Insight: Finding Clients
Chris Sanders entered design without any formal education but went on to hold most major roles and he now leads the Right Aligned Academy. In this series of quick reads he will be sharing insight about his experiences to support our community.
Introduction
I became a freelance designer after redundancy from my second full–time position. I didn't want to make the move but the shock of loosing my job and the subsequent reality of needing to make money pushed me towards the unknown.
I maintained this period for ten years and the hardest lesson I learnt was knowing where potential clients were looking. I was spending a huge amount of time producing beautifully crafted case studies but I ultimately wasted them on the wrong audience.
Challenge
Instead of focusing on business growth I became obsessed with creative popularity and this stopped me from positively progressing.
I followed common advice about consistency and although I managed to maintain this mentality I was directing my energy towards securing validation from designers not customers.
I blurred the lines between sector respect and sustainable business leading to damaging moments of self–doubt, mental anxiety and deep depression.
Solution
My momentum shifted when I started to understand that new commissions were far more important than industry fame. Making this move allowed me to regularly secure projects providing the security needed to progress.
If this resonates I recommend rewarding yourself with the breathing space needed to help identify targets. Once isolated tailor your communication technique and repeat the process to build a foundation for future project wins.
