Presentation for the HOW 2007 conference in Atlanta, GA.

1. Everything I Wish
I Knew ...
Daniel Schutzmith

2. Who Am I?

3. www.graphicdefine.org

4. www.choppingblock.com

6. School of
VISUAL ARTS
209 East 23 Street, New York, NY 10010-3994 Tel 212.XXX.XXXX Fax 212.XXX.XXXX www.schoolofvisualarts.edu

7. Presentation Slides
& Worksheets:
http://how.graphicdefine.org

8. The Top 5
Things I Hear

9. Top 5 Things I Hear
5. Have a tough time
finding new projects.

10. Top 5 Things I Hear
4. Estimating the cost
of a project too
high/low.

11. Top 5 Things I Hear
3. Not following a
project process.

12. Top 5 Things I Hear
2. No signed contract
and/or not sure how
to make a proposal.

13. Top 5 Things I Hear
1. Not sure how to plan
for the future.

14. 5. Have a tough time
finding new projects.

15. New Business

16. New Business
“I wish I'd had more
sales training before
starting my bus.”
- Stephanie Sharp
Sharp Designs

17. New Business
Put a Process
in Place

18. New Business
1. Identify Prospects

19. New Business
1. Identify Prospects
2. Contact Prospects

20. New Business
1. Identify Prospects
2. Contact Prospects
3. Sales Meeting

21. New Business
1. Identify Prospects
2. Contact Prospects
3. Sales Meeting
4. Close the Sale

22. New Business
1. Identify Prospects
2. Contact Prospects
3. Sales Meeting
4. Close the Sale
5. Follow-up

23. New Business
Sales = Fear

24. New Business
WORKSHEET:
Anti-Hard
Sell Success

25. New Business
Daylite
Highrise
Salesforce.com

26. New Business
Know Who Your
Client Is

27. New Business

28. New Business
WORKSHEET:
Client Wish List

29. New Business
New Projects
Are Everywhere

30. New Business

31. New Business
Listen More
Than You Talk

32. New Business

33. New Business
Know Your
Product
( Hint: It is NOT your style or
your superior design skills )

34. New Business

35. New Business
Friends Will Tell
You the Truth

36. New Business

37. III. Getting Clients
Repeat Clients
Are
New Clients

38. Marketing

39. Marketing
Good
Marketing
Means Less
Need for Sales

40. Marketing
WORKSHEET:
Marketing Plan

41. Marketing
Over the Top
is Good

42. Marketing

43. Marketing

44. Marketing
Have a
Press Kit

45. Marketing
WORKSHEET:
Press Kit Ingredients

46. Marketing
A Press Release
Compliments a
Project Launch

47. Marketing
WORKSHEET:
Press Release
Advice

48. 4. Estimating the cost
of a project too
high/low.

49. Scoping a
Project

50. Scoping a Project
“Don't tell a client
‘yes’ when the
answer is really ‘no’.”
- Mike Buzzard, President
Cuban Council

51. Scoping a Project
Scope

52. Scoping a Project
Time

53. Scoping a Project
Cost

54. Scoping a Project
WORKSHEET:
Quality Triangle

55. Scoping a Project
WORKSHEET:
Project
Scope

56. Scoping a Project
WORKSHEET:
Project
Pricing

57. Scoping a Project
WORKSHEET:
Scheduling

58. Scoping a Project
Microsoft Project

59. 3. Not following a
project process.

60. Project
Management

61. Project Management
“Plan, plan, plan!”
- Eric Breitbard, SVP
Schematic

62. Project Management

63. Project Management
Identify Your
Process

64. Project Management
4 D’s

65. Project Management
1. Discovery

66. Project Management
1. Discovery
2. Design

67. Project Management
1. Discovery
2. Design
3. Develop

68. Project Management
1. Discovery
2. Design
3. Develop
4. Deploy

69. Project Management
Microsoft Project
Studiometry

70. Managing
Talent

71. Managing Talent
Assign Tasks /
Objectives

72. Managing Talent
Check in
Regularly

73. Managing Talent
Let People
Screw Up

74. Managing Talent
Preach Time
Management

75. Managing Talent
Weekly Status
Meetings

76. Managing
the Client

77. Managing the Client
Assign Tasks /
Objectives

78. Managing the Client
Keep Consistent
Communication

79. Managing the Client
One Channel of
Communication

80. Managing the Client
Be Honest

81. Managing the Client
Under Promise,
Over Deliver

82. Standardize
Everything
(its OK to be anal)

83. Standardize Everything
Standardize
File Structure

84. Standardize Everything

85. Standardize Everything
WORKSHEET:
Ways to Standardize

86. Standardize Everything
Retain
Ideas

87. Standardize Everything
WORKSHEET:
Idea Tools

88. 2. No signed contract
and/or not sure how
to make a proposal.

