the freelance dating game: how to avoid the nasty break-up

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Welcome2nd Web Design Day!

Thank You!Jason, Val, Geoff, and the entire Web Design Day Team

http://bingo.joshsagermedia.com

ScreenPrints!

Good to be back

P i t t s b u r g h We b D e s i g n D a yJ O S H S A G E R M E D I A

The Story of a Web ProjectProcess and Best P rac t ices

Josh Sager@joshsagerJoshSagerMedia.com

Educator

http://www.pti.edu

FreelanceDesign and Development

How to avoid the nasty break-up

Advice Part-time Freelancers

First DateSunday, August 22, 2010

What was your first date?

For the next 30 secondsintroduce yourself to someone you DON’T KNOW and tell them about your first date.

Times Up

On the Playground

First Date Highlights

Lasted one recess

I got mad props from other kids

We held hands

I got a kiss on the cheek

I was unaware the relationship ended

I was totally confused

My 1st Freelance Experience

Band WebsiteSPLASH PAGE

me, really?WOWthis is gonna be

AWESOME!!!

A Band Website

“We can’t afford to pay you…”

That’s okay I’m just psyched they thought of me.

First Freelance Highlights

Phone calls from the band

Credit on the home page

It could potentially lead to other things

Great exposure, but no money

I was unaware when the project was over

I was totally confused

Hmm…This sounds familiar

1st Freelance ever

1st Date ever=

We can learn a lot from our failed relationships

What is a relationship?

re·la·tion·ship[ri-ley-shuhn-ship] - noun

a state of connectedness between people

5 Stages of a Relationship

Romance / Attraction

Reality Sets in / Disappointment

Power Struggle

Commitment

Co-Creation / Stability

http://dating.lovetoknow.com/Five_Stages_in_a_Relationship

http://gcuc.ncf.ca/relate5.html

5 Stages of Freelance

Inquiry

OMG What did I just do?

Scope Creep

Project bender / Just have to get through to…

Revisions

Why Relationships Fail

Avoidance

Burnout

Compatibility issues

Enthusiasm fades

Just say yes

Poor communication

http://www.singlescafe.net/why-relationships-fail.html

Our goal today is to examine these stages and try to solve common problems in client relationships.

Before the Romance

Meeting New People (clients)

Go to them

They come to you

Sit around and wait…

My Courting Process

Not very effectivewith clients or the ladies.

Potentially the WORST kind of lead generation.

The people that CLAIM to be your friends and family.

For Example

What’s the worst kind of date?

The Blind Date

Where do the majority of blind dates come from?

The people that CLAIM to be your friends and family.

Reasons for the Blind Date

They’re really nice

They’ve got a great personality

It’s not like you’re doing anything else

I was just trying to do you a favor

Have you ever been thrown at a freelance project like this?

Blind Date Clients

I’ve got a buddy with a great idea to make lots of money on the internet

It’s going to be just like Facebook, but different

It’s not like you were doing anything anyway

Your mother-in-law meets a horse farmer in need of a website on the way home from work

RED FLAG!

Not all BLIND DATE clients are bad

but beware

My Advice15 Lessons you’ll want to write down

Advice #1Just because you can, does not mean you should

How do you know?

Romance / Attraction Stage

STAGE 1Sunday, August 22, 2010

Client Consultations are really First DatesIt’s awkward

You’re feeling each other out

You’re not sure who’s paying for dinner

The entire time you’re trying to decide if this is moving on to a second date

Don’t Be Charmed Too Easily

Potential is dangerous.

Remember Ryan Leaf? Full of potential, but now bags groceries.

Promises sound great but they don’t always come true.

Your perception is different from theirs. Calibrate expectations through communication, if you can.

Everyone wants to be wanted.Sunday, August 22, 2010

Advice #2Ask lots of questions

Client Questionnaire

Most Important QuestionDo I trust them?

