When I tell people that I illustrate for a living, they instantly get a picture in their noggin of what that means. I’m not homeless, don’t smell too badly, and have at least some loose change in my pocket (I am also wearing pants), so they assume that I’m successful at it.
They sometimes assume is that I’m successful because my work is good. Without even seeing it they think that because how else could I afford pants and deodorant with change to spare if my work sucks?
While it’s true that you need to be at least a pretty good artist to make a living at it, that’s only part of the story.
The most important element in being a successful independent artist is communication.
First and most obvious, it’s the artist’s job to communicate something (emotion, direction, concept) to the viewer through images. If that’s been done effectively, then everything else is subject to the eye of the beholder.
The other side of the communication coin is being able to sell your work by successfully relating to other people. This is the element that so many independent artists (and some other business owners) need to develop further.
You may be the best illustrator on the planet, but you won’t sell your work if you can’t communicate well.
So simple, right? It really is and anyone can improve their speaking and writing skills with a little effort.
Early in my career I got some feedback that I was being too formal with clients. It sounds funny, but I had to learn how to relax and be “real” to communicate more effectively. It finally took hold after my boss told me to get the pole out of my ass when I was on the phone.
I could say that his point was driven home, but that would be a bad metaphor. However, he was right and with more (gentler) guidance I learned that it’s all about who you’re working with.
Know Your Audience
If you’re going to be in business for yourself as an artist, you’ll interact with some of these people:
- Art Directors
- Editors
- Small Business Owners
- Web Designers
- Marketing Directors
- Ad Agency Execs
…to name a few.
These are people like you and me. They eat, sleep, and poop. The only difference is that they have their own job to do and guess what? They want it to be as easy as possible.
Make it easy for them by communicating well and giving them confidence that they’ve hired a professional. Here are some extremely simple things you can do to get that confidence:
Somewhere Between “Dude” and “Ma’am”
Mom taught you to mind your manners, so show off your skills. “Please” and “Thank You” go a long way toward showing what a pro you really are.
However before you start sounding like Gomer Pyle, remember that there’s a balance. Be real. Be yourself. If you don’t sound natural saying, “Why thank you, that is most gratifying and agreeable,” just say “Hey, thanks.”
Like I mentioned before, you should consider your audience. There’s nothing fake about adjusting your speaking or writing style based on the person you’re communicating with. Always be yourself, but also think about how your message is received. A founding partner in a law firm usually doesn’t enjoy being called, “Dude.” Don’t ask me how I know.
For example, I have two clients. One is a web designer (Chuck) I’ve known for a few years. The other is the head of marketing for a very conservative data managing firm (Nancy); this is my first project with her. I have uploaded revised designs for both to my FTP. Here’s how I would communicate that:
Hey Chuck,
The revised files are on the FTP. I changed the face so he doesn’t look clueless and stupid now. It was freaking me out, too.
Chat with you later.
Cheers,
David
###
Nancy,
I’ve uploaded the revised files to my FTP server as before. You’ll notice that I changed the face so he looks a little more confidence-inspiring. I agree, it looks much better now.
Please call me if you have any questions or comments.
Regards,
David
It’s not complicated and there really aren’t any rules set in stone here. Sometimes you have to go with your gut and feel out your client. It would be a turn-off to Chuck if I was formal with him, just as the opposite wouldn’t build confidence with Nancy.
Hey, Guess What I Did
When sending your concept sketches or final art to clients, try outlining a little bit of what you did in an e-mail or a quick phone call. If you made an adjustment to a concept sketch, explain why.
I’ll always make small adjustments to an approved concept when I think it will improve the final art. Nothing wrong with it (in fact, I consider it part of the package). However, I always (always, always, always) let the client know what I’m doing.
Sometimes time constraints make it necessary to change things and tell the client afterwards, but as long as it’s minor it’s usually fine – as long as you tell them.
If clients are always guessing at what you may have changed, they’ll start to lose that happy, comfortable feeling. They’ll feel like you’re trying to sneak something by them. Chances are they’ll get pickier over time, or simply work with someone else.
Where Oh Where Did My Little Artist Go?
If you’re going to work as an independent business person, you need to be available. That doesn’t mean you’re at everyone’s beck and call 24/7 (unless you enjoy that. More power to you).
It means that you answer your phone during your business hours. You return voice mails as soon as you are able. Same with e-mails.
I’ve heard from more than one Art Director that they were shocked at how slowly some artists responded to e-mails offering magazine illustration. One Art Director told me a story about an artist who responded to her e-mail after three months, wondering where the contract was. When they don’t hear from you, they’ll simply move down to the next artist on their list.
If you’re gonna be in the show, don’t miss your cue.
