The Secret Art of “Hiring” Your Illustration Clients
(Illustration by Gonçalo Viana)
Did you know that you can “hire” your clients?
Last week I published an article on How to Charge a “Pain-in-the-Butt” Fee for Difficult Clients, which aimed to help you make potentially draining projects actually worth your time.
Today I’d like to take things a step further by sharing with you an idea that many Illustrators and other creative professionals don’t ever consider when meeting with potential clients.
You have just as much power in the relationship as they do.
Whether you exercise this power or not is up to you, but it’s important to remember that nobody will ever care about your business as much as you, which makes you the sole protector of your time, your energy, and your sanity.
The Gatekeeper
One of the many benefits of running your own business is that you can decide who you work with, when, and for how much.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that the decision is completely up to you, but it does mean that you have the right to turn down projects or clients that you’d rather not be involved with. If you feel that even a “Pain-in-the-Butt” fee isn’t enough to make the project attractive to you, then you can exercise your right to walk away.
While this concept may sound obvious to some, the part of this that may be less practiced is the act of interviewing your clients while they interview you.
Interviewing Your Clients
Like most professional Illustrators, you’ve probably found yourself in a meeting or phone call with a potential client, doing your best to impress them and convince them that you’re the perfect person for the job.
However, do you ever look at it from the other side?
Do you ever ask questions to determine whether they’re just as worthy of you?
Many Illustrators don’t, but it’s one of the most empowering things you can do, and one of the best ways to communicate and protect your value as an artist.
How it Works
The next time you meet with a potential client, try to ask them as many questions as they ask you. Remember that this is just as much a fact-finding opportunity as it is a chance to secure new work. Try to determine their experience in working with artists, how much creative freedom they’re willing to grant you, what forms of compensation besides money they have to offer (such as copies, credit, or exposure), and any other information that will help you to make your decision to move forward.
You won’t want to go so far that the client feels “on-the-spot”, but you will want to gauge their value as a client while they gauge your value as an Illustrator.
The main point of this is to get a feel for the client before it’s too late. Too often do we find ourselves in the middle of a project only to discover what a handful it has turned out to be. Of course, problems may still pop up that you never could have predicted, but doing your best to evaluate the client ahead of time can help to minimize your risk.
Hiring Your Clients
No matter how desperate or broke you might be, never put yourself in a position of begging for work or compromising yourself to land a project. While this may help you to sign a contract, it will often lead to more trouble than it’s worth.
Try to approach the situation with the mindset of looking for a client to “hire” while simultaneously putting your own best foot forward to attract the types of people that you might actually want to work with.
With this approach, you’ll be more likely to spend your time and energy on things that help your Illustration business to grow.
Do you interview your clients? What’s your approach? Please share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.
Special thanks to Gonçalo Viana for providing the artwork for this post.
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About Gonçalo Viana: Gonçalo Viana is a freelance illustrator based in Lisbon. He started off as an architect and since then geometry keeps seeping into his illustrations. He’s been doing mostly editorial work, working for publications both at home and abroad. He shares a love for all themes and subjects but business magazines seem to love him and he loves them back. It’s an open relationship though. Gonçalo has stranded himself on illustration island out of free will and has no desire to escape!
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Related Posts:
- How to Charge a “Pain-in-the-Butt” Fee for Difficult Clients
- How to Spot a Problem Cient
- What to Do About a Problem Client
- How to Work with a Client’s Tight Budget
- Is Your Client Clean or Dirty?
- Art Directors: Are They Human?
- How to Protect Yourself with a Solid Contract
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I suppose I have, in fact, been interviewing clients without even realizing it. It’s a really valuable concept when you think about it. (Thanks for bringing this up, Thomas!)
Some clients are a little hard to gauge in a relatively short meeting or phone call. But you *can* get some potential clues as to how easy they are going to be to work with… and whether or not they see you as someone who can help them solve a visual problem rather than just hiring your wrists to execute their own ideas.
I don’t have a stellar batting average for predicting what new clients will be like to work with, but I am learning and improving.
One thing’s for sure. You will never be able to ALWAYS determine whether you’re choosing wisely. The best you can do is increase your chances.
Wow, this is such a great article!
I especially like when you mention asking your client: “what has been your previous experience in working with artists?” Because I’ve found that there is a huge misconception about working with artists that usually causes more harm on our side. I am going to start using this question and to help connect better with my clients, see where they are coming from… and if they are ready to work with me :)
Thanks Ale. In that case, you might also enjoy the How to Educate Your Clients series for those clients who aren’t as experienced in working with creative professionals:
http://escapefromillustrationisland.com/2009/11/17/escapee-speaks-how-to-educate-your-clients-introduction/