The Marketing Mentor Podcast

Just 5 months into her new career as a freelance food writer, Bryn Mooth is already getting a lot of publicity and great projects. (Follow her journey here.) But as a lot of new freelancers do—Bryn is finding pricing to be a challenge. Why? She’s calculated an hourly rate, refined an estimating sheet, and learned to price by the project—but the problem is—she’s really fast. With 20 years of experience, she finds that using hours to calculate project costs is leaving her with a price that doesn’t equal the project’s value. Her clients often share a budget, but when she calculates her project cost—it’s way too low. With her current approach, there’s an apparent disconnect between what the project costs—and what it’s worth. Listen to this interview to find out where the discrepancy is—and how she can solve it. Should she double her hourly rate? Make room for higher profit? Find out here. Bryn also shares how she’s:• Dealing with pricing• Determining her minimum project rate• Using an estimating worksheet to figure out hours for each project• Starting to track her hours/rates over time She also shares why pricing should be “uncomfortable.” Listen here. Have any advice for Bryn? Please share.

If you’re hesitant to focus on a target market, listen to this interview with Jennifer Neal, Owner of K9 Design Co. – I bet it will change your mind. In a nutshell: in 2008, K9 was a busy family-owned design business that was almost completely referral-based. They need more control over the flow of work, so they decided to commit to and invest in their marketing—and before long, they started to grow, so much so that 2010 – a recession year for many – was K9 Design Co’s best year ever, with a 30% increase over 2009. The first step was to embrace the idea of a target market and the fact they had a “portfolio full of publication work.” Jennifer says, “As scary as it was at the time for me to decide to market to publishers and the publishing industry, it was at that point that everything shifted. It was the toughest decision we ever made, but also the best move we ever made.” In the latest Marketing Mentor podcast Jennifer also shares: • Why even a specific target market will have enough work to keep you growing.• Why not to waste your time on perfection.• Why their business name doesn’t matter anymore.• And more… Listen to the whole interview on the Marketing Mentor Podcast—and let me know… Did it change your mind about target markets?

I recently interviewed Stacey King Gordon about her transition from being a freelancer known as “Night Writer Communications” to running her newly named content strategy firm, “Suite Seven,” which has 2 employees and more coming soon. In a nutshell: Stacey always had “stars in her eyes” about owning her own business and started as a moonlighter in 1998. After 10 years, in 2008, she leapt to full-time freelance, and kept the name because it had some brand equity and she was sentimentally attached to it. By the end of 2010, it was clear she needed to shed the image that Night Writer implied (that it was just her, working part-time at night) and start thinking about herself as a “company.” In this interview on the Marketing Mentor Podcast, Stacey takes us through the process of refocusing her business, and her business name, to reflect her new direction as a content strategist. She describes how she got through the painstaking mental process of change, found the confidence, pinpointed her new direction, tested the waters, and more... Listen here.

Neil Brown of Brown Advertising (http://www.brownadvertising.com/) in Winston-Salem North Carolina recently faced a bit of a business crisis. His biggest client restructured and disappeared. One month later I called to see how things were going. To my delight (and a bit of surprise), Neil said, “Business has been really good.” When I asked him what he was doing, he said one word: Networking. That’s when I asked if he would share his story in a podcast interview and here it is. The short version: When Neil started noticing the instability and personnel changes happening with his biggest client, he started to prepare by joining one of the Marketing Mentor Marketing Groups (next ones start next week!) and getting his marketing machine in gear. Soon after, his suspicions came true and the client terminated their contract. Despite this, Neil says, “Because of the marketing, I haven’t really missed the client.” In this interview on the Marketing Mentor Podcast, Neil shares what’s making up his marketing machine, and how it’s working. One big component is local networking, to which Neil used to have an aversion. He says that since he’s a bit of an introvert, he always found it intimidating. But once he got involved, he now says, “I actually love networking” because it’s “simply talking with other likeminded business people.” Listen in to find out which networking groups he’s involved in, who he’s meeting, and the response he’s getting from this—and his other—marketing efforts. Has this ever happened to you? What have you done to prepare? Or what did you do when you were caught off guard?

