developed some calculations using excel to see how effective he would be in a fight. i started asking him, "ok, so i've got this many weapons, and i'm going up against a level 15 with 20 mobsters. do i have a chance of winning?" he adjusted his excel sheet a bit to find out. eventually i got sick of asking him to figure it out (so i would go ahead and attack anyway... and lose!). THEN, i said, "ya know--we could make a calculator and put it online and share it with our mobs!"
found some amazingly easy budget calculator javascript. did some thinking, testing, fighting and FINALLY--got attackfactor.com. i was so excited.
hadn't felt that kind of excitement over a web project since the INSANITY test i made.
one last tip--
-TRADE! with our current economy SUCKING, trade holds way more value than a dollar bill. i'm trading with a counselor, and now with my mid-wife. trade clients make for great stories to your cash clients. :)
ok, that's all for now. if i disappear for a long stretch again, blame the baby. ;)
gertie
wakinggirl.com
i've been MIA because i got pregnant, required more naps, and haven't had the time or energy to do things like POST on discussion boards. yeah, i suck.
but seriously--i'm suddenly SUPER busy. ran into somebody on saturday that needs website fixing. then today (monday) a friend called, saying she wants to talk about getting a website. AND a client called to see if the person he referred had gotten a hold of me yet.
DANG!
that's how it's been going for the past month.
if you don't plan on getting pregnant, as a marketing tool, try this:
-TELL people you are swamped (if you're not swamped, GET swamped. start doing extra things for your current clients--for free. or, take more naps!)
-the first thing out of your mouth in a conversation (after you hear how they're doing) should be, "my web design business is going great!"
people WANT to work with swamped, happy people. it's the round-about way of saying, "my clients love what i'm doing for them and you will, too!"
-keep doing pet projects. remember the fun websites we did when we first learned how to code? we stayed up til 3am fixing that last bit of java.... and finally went to sleep EXCITED to see what people would be saying the next day about the site.... ahhh....... those were the days. we have to keep doing things like that! it keeps this industry fun, gives you motivation to learn some new things, and puts those bizarre stock photos to use.
my other half and i are now addicted to MOB WARS on facebook. he is an anal-retentive, super-competitive engineer. so.... he developed some calculations using excel to see how effective he would be in a fight. i started asking him, "ok, so i've got this many weapons, and i'm going up against a level 15 with 20 mobsters. do i have a chance of winning?" he adjusted his excel sheet a bit to find out. eventually i got sick of asking him to figure it out (so i would go ahead and attack anyway... and lose!). THEN, i said, "ya know--we could make a calculator and put it online and share it with our mobs!"
found some amazingly easy budget calculator javascript. did some thinking, testing, fighting and FINALLY--got attackfactor.com. i was so excited.
hadn't felt that kind of excitement over a web project since the INSANITY test i made.
one last tip--
-TRADE! with our current economy SUCKING, trade holds way more value than a dollar bill. i'm trading with a counselor, and now with my mid-wife. trade clients make for great stories to your cash clients. :)
ok, that's all for now. if i disappear for a long stretch again, blame the baby. ;)
gertie
wakinggirl.com
posted by:
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Nevada
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Re: if you want more clients, get pregnant
Mon, June 30, 2008 - 9:54 PMWell, it all boils down to that thing where when you are getting no offers, its a challenge just to get one. As soon as you are working with an offer, a whole bunch come forth.
Congrats on your new addition!
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Re: if you want more clients, get pregnant
Tue, July 1, 2008 - 12:16 AM>> TELL people you are swamped
I couldn't agree more.
The other saying that applies: if you want something done, give it to a busy person.
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Re: if you want more clients, get pregnant
Wed, July 2, 2008 - 11:47 PMtrade is great when it's useful and something you would have had to pay for otherwise:
i traded a website for my wedding photographer as well as the caterer for his time and energy (paid for the food tho) and saved us who knows how much money...
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Re: if you want more clients, get pregnant
Wed, July 2, 2008 - 11:50 PMpet projects:
A pet project I made - www.mclightenment.com - ended up being the seed that created an art grant proposal that ended up getting us an art grant from Burning Man which is more fun pet projects that become bigger fun art proejcts... point being: you never know what one of those pet projects might turn into. You're right- it's the fun stuff that keeps us going. I told someone once, in explanation, that a website like that is something that creative web designers do for fun because we CAN. It make the web a much funner (?) place. -
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Re: if you want more clients, get pregnant
Tue, July 15, 2008 - 7:23 PMthe more clients i meet with in a short period of time, the more confident i get in the "asking for money" part. :)
i created some literature for my biz that has really helped close the deal. it's a fun-to-look-at page that talks about the elements of what i offer: design, hosting, domains, maintenance.
it briefly explains what each one of those words MEAN, and then tells what Waking Girl offers and the cost (except for "design"--that's wide open).
at the bottom of the page i have a checklist: Yes, I want a unique website.... hosting.... domain.... etc. It asks the important questions.
It also has a fill in the blank section with: Here is my initial payment of ___________, with a balance of __________ due upon completion of the site.
While we're chatting, the client glances at that and gets the message: you need to pay. TODAY.
no one fills in the blanks. it's just there to keep the conversation going in that direction.
go git 'em!! down economy means slow business, means companies are looking to regroup and ADVERTISE! that means YOU. :)
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