I’m not the best veg*n – a printed neologism meant to represent the vegetarian and vegan community – since I choose to:
But I also haven’t preached a pro-veg*n lifestyle since I was in high school and a friend countered my PETA-inspired rhetoric by eating a hamburger in front of me which she very much enjoyed. Also? Raccoons eat cats.
A friend on LiveJournal asked me* to write a little something about managing client relationships. I assume this question is the product of countless less-than-ideal clients who could have made people’s lives a lot easier if they were ideal.
Yes, the ideal client does exist. This type of client has done his/her homework on the target market, knows what the creative strategy should incorporate, has prepared all necessary materials for you to do your job, and understands that your time equals money. You meet on a frequent basis with this client to review progress on the project, receive constructive feedback, and coordinate with other team members on final deliverables without anyone getting in the way. You love this client. Managing this relationship is, by far, the easiest since you are being treated with the respect due any working professional and you will always look forward to working with this client again on future projects.
Unfortunately, the ideal client doesn’t always grace your workspace. More often than not you will encounter clients that fall into other less savory categories. This is when it pays to know how to manage these client relationships, and really there’s no better way to learn than from other people’s experiences. Without further adieu, I present you, dear reader, with tips on how to manage almost any client relationship.
Yesterday I received a tweet asking if I knew anyone looking to hire a designer for work. I didn’t know the twitter user but he is not the only person who has contacted me in hopes I could either use his services or connect him with someone needing design assistance. I put together the following options for creative folks that aren’t sure how or where to find work, and these suggestions are based on personal experience. Keep in mind I am an extroverted person so individual mileage will vary.
Update: Thanks to Patrick, and NPR, I’ve learned that the Food and Drug Administration instituted the ban on gay & bisexual men donating blood to organizations such as American Red Cross. I’ve discontinued the previous petition on act.ly in place of a new one that petitions Barack Obama to lift the FDA’s ban on allowing blood donations from gay & bisexual men.