I grabbed a few minutes with PhotoShelter's Vice President of Marketing, Andrew Fingerman, to talk about a particularly sticky issue - when and how to directly ask your clients about their budget while pitching for new business. Here's an excerpt: Are we a good fit? The primary reason to bring up the budget issue is to identify early on if the pitch is even worth making. Many photographers waste a lot of time talking to prospects who can't afford them. You'll find out sooner or later if the client can afford your services, so being straightforward and talking budget can help save both parties some time. But how early is too early? Ilise suggests if you suspect the prospect likely can't afford you, broach the budget question sooner. If you think they likely can afford you, it is ok to wait until later on in your pitch. Recognize the conversation itself won't be a dealbreaker Avoid building up assumptions in your head that can make having the conversation more uncomfortable than it needs to be. Often, photographers will be afraid to start talking money because it may lead to losing the project. Talking about money isn't going to prevent you from getting the job - the client not being able to afford to pay you fairly will. (But, we're assuming that's a job you don't want anyway.) See the entire blog post here: http://blog.photoshelter.com/2011/08/talking-budget-with-your-clients.html And listen to the interview here.

It’s 3 months into Bryn Mooth’s career as a freelance food writer, and I’ve been interviewing her along the way. (See our previous interviews: Asking Questions = Looking Stupid and The First Week as a Freelancer.) In today’s interview, we talked about the importance of tuning into what’s around you. Bryn says, “Once you start thinking about something that’s next, or something that’s possible, then you tune in somehow to those opportunities you would have missed otherwise.” We also discuss some issues related to the “lazy” days of summer and the mindset of self-employment, such as: - Is it okay to have an “off” day and cut yourself some slack? - The right approach to a non-productive day… - Is the glow still going, or has it faded? - Do you start believing the things you tell yourself when you’re in the non-productive mood? Does that spiral into non-productivity? - How to deal with not knowing where the next project will come from… - Learning to be patient… - How to interpret really enthusiastic prospects - And more… If you have a case of the summertime “I don’t wannas,” get back on track by listening to this interview. Listen here.

Not following up with a contact you meet—is like not watering a seed that would otherwise sprout into an apple tree. Whether you’re back from CFC and still haven’t gotten to that stack of cards (you know who you are), or you network often but follow up spottily, these interviews are for you. I joined Jim Blasingame to discuss follow up. The interviews are available on his site, Small Business Advocate, and here on the Marketing Mentor Podcast: How much is too much?Listen here to find out best practices for follow up, and learn how much is too much. Has follow up helped you grow apples? P.S. See how CFC attendee, Deidre, is following up with her new acquaintances.

Not following up with a contact you meet—is like not watering a seed that would otherwise sprout into an apple tree. Whether you’re back from CFC and still haven’t gotten to that stack of cards (you know who you are), or you network often but follow up spottily, these interviews are for you. I joined Jim Blasingame to discuss follow up. The interviews are available on his site, Small Business Advocate, and here on the Marketing Mentor Podcast: How to follow upListen here for motivation and tips to make sure you follow up with new contacts. Has follow up helped you grow apples? P.S. See how CFC attendee, Deidre, is following up with her new acquaintances.

Ann Siegle, President of Tria Marketing (http://www.triadesignfirm.com/) in Lansing, MI. has recently separated from her partners to embark on her own. She’s enjoying the transition, and in this interview, she shares with us the new vision she has for her business—and how she’s using marketing to make it a reality. With a target market of entrepreneurs and associations, Ann began focusing on thought leadership capabilities. As a direct result, she has gained visibility in the right places, and is getting proposals and projects. Her speaking topic is 5-minute marketing. I found it interesting because it isn’t necessarily about design or web development. I asked her how that broad-ranging topic works to her advantage. She said: I think that entrepreneurs are looking for bigger picture. When they look to us for our credibility, they don’t think, “I need a graphic designer,” they think, “I need help with marketing.” Stepping outside and taking a look at a very common problem, and directing something to that problem gets your foot in the door. Then you can sit down and have a conversation with them. Their needs are going to be unique … one client might need a revamp of the stationary system and collateral materials, another might need a digital strategy, another might need a social media management strategy. The nice thing about the speaking engagement is that is speaks to them at a very broad level about something they all have in common. Ann also shares how Google AdWords and SEO are working for her website—and exactly how she’s making her website more search engine friendly. Listen here. What is your thought leadership topic?

If you’ve been following along with our story about Bryn Mooth, who left her 20-year publishing career to pursue a career as a freelance writer, you’ll remember our interview a month ago when she was in the glow of Week 1 of self-employment. I interviewed her again in Week 5 to see how she’s coming along. One especially interesting topic that came up in our conversation was how asking the right questions of clients and prospects will make you look smart, not stupid. Bryn says, “People are afraid to ask questions because they think, if I do… it might dampen the impression I’m making with this prospect. But I think asking questions is a sign that you’re interested in their business… and really helps you deliver what they’re looking for instead of taking a wild shot in the dark… Take the time up front to ask a couple of smart questions so you’re not flailing when it’s time to deliver a solution.” I couldn’t agree more. In fact, there’s whole chapter about this in my new book, The Creative Professional’s Guide to Money. In the chapter on positioning your price, there are 8 pages on asking questions, plus 20 questions to ask before you do a proposal. In this interview, Bryn also shares how she’s: Discovering what she doesn’t know Getting better at managing her time, and making time for marketing activities Trying to build a reputation in food/healthy living Using online and social media activities, finding places to participate Using her previous career as an editor to help her get ahead Recently back from vacation, Bryn also describes how her vacation as a freelancer was different from when she was a full-timer. What are some of the questions you ask, that get you the information you need?