89. Legal
Mumbo
Jumbo

90. Legal Mumbo Jumbo
“No matter how close a
friend or client may be,
never sway from your
business practices.”
- Kathryn
Rural City Creative

91. Legal Mumbo Jumbo
Don’t Be Scared
of Contracts

92. Legal Mumbo Jumbo

93. Legal Mumbo Jumbo
Rely on Your
Legal Team

94. Legal Mumbo Jumbo

95. Legal Mumbo Jumbo
Get it in Writing

96. Legal Mumbo Jumbo

97. Legal Mumbo Jumbo
Define
Payment
Logistics

98. Legal Mumbo Jumbo

99. Proposal
Ingredients

100. Legal Mumbo Jumbo
“The client is not an
idiot.”
- Jeffrey Zeldman, President
Happy Cog Studios

101. Proposal Ingredients
Proposal Ingredients:
• Cover Page
• Contact Information
• Stake Holders
• Scope
• Objectives

102. Proposal Ingredients
Proposal Ingredients:
• Target Audience
• Deliverables
• Process
• Milestone Schedule
• Payment Schedule

103. Proposal Ingredients
Proposal Ingredients:
• Fees
• Strategy
• Company History
• Principal Bios
• Case Studies / Awards

104. Proposal Ingredients
WORKSHEET:
Ingredients of
a Proposal

105. Proposal Ingredients
WORKSHEET:
Project
Pricing

106. Tips for
Successful
Proposals

107. Tips for Successful Proposals
Get a
Copywriter

108. Tips for Successful Proposals
Use Templates

109. Tips for Successful Proposals
Be Organized

110. Tips for Successful Proposals
Avoid
Bullshit

111. Tips for Successful Proposals
No Sales
Lines

112. Tips for Successful Proposals
No Spec
Work

113. Tips for Successful Proposals
Focus on
Process

114. Tips for Successful Proposals
Don’t Delay

115. 1. Not sure how to plan
for the future.

116. Working on
Your Business

117. Working on Your Business
“I wish I knew how
important it was to reach
out for help before I was
in over my head.”
- Florence Haridan
Gathering

118. Working on Your Business
Rely on
Professional
Help

119. Working on Your Business
Understand
Your Books

120. Working on Your Business
Create a
Blueprint for
Success

121. Working on Your Business
WORKSHEET:
Business Plan

122. Working on Your Business
Invoice
Regularly

123. Working on Your Business
Keep a
Playbook

124. V.Working on Your Business
Planning for the Future
For every project, log
the total hours, players,
profit/loss, things
learned, strengths,
weaknesses, and so on.

125. Working on Your Business

126. Working on Your Business
Decide Where
You Want to Go

127. Working on Your Business
• write down where you
want your business to go.
• plan for it in baby steps.
• visualize it happening.

128. Working on Your Business
“Everything's a work
in progress ... no
matter how well
you're doing.”
- Michael Lebowitz, CEO
Big Spaceship

129. Working on Your Business

130. There is no
such thing as
luck, the future
is what YOU
make it!

131. Presentation Slides
& Worksheets:
http://how.graphicdefine.org

133. BONUS:
When Shit
Hits the Fan

134. When Shit Hits the Fan
Stay Focued

135. When Shit Hits the Fan
Remain Calm

136. When Shit Hits the Fan
Don’t Act Too
Quickly

137. When Shit Hits the Fan
Rely on
Your Staff

138. When Shit Hits the Fan
Don’t Play the
Blame Game

139. When Shit Hits the Fan
Realize that
Something Will
Have to be
Sacrificed

140. When Shit Hits the Fan
Make a
Calculated
Decision

141. When Shit Hits the Fan
Sometimes
You Need to
Fire the Client

143. When Shit Hits the Fan
If It Smells Like
Shit...

145. Presentation Slides
& Worksheets:
http://how.graphicdefine.org