[aaron]

Also, if you are an expert at "being a designer at the top of your profession" or whatever, why aren't you at work designing for some top clients instead of plugging your book all day on a forum?

I'm really sorry buddy, but it reminds me of those books like "How to win the lottery - guaranteed".... Come off it! If your advice for someone marketing their "design services" is the same as your approach to marketing yourself and your book, then I wouldn't bother.

[pat]

bang out, pal

[aaron]

what does that mean?

[Mr Fred]

bang on Mr A

[Jeff Fisher LogoMotives]

Originally Posted by aaron

Do you know Jakob Neilsen? I don't mean to sound funny, but he seems to operate with the same sort of business ethic as you do. Granted, he makes his money, but he pisses a lot of people off along the way.

Some of the marketing methods you suggest, would almost definitely - in the UK anyway - be met with a poor reception.

In my opinion, if you do your job really well, you can't go wrong really... people who need to spend almost all of their time marketing their services in a seemingly desperate manner obviously need to try another profession.

No offence.

No offense taken.

Sorry, I don't know Jakob personally.

Doing your job well, and collecting a paycheck for it, is fine - but where does more work come from if you don't want to rely on your own economically-challenged local market. Only about 10-15% of my work comes from clients within 500 miles of where I live.

I do very little to market my work - I probably spend an hour or two a week. It promotes itself at this point and luckily I am in a position to pick choose clients these days - working for those I enjoy doing business with. Having done this work since the 1970 I want to be in the position to "work less, charge more" nearly 30 years later. That allows me time participate in online forums, concentrate on writing a bit more, and spend time in my garden - when I'm not traveling for business or pleasure.

Thanks for your thoughts. - Jeff

[aaron]

I think the key to a designer's success should lie in their skills and knowledge about "Design", as well as some innate creative flair maybe? not of cheap, aggressive and annoying marketing. You are simply fuelling the "anyone with a copy of photoshop can be a designer" attitude that I despise.

I appreciate that you've been doing this since the 70s, but the tactics you suggest don't wash anymore in the modern market.... in the UK at least! I know the "tact" is somewhat different in the US, but with regards to how effective it is over there, i just don't know.

[Jeff Fisher LogoMotives]

Aaron -

Very little of my business is in the UK and the fact that my marketing methods appear "cheap, aggressive and annoying" to you, or others in the UK, does not appear to impact my business elsewhere.

You obviously do not know where I'm coming from in regards to promoting the profession of graphic design. I'm constantly speaking and writing against the "anyone with a copy of photoshop can be a designer" mentality, template factories, logo mills, underpriced design, bidding sites like elance, etc. As a designer, and business owner, I'm battling those specific issues on a daily basis - just like any other designer. Despise me if you wish - but you don't know me or how I actually operate my business.

In regards to marketing, each designer needs to experiment and determine what works best for them personally. There is not specific method. In fact, in my original post in this thread I was simply tossing a variety of methods out there for consideration - and commenting on what does/does not work for me personally. The methods I use for myself are those that have been most effective over time, while also being the most cost-effective for my business - and they still work for me today. That, in no way, means that they will work for everyone. For example, if I was more comfortable making use of "cold call" methods it might be more successful for me. As it is, I personally detest that method (especially having been on the receiving end of the tactic as an AD and CD) and have the option of not using it.

- Jeff

[Jelly Baby]

"brother brother brother theres far to many of you dying weve got to find some way to bring some loving here today"-Marvin Gaye