Jenny L'voe

It’s your creativity. It’s unique. It’s 100% you. And there’s a whole list of clients out there that are looking for exactly what you have. What you do. And what you can create for them. Whatever type of creative medium you use, you have your own unique style. I’ve heard business clients say often, “I love working with so-and-so because she just gets it when I tell her what I need.” I’ve also heard, “I have a hard time getting my ideas across to him. It’s like we don’t communicate on the same level. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t understand what’s in my head.” And that’s just it: we’re interpreters. Some people are harder than others to interpret. On the other hand, some of your clients might not know what they want.

If you’re just advertising your creativity and your clients never get to see your work before you start on it, you might waste a lot of your time creating mock ups before you “discover” what they want. If you guarantee your work, this may end up costing you more than you would like it to. Whether or not your client knows it at this moment, they do have preferences. In music. Art. And madness. It’s in your best interest to show off your work through your portfolio both online and off to the best of your ability to gain a larger market or at least find that sweet niche that really digs you. Although an online database version and emailable format is essential.

Some clients will often ask you to send them via snail mail your portfolio. Others will as you to meet with them to show them your work personally. Recordings, portfolios, and pieces of your work are great to have on hand. Sending them to clients though can mean more overhead than you need to be spending on. And often clients will not send your portfolio back to you, so you’ve lost profits and your work. Having your work online can get potential clients your work quickly and efficiently. Plus, you’re in more control of how much you and your finances you put into it. You do have a few options of which routes to choose from.

Most freelance databases won’t allow you to even apply for positions unless you have a URL. If you’re applying for a full-time position or a long-term contract, you will most likely have to have your work online so they can view it immediately without having to download it to their computer. Could you imagine if your client had to download the work of every single creative mind that they wanted to view? It would take up much more space than is necessary…none! All you have to do is set-up a blog, website, facebook, twitter, myspace (good for musicians) or flickr account, which will be covered in Part II.

(This post is part of Monday Madness: Creative Consulting Tips and Tricks of the Trade. Sign up for the RSS feed to never miss a post!)