Author Login | Popular Articles | RSS Feeds | Sitemap

Home | Business | Sales


Secrets to Getting Paid for Your Creative Ideas and Proposals

By: Kirstin Carey

Many creative professionals such as event planners, interior designers, and decorative painters are frustrated when potential clients steal their ideas and take them to cheaper companies. They present their ideas in a proposal or presentation and later find that they didn't get the client and their designs are being used by someone else.

PROTECT YOUR IDEAS

In order to protect your ideas and still get the client, you have to change how you deliver your concepts and specifically what you present. Keep in mind, your creative ideas are the most valuable part of what you do, so stop giving them away for free.

The first thing you need to do to protect yourself is to focus the initial meeting with the prospect on her ideas and her needs, rather than on your ideas and your suggestions. Spend at least 95% of the meeting asking questions rather than presenting solutions and ideas.

Find out what the client wants and what she envisions. Discover why she wants what she wants and uncover what her experiences have been in the past with this type of project. Focus on her, not on you and your services.

Build a relationship with the client and let go of the idea that you have to put on a big show of creative ideas to impress her. Contrary to what most people think, the client would rather talk about what she want then listen to your ideas. Really.

PRESENT THE WHAT BUT NOT THE HOW

Next, present the potential client with a proposal that becomes a contract once the prospect signs it. The proposal should include goals that the client told you she wanted in your first meeting. It should include payment terms. The proposal should include what you will do, just not HOW you will do it.

Let's look at examples of how and what:

Event Planner:
WHAT: "Incorporate an island theme in event decorations, music, catering, and location."
HOW: "Use pineapple centerpieces, bamboo tables, island shaped invitations, coconut flavored cake, and an entry way filled with palm tree leaves and bananas."

Interior Designer:
WHAT: Design a functional and easy-to-tidy space for use as a family room where there is ample storage for children's games, a television, and other entertainment.
HOW: Rubbermaid storage containers will be used in a specially designed 17-piece wood cabinet that can be converted into a television stand, a workspace, and table.

Wedding Consultant:
WHAT: "Create an intimate, upscale, evening reception for approximately 40 guests."
HOW: "Decorate facility with purple flowers and linens, a four-tier chocolate and raspberry wedding cake, and a 6-piece band.

Decorative Painter:
WHAT: Create a jungle-themed mural for child's bedroom.
HOW: Paint walls with "garden room" green, add 25 rainforest trees throughout walls and incorporating ceiling space, paint 5 Colobus monkeys, 7 chimpanzees, a gray parrot, 9 green tree frogs, and a stream running across the door.


WHEN AND HOW TO PRESENT YOUR IDEAS

You can present your ideas in several ways and still protect them.

First, you can present your ideas in detail after the client has signed a simple proposal with you. You should work together with the client to create what he wants through your creative talents.

Another way to present your ideas is through sample boards or renderings, but only after the client has either signed a proposal for the project or paid you for your ideas. If you chose to charge the client for the samples, agree to put the payment towards the amount of the final contract amount should the client agree to hire you to do the project. If the client chooses to use someone else for the project, then at least you were paid for your ideas and your suggestions.

Never present specific ideas, sample boards, or drawings to a client unless you've been paid for that part of the project or the client has signed a contract. By continuing to submit ideas and formal suggestions to potential clients, you are short changing yourself and your creative talents by lowering the value of your concepts in the mind of the buyer.

By learning how to effectively manage the first meeting with a potential customer, how to protect your ideas, and when and how to present your ideas will help you gain better clients, better projects, and have a better income!