Save the Drama for Mama
On a scale of 1 to 10, try to guess how high an art director ranks your personal problems?
Whatever you guessed, it’s lower.
Having a friendly, informal relationship with your clients can be very rewarding. It can improve your work and help snag those future projects.
However, no client wants to hear how you couldn’t get the final art done because your son’s band practice ran long and you couldn’t find your keys. Your lengthy excuses are merely translated as, “Artist didn’t deliver, I have to explain to my boss. Crap, this day sucks.”
As tempting as it is, don’t vent your frustrations to you client. You may be vexed by a buggy brush in Photoshop, but your client doesn’t want to hear that. If the art director you’re working with is a Photoshop geek, it’s fine to recap interesting Photoshop anecdotes after you’ve delivered the work, but only (only, only, only) if you’ve solved the problem. By all means share the tip. It makes you look like an expert in your field and a problem-solver.
Follow Up
When a project is done, don’t let the last communication be your invoice. After they’ve paid, thank your client and ask how your contribution worked for them. It’s more about them and their world than it is about getting more kudos for you (hopefully you got some in the first place).
Make it snappy and show them you care about more than the cash.
It Never Ends. Ever.
I find that I’m constantly developing my communication skills. There’s always room to improve, even for the most experienced artists and business people. I don’t agonize over it anymore, but I do try to stay self-aware.
When I feel that pole inserting itself, I try to chill out and remember what a fun pole-less guy I am in real life. There’s no longer anyone here to give me that subtle feedback, so it’s important that I work to keep the poles out of my office in the first place.
Good communication is the foundation of any career. Whether you communicate well or poorly, people notice. Help your clients remember you as someone they’ll want to call again.
Got any good communication tips or war stories? Please add a comment, I would love to hear them!
Good pointers, and a few things I think I forgot along the way. Thank you!
Great article, David. Lots to like in it. Really liked discussion of tailoring communication to clients. Glad you said “be real” and not “authentic.” Great blend of humour and info. Look forward to you selling your own children’s book off this site and Amazon.
Another point to consider about audience is who might your audience be forwarding your work to?
I once did a mock up of a website and used a funny lorem ipsum (place holder text) generator that created “Hill Billy” lorem ipsum . I knew she’d get the joke but I had no idea she’d forward the mock up to her book publisher. The publisher made her fire me.
@Heather @ Robyn: Thanks so much!
@Elge: Excellent point. It would be so nice to be able to anticipate all the places your work will be seen and reviewed, wouldn’t it?
You can drive yourself crazy trying to please everyone (been there done that!). I try to create a balance between the conservative and loosey-goosey.
I have clients that I feel comfy joking with and others that I hold back because I’m not sure how they would take it. I have a strange sense of humor and I’m conscious that not everyone gets the joke.
Have you ever had a client who communicated so poorly that you didn’t want to work with *them*?
I like the follow up advice. It would be nice if designers/coders/whoever could see their impact on the bottom line (increased traffic, revenue, customer satisfaction, whatever).
Wonder if just building postmortems into the project plan would be good, but typically it’s always just “on to the next thing ASAP”.
Great advice! I had a hard time getting rid of my pole too, but over the years I learned how to feel clients and figure out how to talk to who, like your article suggests.
Very good article. I couldn’t agree more – good communication skills are extremely important in any field including ours. I always cringe when I hear a designer or illustrator call someone “dude”. We are business people. How we conduct ourselves speaks volumes about us as professionals. Let’s save the “dude” for our buddies.
I agree, Louis. When starting out a new business relationship, I leave the “Dude” at home.
However, I do have clients who prefer the laid back communication style. In fact they would be turned off if I didn’t say one of my famous “awesome” or “totally” comments now and then.
It can work both ways.
Excellent article.
Once I was chatting with a client and they made the point that they liked talking to illustrators because they tend to be interesting and funny. Another reminder to be loose when talking with a client. We are not lawyers, after all.
It is important to be able to sense what a client is like. This usually can be done in a couple sentences over the phone. You can sense even if a usually casual client is having a bad day. Then you can adjust your phone style.
Okay, I can’t think of anyone this post couldn’t help.
(Well, my Dad, but he’s retired.)
Nice work Mr. Firepants.
great list – well written and true.
In my case, I’m pretty talkative, so what I have to do is rein myself in and truly ‘listen’, with focus, to what my client is saying. I’m convinced that it’s okay to take a moment and think about the response. It’s also okay to ask what the person means if their statement or question is unclear: “Let me be sure I understand you correctly…” “So, what I hear you saying is…is that right?” And, there’s nothing wrong with: “I’m not sure – let me work on some ideas and get back with you…”