Warning Signs

Disorganized

Blows off scheduled meetings

Looking for a handout

Aggressive - calls or emails you constantly

Jumps the gun and disregards any of your processes or advice

Advice #3Know why you’re doing the project

It’s their deadline not yours

One date does not mean that you’re married

Freelance Isn’t Free

Less time with friends and family

Pulls you away from activities and hobbies

Lose sleep due to late nights

General life stuff is put on hold

I’m Taking This Project Because

I believe in the project

It pays well

I like the kind of work

I trust the client

It excites me

It involves new technologies or techniques.

Advice #4Be prepared to walk away

My quality of life doesn’t hinge on freelance

It helps

I don’t have to work on every project that comes my way

There will be other projects

If it’s not a good fit, don’t waffle, pass on it .

Project Policy

Consultation meeting.

Analyze what they need, what I can do, and the amount of time it would take.

Is it worth my time, effort, or pulling myself away from other things?

If no, I decline the project.

If yes, I prepare an estimate.

Advice #5Don’t take a freelance job because you feel obligated

Remember the blind date?

Obligation projects are on the fast track to BREAK-UP TOWN

Advice #6Know the kinds of projects that best suit you

I used to take any project that came my way

I didn’t really consider the best projects for my skill sets

and time requirements

All I heard was money… I’ll do it.

Similar to… A girl wants to

date me, AWESOME!

Not Good For

Development for long projects that take 4 - 6 months to complete

Managing large projects

Reinventing your business on the internet

Building a blog site for a business, then writing blogs for them

Projects that promise exposure in lieu of money, goods, or services

I’m Great for

Prototyping

Being a code or design hero / ninja

Small projects

Building components, designs or animations

Not managing the entire project

Advice #7Your portfolio should be what you want to do, not what you’ve done

I totally struggle with this

Nobody cares about every project you’ve done, they only

care about the next project you’ll do for them

Build a portfolio of work you WANT to do

Your portfolio suffers from taking just any project

I try to be a little selective about the projects I take on

What Matters to Me

Two way street of Trust

Client will deliver when they say they will

Pay on time

Enjoy working with them

Create standards for yourself

Stick to them!

Reality Sets in / Disappointment

Reality Sets In: Dating

Hmm, our design tastes aren’t the same.

He chews loudly when he eats.

Really she honestly likes to watch Sex and the City. Honestly?

OMG can you please put the seat down when you’re done!?

Reality Sets In: Clients

Hmm, our design tastes aren’t the same.

Be creative and by that I’ll tell you what to do.

10 pounds of content in a 200px text box.

Comic Sans is not a fun font!

Advice #8Consider your needs

You have needs too!

What do you want out of this relationship?

What I Want?

To use technologies and techniques I don’t normally get to play with

To work on cool projects

To earn some extra cash

To meet interesting people

To feel like a hero

To be proud of the work

Advice #9Work your passions / interests into your projects

Exploring new things is fun!

Look for opportunities to integrate interesting

technologies and techniques

Math-based Interactions

15 minute code

DataViz

Programmatic / generative art

Math-based transitions and interactions

Integrating your passions will get you through the rough patches

You get what you want, they get comic sans.

Or something like that

Power Struggle

Who’s in Control?It’s a partnership

Be UP FRONT About

Availability

Requirements for the project

Delivery dates

Threats for delivering on time

Your costs

Scope creep

What will be delivered

Advice #10Communicate everything!

“Assumptions are the termites of

relationships”. - Henry Winkler

Really? Everything?Any request I get, I restate it

back to the client for confirmation.

I’m Busy This WeekI push back about my availability. Sometimes I can’t start a project until a week or two from when I’m discussing the project with a client.

I book projects based on available blocks of time.

I used to say, “Sure, I’ll get that by Tuesday,” then pray for a miracle of time to show up.

Late for DinnerLet clients know ahead of time if problems occur.

They’re more willing to work with you if they know there’s a problem. Have you ever been really late for dinner

but didn’t say anything? I bet it didn’t go all that well.