Vivienne Scholl, from San Francisco-based Avenue 4 Design, commented recently on a Marketing Mix post about progress payments. She said: We've started doing monthly billing with our clients. Billing is now tied to a date, not a milestone. It's so much better for cash flow. Anyone else doing this? Since getting paid is always an issue, I asked Vivienne if she would share her process. Here’s what she told me in this interview/podcast: Why she started doing monthly billing How she brings it up with clients How it’s especially beneficial if a project drags on Why it keeps things “fair” with clients And please comment on this billing practice. Vivienne wants to make sure this type of billing isn’t doing a disservice to the rest of the industry. What do you think about monthly billing? Does monthly billing do a disservice to the industry?

Bryn Mooth recently left 20-year career in publishing, and she’s embarking on her own as a freelance writer. Her blog at Writes4Food.com started as a way to spark her own creativity, and has turned into a business where she writes on food, cooking, nutrition, and healthy living topics. In the beginning of Bryn’s 2nd week as a self-employed person, I interviewed her to see what the first week was like. She shares insight on: • What’s been most energizing and gratifying during this transition• Getting her head into self-employed mode • When she realized she wanted to leave her job • How she prepared for self-employment• What it feels like to be “ready” to make the leap• Building a viable business that creates income to exceed that of a full-timer• How she knew food was a good market to focus on• How to balance her own marketing with paid work• Using the cushion of her network during the transition• & more… Any advice for Bryn? If you’re considering leaving your full-time job and going out on your own, check out the Marketing Group for moonlighters. It will help you get clients in your pipeline—before you make the jump.

I’ve been talking to clients lately to get a view inside the evolution of their business. A big signpost in the evolution journey is raising rates, but often, the creatives I work with are afraid their clients will disappear if they do it. In a recent interview with Megan Coleman, freelance web designer, she says, “I charged less in the beginning because I didn’t know how much to charge. The more projects I took on, the more I realized how much things should really cost to make the money I needed to live.” In this interview, Megan also answers these questions: How did she know it was time to quit her full-time job? What did she do to prepare for freelancing? Did she use up all the money she saved? How she got her first few clients. Why she recommends doing some freelance work on the side first. Find out where Megan is now, and why this two-time CFC attendee is coming back this year. Meet Megan at the Creative Freelancer Conference in Chicago. The early-bird deadline ends may 1st. Use in conjunction with the Marketing Mentor $50 discount (Use code: CMM11) to save a total of $80 – the best admission price available.

"A lot of the jobs I was doing were one-off jobs,” said Stephen Hadley, owner of Houston-based Inkwell Media, a creative firm that produces employee newsletters and magazines for the oil and gas industry. In business over 5 years, Stephen recently completed the Beginner Marketing Group, which he joined because, in his words, “I didn’t have enough of a focus.” The group helped him to define his focus, and in this interview with Ilise, he talks about: How he got to such a targeted marketHow his business has evolved from one off projects to clients. What marketing tools he’s usingIdentifying the right companies to targetIf research calling really works How he gets regular, ongoing work The best thing he got out of attending CFC Listen to the interview here. Stephen said, “I always had a haphazard approach to marketing. [The group] has definitely forced me to finish all the pieces. It has been awesome because now I have everything done. Now when I talk to someone, or meet with someone, I have a way to follow up and a place to send them. I’m not ashamed now! I wasn’t doing any marketing, and now I am. It feels really good." Do you need to get focused like Stephen did? A new Beginner Marketing Group starts next week – Thursday, April 21 – and there are 2 spots open. Fill out this form if you’re interested….

At last year’s Creative Freelancer Conference, there was an attendee named Lauren Hybinette. She was employed by a company at the time, but she had an epiphany that made her decide, then and there, that she wanted to be self-employed. Where is Lauren one year later? Find out. Read this blog post from Bryn Mooth on the HOW Design Blog:http://blog.howdesign.com/how-conference/catching-up-with-a-creative-freelancer/listen to the interview I did with her where she talks about: learning the discipline to work from home fighting the loneliness of being a solopreneur setting boundaries and staying connected Do you need the inspiration and know-how to finally turn freelancing into a full time career? Join us at CFC—June 23-24 in Chicago. Don’t miss the early bird discount. It ends April 1st!

