579 - Chasing Clients with Billy Baumann

After going out on the road and talking to designers and small business owners, that Mark has met after speaking and giving his workshop, he realizes many people are falsely chasing clients in stead of chasing themselves. A Shop Talk Special Report where Mark stays focused while also trying to keep Billy awake. In part one of the episode the guys breakdown, for everyone, the concept of chasing the best parts of you to land the big job. In part two of today's episode, for Circle of Trust members only, Mark & Billy show you how to buckle down, how to get started and most importantly how to finish!

Talking Points

Promotional plans, infrastructure, and managing where your work will go.
Does your dream client need what you're trying to sell them?
Trying to patch the gap that hundreds of other agencies are also going after.
Girlfriend stealing and chocolate buying cut throats competition.
Visualizing the dream work and what clients could fit into that aesthetic.
Be sure to show the world the work you can do.
Holding your clients hand beyond the branding alone.
Setting a promotional goal, defining the objectives for it, and maybe getting a sweet rebate in the process.
Leveraging social media ads with look alike audiences to achieve your number one goal.
Realistic timelines and the elephant in the room.
From a cringe worthy Brooklynn illustration to working for Mickey.
Where is the most bang for your buck when you're chasing clients?
Get your work out into the world and selling yourself instead of giving away work for free.
Are veteran designers pissed that Billy is giving away the secrets of screenprinting during The Double?
Start with a timeline, make a schedule, and hold yourself accountable with deliverables.
Budgeting out finances and your time.
Beware the wormhole of fun that keeps you from the final moment.
Calculated risks, effort, and starting down the path.
Make in roads before you're done.
Researching from the front lines and getting involved to figure out your launch strategy.
Hard deadlines and finishing.
Different animals in different times.
Setting yourself up to do better the next time around.
Get your head out of your phone to see what works and what doesn't work in the world.
Analyze the design elements of any environment you walk into to figure out how it was done.
Chicken Nuggets from USA Today's Money section.
Don't forget to evaluate what worked and what didn't work.

Dorothy And Otis: Designing The American Dream
Hardcover illustration book detailing the lives of Dorothy and Otis Shepard.
4 Cools

Namwolf
Albatross Funny Books Comic by Logan Faerber (former DDLer)
3 Cools

Animal Onomatopeia
Screenprinted Poster by Sorry.Design (former DDLers Marc Howell and Luke Paisley)
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TEAM CHARLIE

AID 553

Kate Bingaman-Burt is an incredible example of Mark's philosophy for self promotion and making the work you want to get more of. She faced her fears head on and came out on the other side with a solid creative voice she wasn't afraid to use.

MOT 06

Maybe you already did the Mission Of Trust. Maybe you didn't. Maybe you know what you want to do. Maybe you don't. The sixth cassette in the Mission Of Trust is when you start planning out the bite sized steps you'll take to win.

AID 470

You need more on reverse engineering? Mark lays out the perfect, full flushed out example that you can take some copious notes on how you can put together your own plan and start putting yourself out into the world.