UpdatesEveryone loves them. Check in every few days and give a

progress report. They’ll love you for it. Even if there is no “real” progress there’s usually something you need to follow up on anyway.

Be HonestIt really is the best policy. If you don’t come

through, come clean. You might get a second chance.

Stick to your policesIf you have a workflow STICK TO IT. Yes there are

times for flexibility but trust your process and stick to it.

That goes double for your estimate

Advice #11Know your value

How do you know what to charge for a project?

Pricing ModelTime + Materials = My Estimate

I provide value-based estimates

4 Animations = $200

instead of

4 hours of work = $200

Be confident in what you’re charging

I used to take 20% - 30% off the top of estimates because I was afraid I’d lose the project

Please Refer to Prior Advice

#3 Know why you’re doing the project

#4 Be prepared to walk away

My PhilosophyToo Expensive? Good! I’m too busy anyway.

I get less work, but paid more, and the

clients are much better.

Undercut Projects

Projects end poorly

Clients don’t return

Services aren’t valued

Requests get more ridiculous

Work isn’t worth putting in my portfolio

I just want it to be over

ConfidenceGirls like it and so do clients

Be Confident, Not an Ass-clown

You’ll find clients respect you for sticking to your guns.

People will pay or even overpay for things they need right now.

Eight dollars for a Beer at a Pirates game? Yep, I’ve done that.

Don’t abuse this, be fair and your clients will return.

So how do I figure out my estimate?

Estimate Considerations

Set-up and admin

Research / development

Additional equipment / materials / assets

Re-factoring and revisions

Delivery

All of these things factor into my estimate

Sometimes I’m wrong

But I track EVERYTHING so I can compare my estimate to what

actually happened.

Commitment

I’ve got the project!Now I have to come through

Do I have time for this?

Advice #12Manage your time

Time ManagementTake time to learn what works for you

My Techniques

Block out time in hours

Running project list

Horizontal to-do lists

Prioritize no more than 5 items at a time

Block Out TimeI schedule projects based on availability

ListsNo more than5 items in myfocus at a time

Horizontal ListsGlobal view of what I need to do

Above AllStay balanced. There are other things besides work. I try to

budget 5 - 10 hrs max per week. But I’m also flexible.

Advice #13Document EVERYTHING

SketchbookCreative weapon of choice

What I Track

Client communications

Deliverables

Requests

Discoveries

Errors

Doodles

ProblemSolve

Flow Charting

Log Other Ideas

It’s totally worth it

Scope Creep KillerIt’s the best! Recalling details makes you

sound smart AND can sometimes help you win scope creep battles. Remember, don’t be an Ass-clown.

At the end of every project I do a “Lessons Learned”

Ask MyselfWould I do this project again?

Co-Creation / Stability

Advice #14 Be patient with revisions and make

them as quickly as possible

Revisions SuckIt’s not that you did something wrong. It just time to

shore-up the details and finish the project strong.

GET-R-DONEJust get them done

Benefits

You get paid!

It’s over!

It’s not hanging over your head!

Less of a chance of more revisions!

Revisions Are Like BunniesThey multiply

Revisions are NOT…HEY can do this

entire thing over?

You have to manage it

Advice #15Don’t listen to me

Everybody has to find their own way

I learn the most when I get knocked on my ASS

And so will you!

In Review

My Advice

1. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should

2. Ask lots of questions

3. Know why you’re doing the project

4. Be prepared to walk away

5. Don’t take a freelance job because you feel obligated

My Advice

6. Know the kinds of projects that best suit you

7. Your portfolio should be what you want to do not what you’ve done

8. Consider your needs

9. Work your passions / interests into your projects

10. Communicate everything

My Advice

11. Know your value

12. Manage your time

13. Document everything

14. Be patient with revisions and make them as quickly as possible

15. Don’t listen to me

Questions?Comments, thoughts, or reactions?

How’d I do?@joshsagerJoshSagerMedia.comjoshsagermedia@gmail.com

Thank YouI appreciate your time

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