Designer (and Creative Freelancer Conference veteran), Charlene Tiedemann, was getting bits and pieces of work, but struggling with how to get more clients and how to become the boss. She didn’t know who the clients were, where they were, or how to get to them. Six months later, she said, “Meeting people and having a strategy to meet people were my biggest challenges. I had no idea how to get clients. They’re just people, and they’re all out there, and they need me, but I had no idea how to find them. Now I’m calling people and I’m finding more people… It’s like a gold mine. I keep digging and digging and finding more people.” During those 6 months, she did the Marketing Mentor Beginner Marketing Group and not only found her prospects but also found her positioning as The Loop Design Studio and revamped her web site (see it here: www.theloopdesignstudio.com). Charlene’s challenge is a very common one, so I interviewed her for the podcast, in which she shares: What she learned Who she’s targeting and what she’s finding Why networking events are working for her How having two selves makes you stronger (business self, and self-self) How she keeps the momentum going Plus, she has a bit of advice to any creative freelancer just starting out, or anyone who needs more work and don’t know what to do. If you need to figure all this out for yourself, the Beginner Marketing Group might be right for you. Next group begins the week of April 18.

Direct outreach works. Here’s proof. Eric Koby from fatrabbit CREATIVE talked about his direct outreach efforts (on his Advanced Marketing Group phone call), and he's given us permission to share it. Listen here...

Now that most of my clients have chosen target markets, things are starting to happen. Some of them are thrilled to have finally found a market that is responding positively. Others are still struggling, especially because they just aren’t “excited” about their target market. What to do? I spoke last week with Dianne Rohkohl, a freelance designer in Arizona, who is struggling with her focus on the healthcare market. She allowed me to record our discussion and share it with you. Listen here (14 minutes). The interview addresses these questions: What if you’d rather eat paste than read the blogs within your target market? If you’re not that excited about your current market, is that a reason to change? Should you be passionate about everything you do? How can you fully use your creativity and talents in a market that isn’t exciting?

Ilise recently did an interview with QRCA, Qualitative Research Consultants Association, about talking price without alienating customers. Listen in...

Heather Parlato from Parlato Design talks about how she made the transition from a full-time job to full-time freelancing. In the interview, she addresses: Shifting from the employee mindset Flat rates vs. hourly rates How to treat your clients, and how much authority to give them Her qualifying process Saying no, red flags, and finding the right fit in potential clients Plus, she answers the question, “How will I know when it’s the right time to switch to full-time freelancing?” Listen here…

Lisa Smith Youngdahl joined the Beginner Marketing Group in September 2009. In the past year and a half, she has made great strides in her business. Learn the tools she uses, how she uses them, and the results she's achieved within her target market: healthcare. Listen in...

In this interview, Jennifer Neal from K9 Design describes how her company has increased their presence as experts in the publishing industry, and due to specific marketing efforts had a 30% increase in their business in 2010.

Do you need to be reminded about marketing? Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to launch a new tool, the Marketing Mentor eCalendar, that will help you keep marketing top-of-mind as you go about running your small business.

Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame with marketing tips, including defining your profile customers and marketing to them strategically with the help of organizing tools for marketing tasks.

Would organizing tools help you become a better marketer? Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how getting organized with technology tools that sync with each other can help you become a more successful marketer. Listen in...

In my recent interview with Janet Mobley from Fat Cat Strategies, she talks about: Why 2010 came in like a lamb and went out like a lion How they talk about the services they offer, especially retainer services The “dark side” of retainers Properly outlining retainer relationships Mini-retainers Why she prefers “unofficial” networking events Listen in…

In this interview, Ilise talks with talented illustrator, Tim Read, about the marketing tools that are working for his business. He shares: · Exactly how he uses social media · How he’s getting business from LinkedIn · How to self-promote without doing a blatant sales pitch · What works in a social media profile Tim also talks about his mindset towards research calling and outlines his ideal cold calling schedule – which includes just 5 calls per week. Listen in...

How is marketing changing in the 21st century? Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to discuss marketing in the new economy, the importance of relationships with customers and vendors, plus tips on developing and maintaining these relationships. Listen in...

Cleveland Design is a firm that has been in business for nearly 20 years, and in this interview, Jonathan Cleveland, Principal, shares why this has been one of their best years yet. Find out which tools they're using, and how they make sure clients know "everything" they are capable of. Listen in...

