Interesting post. I'll reply to some things, piece by piece...
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I wrote all this in response to a post that I think may have been a troll. So rather than see it going to waste I thought Ide share it again.
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I'd be curious what post had a troll. On this site, abusive members are not tolerated. Trolls will find themselves both censured and censored, as this site was established as a place for educated discord for both professionals and general consumers/hobbyists alike.
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The first thing is to have a portfolio which includes some decent work. If you dont have this then there is no real reason to hire you. See people are trying to convince themselves if something is worth it or not. The more reasons you give them the more likely they will hire you.
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A portfolio is a display (or evidence) of your skills and education, as applied in the past. It contrasts with a resume, which is simply a listing of what you've done and lacks any visible evidence. I don't really think you're trying to convince them of your worth as much as convince them that you're qualified to do the work.
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If they are concerned if a website is worth it then I explain why websites are very worthwhile, same with a good logo, business card, etc. Sometimes they convince themselves long before you meet them that these things are not worth it, they can just get a cheap one or do it themselves. I do my best to explain the different between what I do vs what they do but if in the end they dont see what your saying then theres not much more you can do. Its their choice, be understanding and let them make their own mistakes.
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Yes, this is a big problem. Websites, logos, marketing collateral -- these are all important tools for running your business. Few businesses understand websites any better than they do advertising, marketing or PR that underlies it. To them, it's too often a "computer thing" that they don't want, but feel forced to do. They focus too much on the tech, simply because a computer is the tool used to create it and view it.
Creative work often comes with the baggage of a crap budget, which can only buy you an inferior product. Having a bad site is almost worse than not having one at all. It's worse to look stupid (bad site) than it would be for somebody to merely think it (not having a site).
Excluding the poorly implemented do-it-yourself jobs, the primary mistake for clients is trying to micro-manage the project, and insisting you do things that you know will not work. Sometimes the earliest part of a vendor/client relationship is getting the client to shut up long enough to listen to your professional experience and advice. That alone tends to be the biggest challenge for many alpha-personality business owners (which I would guess is a majority of them).
Other times, you have to have the guts to turn away work, because the client wants you to create a complete piece of crap. That could reflect badly on you, to other potential clients down the line. The client will no doubt brag on their new site/logo/whatever, naming you as the service who did it. Meanwhile everybody else knows it's junk, and they think it's a reflection of your work, rather than the idiotic demands of the client.
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Start with friends and family, make some logos, make some websites, make them money with it, ask for some money for these services, if they are hesitant then give them a deal or do it for free, just for the first few jobs at least.
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I would suggest you not do work for friends or family. Like any other college student, you'll want to create your own "dummy" projects (portfolio pieces), and then sell yourself to legitimate clients. I don't care if you're 50 years out of college -- adopt the "senior year college style" method for building a portfolio. I've never met a pro who started out with making sites for friends and family, but I do know of quite a few out-of-work designers that did.
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If you genuinely care about their needs then in no time you should start getting some more work. Either they will come back for more or they will recommend you to more people. If you treated them well and gave them a quality experience then you become valuable, they will want to share you with their friends and family who need help. If you get new clients from them then up your prices a bit and continue to do good work and give great service.
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This is a rarity, not the norm. I wish more people would help with word-of-mouth references, but it just really does not happen.
It's even harder to do when you're in the creative technology businesses, because many clients try to come to you with every silly computer question they need answered. Suddenly, they think you've become their free tech support line. You have to break that ugly cycle, and it often lends itself to their disappointment. It's one reason contracts with clients sound so negative (we won't do this, won't do that, etc) -- we're trying to avoid this sort of bad situation.
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I treat all my clients as if they are friends ive known my whole life
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Generally speaking, this isn't a good idea either. Friendly? Yes, absolutely. My friend? No. Because when it gets right down to it, they'll often prove they're NOT your friends. This is a business transaction, not a friend/family relationship.
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I think our "work life" mirrors our spiritual life
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I would leave spirituality/religion/politics out of it. Even if we're doing work for a church or political campaign, we're there for the work of the client -- not to spread our beliefs or become part of their choir.
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I find people working 9-5's are more afraid because they dont live in the unknown. They live in the known which is worse because we instinctively know that we cannot know what is around the corner, at any moment. So we agree to be a bit delusional and pretend we are safe when we know we are not. So that was we choose to live in constant torment rather than find our freedom.
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So very true.
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Well I hope I answered your question!
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Seeing how your started a new post, I'm not really sure what it was you were originally replying to. Maybe it was one of Sossity's posts from the past few months? Just be aware she's a student, as revealed on her many posts, and not a freelancer. (Not that I am aware, at least.)
But thanks for posting, all the same.
