Learned It From Experience: L.I.F.E. Lesson #1
I was fresh out of design school working for a successful design firm. I had a mentor and had been following her around for a few months, taking it all in. I was confident. I was ready to go on my own. I felt nervous, but pushed through. The potential client was great, I still remember exactly what she wanted. We hit it off and she agreed to hire me! It felt great. I went back to the office and here is what happened:
Me: I got the job!
My Boss: Did you get a check?
Me: No.
My Boss: Then you didn’t get the job.
Cue air leaving balloon. I was so disappointed. First in myself, because I was so excited about getting the job and realizing I didn’t. Second I was disappointed with my boss for bursting my bubble rather than congratulating me. Once I got some distance from the situation I realized he was right. If the client didn’t pay for the job/my services, then I didn’t have the job.
20+ years later and I remember this lesson learned vividly. We have all done work, presented designs, planned spaces, selected paint colors, the list goes one- without getting a single cent. We are an agreeable bunch. We are pleasers. We want our clients to be happy. So, we typically bend over backward to make this happen. Often, we can’t wait to get started and so we do. ALL BEFORE WE HAVE BEEN PAID.
If you don’t have the check, you don’t have a client. Repeat that to yourself.
Presenting some ideas, or your portfolio, or even a plan for the client is perfectly acceptable. Spending hours on designs without payment is another.
How do you avoid this? You need a process. A process for the initial consult, your pitch, the close, and getting payment.
Learn how to create a process that works in my mentorship program, Manage Your Design Business. Join the waitlist now!