Here's a recent interview Ilise did with Beth Brodovsky from Iris Creative. http://www.iriscreative.com/ There are two big questions that Ilise asks Beth in this interview: How did you come to pinpoint your target market? Beth talks about how she (and her staff) worked together to find their target market, membership organizations, after being generalists for many years. Which tools do you use to promote your services? Beth describes how they geographically narrowed their search, paid extra attention to job titles, use postcards productively, use speaking programs to get new prospects (even if they don’t attend!) and more… Listen in...

It sounds obvious, but when you go out looking for clients -- really looking -- you find them. Ilise saw this last week in Martha Retallick's Prospecting Hour interview, and it is once again the simple lesson from Pam Saxon of Saxon Design in Nashville TN. Pam (who finished Ilise's Beginner Marketing Group last month) called to tell Ilise her business was up 240% going into 4th quarter. Listen in to find out why...

Martha Retallick, of Western Sky Communications, told Ilise recently about her daily "Prospecting Hour." I don't know about the rest of this planet, but here in my studio, taking whatever comes along is a recipe for failure. I can't depend on business coming to me. I have to be a go-getter and go get it. That's why the first hour of every workday is The Prospecting Hour. That's when I make calls and send e-mails to cold and warm leads. I've been in the design business for 15 years, and I've never had the luxury of depending on word of mouth. Instead, I've had to pick up the phone and ask strangers for their business. And, in my case, cold calling has led to the most lucrative clients I've ever had. When she spoke to Ilise in August, Martha had made an amazing 3081 phone calls, 80% of which went to voice mail. Of those, 99 prospects had expressed some level of interest (approximately 3% positive response). In their 20-minute interview, Martha describes her target market and her simple process to find and reach them. She explains how she tracks her calls and actually recites her no-BS phone script. Listen in...

How do you identify and connect with your ideal prospect? Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the perfect prospect for your small business, how to identify them and why this activity is so valuable. Listen in...

Remember all that advice Mom gave you when you were growing up? What if it’s hindering your success as a creative freelancer? Listen in as I look closely at Mom's pearls of wisdom to see how applicable they are today -- some still are, I admit -- for freelancers and the creatively self-employed.

Did your mom tell you not to brag? We bet she didn’t know that one day you’d be creatively self-employed and have to promote yourself. In her new article for the HOW Magazine Freelance Column, Ilise takes a look at Mom’s pearls of wisdom to find out what is still relevant, and what tidbits need to be replaced with new rules. Listen in.

Check out Ilise's latest interview with Jim Blasingame of Small Buiness Advocate. In this interview, she and Jim talk about why you should incorporate an online marketing strategy with your traditional marketing activity.

Does your website really resonate with your target audience? Ilise shares some checkpoints to help you ensure that your website is “marketing-smart.” If you’re not sure if your site is “hitting home” with your prospects and being as effective as possible as a marketing tool, listen in.

Are you coming to the Creative Freelancer Conference in Denver this weekend? We hope so! But if you can't, here is the preview for Ilise's opening keynote, "You Are A Business." Listen in...

Last week, Ilise had the pleasure of joining Andrew Fingerman, VP of Marketing at PhotoShelter, to talk about how photographers can effectively market themselves. (The concepts carry over to all creative pros.) Listen in...

Why waste time when you can devote your energy to what works for your business? Listen here as Ilise describes The Lazy Creative's Guide to Marketing.

Do you have what it takes? Preparation & 5 Freedoms. From HOW Conference 2009's session: Do You Have What It Takes to Be A Successful Freelancer?

Do you have what it takes? Skills & Personality Traits. From HOW Conference 2009's session: Do You Have What It Takes to Be A Successful Freelancer?

Do you have what it takes? What's happening now in freelancing & and myths and realities about freelancing. From HOW Conference 2009's session: Do You Have What It Takes to Be A Successful Freelancer?

If you ask a creative how they get their clients, they often say, "through word of mouth." But is this the best way to get new clients? Probably not. Ilise takes a look at why Word of Mouth Ain't All That. Listen in.

Here is an interview Ilise did with Jim Blasingame from the Small Business Advocate called: Freelancers are Small Business Owners too.

She made it! Listen in to find out if Colleen's year-long commitment to marketing worked...

It's the second-to-last week in Colleen's year-long marketing adventure, but never too late (or too painful) to learn a really valuable lesson. Curious? Listen in...

At Week 50, a few events occurred that had Colleen taking a long look back at where they came from. The answers speak strongly to the benefits of social media. Listen in for more...

Week 49 brought some serious and unexpected lessons for Colleen: one bitter, one very, very sweet. Listen in...

For Colleeen, Week 48 was a rare week off—from marketing, anyway. Listen to the story on when and why that can be a good idea (and what makes it possible, at least in part).