how sharing your process attracts clients? 3 tips to get you started

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by Emma Weise

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Jan 28, 2018

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TOPICS

Business

Before we talk about sharing your process…

Let me straight up share that it was only about 2 years ago that I started formulating my branding process.

I had just finished a client project, and in preparation for the next one, I sat down and looked at what worked, how it all flowed, and I scribbled my thoughts down – using a simple sheet of A4 + pencil [super high tech, right!?!?!], a few hours later – the bones of my branding process were in place!

Since then, I’ve tweaked it, shifted things, and allowed the process to evolve as much as I have over the years.

Now, my recipe is an integral part of my “special sauce” [and what get’s me the results I do].

You probably feel the same about your process!

It’s your “secret sauce”, right?

But unlike granny’s secret sauce, your process is meant to be shared!

and by sharing your process, you’re actually going to attract the right clients for you!

Whhhaaattt???

Let me introduce you to Austin Kleon.

I first read Austin’s book “steal like an artist”, and then I got introduced to “Show your work”.

Whilst I loved the idea of it… I was mainly working with corporates [and tight NDA’s at the time], and felt frustrated that I couldn’t show my work.

Whether you are also locked into NDA’s,

or maybe you’re service based, and your “product” isn’t as easy to show…

… the idea of showing your process will be a game changer for you!

Let’s start with the video:

So how did I use this idea in my business?

When I first meet clients, they have often seen pieces of my work.

they liked _____’s logo.

_____’s social template stopped them in their tracks.

When they received _____’s media kit, they instantly wondered who created it.

_____’s website blew them away.

but that brand collateral is just the “pretty” end result [of a very in-depth process].

I know that when they contact me,

there is a niggle in the back of their mind as to whether I will be able to create something as awesome for them.

After all, they are spending a bit of money with me!

Then they see my creative process.

They see how I go about creating their brand.

they see what the strategy looks like in a tangible document.
they see how we go about pegging the brand direction.
they see how a logo comes into “being”.

Whilst walking through the journey of what it’s like to work with me + what my process looks like…

they are able to decide whether I’m the kind of person they want to work with.

They instantly know if we are right for each other.

…all because they can see how the process comes alive.

How will “sharing your process” work for consultants + service based businesses?

How do you show your work… when you are service based or bound by NDA’s?

You show your process.

You talk about the clients problems, and how you solved it.

You may not have visuals like mine, but sharing the process behind what you do – allows the following to happen

// your clients to see how you work

// they get a sense of how you think through a process

// they start to identify themselves with your past clients, and can see how your service would help them.

2018, it was time to update my process again.

I wanted to have it outlined + visual, creating a way for people to see what goes into creating a brand [because, nope… it’s not just about whipping up a logo!].

So off I went on a mission to create an infographic that I could pop onto my website.

Nothing is that simple.

Naturally, it opened up a bit of a can of worms… but the end result is something super coherent + visual…

see:

Whilst going through the process, I picked up 3 tips that could help you create your process

3 tips to help you get started

1. Don’t just jump into creating something pretty…

It’s tempting to just jump into whipping something up quick.

Before you do, I’m going to urge you to take a step back.

Before I worked on mine, I took an objective look at what was working in my process, and what needed tweaking.

My Insights: I realised that many of my clients can’t see all the purdy-ness that is in my brain, and whilst they trust my design eye + the process… they are often wondering “how does this all come together for my brand?”. So It’s created a fabulous opportunity for me to build another step into my process – one that will transform the process going forward.

2. Keep it simple.

I was so tempted to overcomplicate it.

I was tempted to include a bunch of detail.

I was tempted to write a book about the process [after all, I feel so dang passionate about it]!

But I needed to remind myself – it’s not about me.

It’s about creating something for you!

so after fleshing out all the details, I needed to go back, and pull out the key aspects of the process:

That way, my client can instantly see what the process is about.

My insights: You don’t have time to read a book, you want to look at something at a glance – and just “get it! What I learnt was that I just needed to keep it simple – my clients need to see

3. Perfect never gets done

You can imagine… as a designer, I wanted to make sure all the elements were perfect, everything lined up, all the pieces created the perfect image.

I’m currently on revision 4, but if I hadn’t had revision 1 up… I wouldn’t have been able to talk through it with a handful of potential clients.

My Insights: I think that having my process visual, has not only helped me communicate what I do, it’s also allowed my potential clients to see what I’m talking about, and ultimately… I think it could have been one of the key reasons I got to work on the project.

All in all…

I love it when these process tweaks create such huge shifts in my business, AND in my clients life! Each time I refine my business process, I’m able to deliver an even better experience for my clients!

So… what about you… what are you tweaking in your process?

see the outcome of this process

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About the Author

Emma Weise

Emma is the Chief Coffee Drinker here at FreshSage. With over a decade in branding + another decade in corporate business - she's always balancing the creative with business strategy + goals. She believes everyone has a purpose + calling, and secretly loves helping her clients find theirs. When she's not building brand experiences, she's spending time with her High-school sweetheart + kidlet, tinkering in her veg garden, painting an abstract, and enjoying vino with friends.

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