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
Kirstin Carey is the author of "Starving Artist No More: Hearty Business Strategies for Creative Folks". Kirstin knows that most creative professionals hate sales, contracts and discussing money. She consults creative folks on the business side of creativity so they make more money, attract better clients, and love what they do. Get proven strategies and insider secrets to help creative types like you get the business help you need at http://www.MyCreativeBiz.com

| Print | Ezine Ready | |

Recent Sales Articles

  • EBooks offer resale rights that can also be profitable! By: Chaman Dhiman - Quite frankly, eBooks are relatively new in the e-commerce arena and they are one of the fastest type growing commodities on the internet today. You can look at tangible products such as computer parts, or services like painting, but none will ever compete with the eBook Resale Right idea. Whoever invented eBooks really brought the online community together and exploded the online business profit realizations.
  • Uses Of Used Shipping Containers By: Rosie Cubbin - Shipping containers are mainly used to carry goods from one place to another. But now it also uses to make many things. There are various ways to uses of used shipping containers like for accommodation, storage and distribution. We are here well idea how to use used shipping containers USE AS STORAGE: For many years shipping containers has been used for storage units.
  • Rent, Lease Or Purchase Used Shipping Containers To Save Money By: Rosie Cubbin - Businesses look to shipping containers to stock away many types of equipment, materials, and tools. However, a new container can cost several thousand dollars ranging from $1000 to $4000, which might deter some businesses from buying one even if it's beneficial. You have three options to avail shipping containers: you can rent, lease or purchase used containers.
  • Why Shipping Container Houses Are Better Choices Than Traditional Houses By: Rosie Cubbin - New Trends in Home Building The 21st century is seeing some new home designing and building ideas around the world. There is a new trend to make homes comfortable, eco-friendly as well as cost-effective. Alternative building materials such as used shipping containers provide a good opportunity to build such homes. Low-cost Solution There are several practical and pleasurable reasons to recycle shipping containers into lovable homes.
  • ISO Containers What They Are? By: Rosie Cubbin - Mostly used containers in cargo shipment are ISO containers. The 'ISO' in ISO containers refers to the International Standards Organization, the group that sets the standard specs for ISO containers. Manufactured by following rules and regulations of the International Standards Organization (ISO), ISO containers are used for cargo shipment through various transportation methods like truck, rail, or ship.
  • Issues To Rent Or Buy Shipping Containers By: Rosie Cubbin - Shipping containers are available in many types are sizes For example, there are containers that open from the top, containers with double doors, insulated containers, and remarkably comfortable containers for use as temporary office space. 20, 40, 45, 52 ft are some sizes of containers there are available in the market. Generally shipping lines have their own containers to ship cargo across various ports. Sometimes they also lease containers to other sipping lines.
  • How To Decide Whether You Should Buy Or Hire A Shipping Container By: Rosie Cubbin - Shipping container comes in various types and sizes. There are special types of containers for special usages. These all make any one get easily confused when he wants to hire shipping container. Besides cargo shipment, shipping containers also is used for accommodation and storage. Shipping containers are available for purchase or rent. There are many companies who sell, rent or convert shipping containers.
  • Building Comfortable, Trendy House With Used Containers By: Rosie Cubbin - Building home with used shipping containers is getting popularity day by day around the world. Those who are looking for home at affordable cost, the container built home can be a good option. Container built homes is not less comfortable or less equipped with modern facilities than a traditional home. Here follows some basic things about the building of the homes with the used shipping containers.
  • How To Choose Steel Shipping Containers Conversion Service? By: Rosie Cubbin - With the help of container conversion service, used steel shipping container can be used for many applications. It is so strong and durable that after using it in the field of export and import, we can again use it for constructions. It was first used by the U.S. to make command centers and medical facilities in Korea. Now many designers and architects use it widely all around the world.
  • Guidelines For Purchasing Used Cargo Containers By: Rosie Cubbin - You can save 30% to 50% cost of using containers by using used cargo containers instead of new containers for your purposes. New containers can cost $2,000 and $4,000 but you can get quality-refurbished units less then that. Whatever your plan-for storage, overseas shipping or as temporary mobile house-used containers are available online. Many sellers offer delivery to your door as well as a chance to preview the container via online photos.

Search Ebay

Still can't find what you are looking for? Search for it!


Submit Your link to the Open Link Directory Project

Copyright 2005-2008 MJE Sales, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Proud member of the ArticleCkr Search Network Search Network!
ArticleSnatch.com is free for both publishers and authors to use and is supported entirely from advertising revenue.
Use of our service is protected by our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.