One of the things I have come across a lot in designers that I have worked with, or have found online, is a lack of fulfillment in delivering their exact worth or measure.  Being a designer not only means you crank out crazy, revolutionary kick-a designs from your new g5.  You’re more than that…well you’ll need to be if you are going to be a successful and accomplished in the field of design.

Nothing frustrates me more than to find a designer that has true, raw talent but lacks one very important element…confidence.  As a designer, you cannot only be a bottled up source of inspiration ready to explode onto print, web and any other favored medium. You need to be a salesman, ready to boast in stride about all of that creativity.  That’s right a salesman, I know, sometimes it seems that the usual stereotype of a salesman is far from the image you want to see in the mirror, some washed up high school/college athlete trying to sell something they truly don’t understand or comprehend.  That’s not at all what I mean.

Your Responsibility

It is your responsibility to sell to your client that there is a reason your ideas and creativity are worth the top dollar they should be paying you.  There are a lot of so called “designers” out there, and lets face it, sometimes the client is one of them. You cannot lack confidence in your work and ability, you need to be able to express the difference in quality in your work and the high school kid down the street.

It is also your responsibility to explain your methods and concepts in terms the client can understand.  Far too often I have seen designers/developers explain ideas in a way that is way too technical, it goes way over the client’s understanding, and in the end the idea is lost on the person who matters most, the client.  Even worse is when the designer doesn’t explain anything.  It’s too easy to get comfortable in thinking, “oh well this comes easy to me, so they’ll totally understand my thought process in this concept if I just send this design comp over in an email.”

Please, never assume that because something comes naturally and easy for you, that it will be the same for everyone else.  Take pride in your talents and remember that the client hired you for a reason. When delivering anything, always explain your concepts in the most non technical way as possible.  Also, if you have time, storyboard everything. It is so much easier to sell an idea with visual concepts.

Don’t Under Sell

This is another issue that seems to lie with designers green or veteran, they underbid their work.  You need to know what you are worth.  If you are charging $50 for logo and you feel you are creating great work, it’s time to rethink your pricing structure.  Your price is one element that sells you as a professional, people know that they get what they pay for.  By charging so little you undermine your talents and quality of work.  When you are charging you too little, you will appear to be no more a professional than your neighbor’s 16 year old nephew who “designs” websites in FrontPage­®.  Now if that’s what you want to be is the neighborhood kid who designs for the price of a tank of gas to get to the prom, then that’s fine, but that’s the farthest you’ll ever go.

Just know that clients are willing to pay what your product is really worth, if you can sell them on what sets you apart from the “nephew”.

What Sets You Apart

So what does set you apart?!?  College right?!?  Maybe.  College is great place to start, and to begin your knowledge and portfolio.  Here are a few things that set the design greats apart from the “nephews”: (in order of importance)

1. Personality
2. Experience/Portfolio
3. Confidence
4. Thirst for knowledge
5. Ability to Listen
6. Communication/People Skills
7. Organization

I have interviewed designers in the past for career opportunities and I rarely look at what College they attended.  I pay close attention to items listed above.  I would rather work with someone who has a great personality, amazing portfolio and can express their ideas and thoughts to me clearly, than someone you has a college degree, good portfolio and is a complete “jack-a”.

I am in no way saying college is not the way to, because it is.  All I am saying is there is so much more to design than a piece of paper or being able to recognize fonts at random. You need to be confident in your work and have the desire/ability to continue to learn.  You also need to be able to present your ideas with a level of enthusiasm that expresses, “Hey!  This is a one way street, it’s the way to go!”.  You have to know how to address all different types of people, as clients come in all shapes, sizes and personalities.  Last of all, being organized is a huge key to success, you need to remember your clients needs, and how you plan to accomplish them.

Now get out there and sell

So to wrap up this little rant, I just want to emphasize again, that if you want to be a successful designer, do not hide behind your Macbook or PC.  Get out there and express your ideas, explain your inspirations and sell, sell, sell.