Here comes the “This blog is coming to an end” message.

I started this blog five and a half years ago to share what I knew to help other freelancers, particularly direct market designers and copywriters.

I’m still going to share, but likely not in this spot. (Notice how I qualify that just in case I change my mind six months down the road?)

Let me give you a bit of background, and then tell you where you can find me if you want to continue taking advantage of what I’m learning.

If you haven’t noticed, the main site of www.mikeklassen.com has just gone through a total redesign. My old site was HTML-based, and while it was fine and did the job, I wanted to take the appearance up another notch.

Goodbye HTML and Dreamweaver. Hello WordPress.

The change allowed me to add some new areas that I’ve gotten into: speaking and consulting. (This goes back to my last article on Expanding Your Business Boundaries.)

As part of that change, I didn’t really feel this blog had a place. All the content for this blog will remain for now. But there won’t be a link to this blog from the main site. The only way people will find it is through searches that link to the content.

Having said that, helping people is still a part of what I do. And it hasn’t just been happening here.

You may not be aware of where else you can find me…

1. The Magalog Guy’s MagaBlog. This is updated weekly. It’s geared to businesses in general, not just freelance designers and copywriters. But since you are a business, the content applies to you just as much as anyone else.

2. The Increase Sales & Build Deeper Connections Podcast. These are short messages from me, covering similar areas to what I cover on the blog. I’ll include interviews from time to time.

3. The Neanderthal Marketing Radio Show with co-host Traci Hayner Vanover. This is a weekly podcast, about a half hour in length, where Traci and I talk about different business-related topics. Very informal and a lot of fun for Traci and I.

4. The Magalog Guy Facebook Page. I try to share a few links of interest or bits of business info each week. I don’t believe in using this page to send out dozens of messages each day. So if you “Like” this page, don’t worry about me flooding your FB stream.

As you can probably guess from that list, it takes some time to put together that content on a regular basis. Between that and my work for clients, something had to give. And taking the hit was this blog.

I appreciate everyone who has read this blog. I hope you did more than read it… I hope you took action on it.

And I hope that you’ll find at least one of the other avenues I mentioned to follow me as I can continue sharing what I learn.

Thanks!

If you’ve followed me for a decent amount of time, you know I’m big on being more than just the main job that you do for clients.

In other words, I don’t see myself as “just” a direct market graphic designer. Starting out I probably did since it took all my energy to establish myself. That one task kept me plenty busy.

But even back then, I could appreciate that, as a freelancer, I had the freedom to expand what I do, or quickly change directions.

Just in the last year or two, here’s what I’ve been doing beyond “just” design:

• Wrote the book Increase Sales & Build Deeper Connections
• Started the Magalog Guy Podcast
• Created Book Layout Studio
• Joined forces with Traci Hayner Vanover to create Neanderthal Marketing, the Neanderthal Marketing Radio Show and Content Protection Tips
• Put together a presentation on content marketing and repurposing that I gave in Australia and will now give in different forums
• Put one of my blogs on the Amazon Kindle

And that’s the quick list. There’s even more going on, but you get the idea.

So I started as a designer. Now it’s designer, consultant, speaker, author, podcast host and more.

Why bother?

First, it’s fun. One of the reasons to freelance, at least for me, is to get involved in things that I enjoy and to explore new areas. Otherwise, I could have stayed an employee and been told more-or-less what to do each day and had my work boundaries set for me.

Second, and more applicable to make a living, is that I get a lot of exposure in a number of different areas. How do you think that makes me look when people are considering hiring me? And what might be the perception of me compared to other people that are being considered for a project?

Might the perception of me be higher when a potential client sees how open and engaged I am? Might I be exposed to more potential clients than I would if I just put all my efforts on this site?

And forget clients for a moment. Might being engaged and involved in all these different endeavors increase my knowledge and experience that I can apply to projects?

You bet!

There is a catch to all this activity. It’s easy to confuse activity with activity that brings in new projects and revenue. I’m not immune to that myself.

While your own list similar to the one above may look impressive to you and others, it has no value if it’s not leading to income.

With that in mind, I’ll leave you with a simple question: What are you doing today to expand your business boundaries and increase your income?

I don’t mention this a lot, but if you need help, I do offer coaching sessions using my 8 years as a freelancer to help you get out of a rut or determine a direction. Think of it as a get-on-track or get-back-on-track session.

I usually just do a session or two. If you need someone on-going, I can refer you to someone I work with.

I’m kind of picky about who I take on for these sessions. When it’s just a session or two, I don’t want to waste time being your cheerleader. The point is to examine your issues and get you taking immediate action.

It’s not unlike the small-group sessions during my Australia trip where I had a short amount of time to critique attendee’s marketing materials. There wasn’t time to stroke egos… we needed to quickly dig in, find the potential trouble areas, then determine what fixes should be made.

Same with a coaching session between you and me.

If you’re interested, contact me using the info at the bottom of my homepage.

You wouldn’t believe the number of times I’ve heard about freelancers losing a project or future projects, not because they weren’t good at their jobs, but because they failed to pay attention to the little things that go into creating a successful business.

My wife’s car had a flat tire the other day, so I took it to a local tire shop. I figured I would have to replace the tire, but was told they could patch the hole instead, which would save me money.

As I sat in the customer waiting area, I watched how the staff went about their work. Any time anyone was dealing with a customer on the phone, it was always with a happy voice. A few times I saw an employee walk over and open the front door for a customer who had just pulled up.

When my tire was patched, I found out that the work was done free of charge. I left the store pretty impressed with the whole experience and knowing that when it came time to buy new tires, I’d be returning to that store.

So what does that have to do with freelancing? Quite a bit actually.

There are lots of tire stores and when it comes to doing their core job – fixing or replacing tires – they can all do the job. So one of the best ways for a store to separate itself from the pack is with the consistent, little things. Things that customers tell their friends about.

You’re probably one of any number of people (designer, copywriter, etc.) who could do many of the tasks a client might want. So how do you separate yourself from your competitors?

Well, you could be the cheapest, but that doesn’t usually last long…someone else can always undercut you. Plus, being the cheapest isn’t exactly the recipe for long-term financial success as a freelancer. And being the cheapest is sometimes a red flag to savvy clients who know how much a service is worth. In their minds, cheap can mean desperate or inexperienced.

You could also specialize, but if you’re just starting out, it takes time to build up a great reputation. And even then, there are probably other people who specialize in the same area you do.

So one of the things you’re left with is focusing on the little touches that will send you to the top of the list when a client needs a service you offer. Trust me… way too many people are neglecting the little things that are equally important to clients.

The lessons I learned from the tire shop aren’t much different than what you should be doing as a freelancer:

1. Work on your phone skills. Be pleasant when someone calls you looking for information about your services. You’d think this is obvious, but it’s not. I stopped using one company, not because they couldn’t do the job, but because every time I called, they sounded like accepting my business was an inconvenience. In essence, they lost my business simply because they made me – the customer – feel like I was intruding in their lives.

2. Have one or two services that you do for free. This one may be a bit controversial, but the tire store experience sold me on it. Most projects you work on will be complex and you deserve to be paid a fair rate for them. But there are times when a quick task takes only a minute or two. For example, if you’re a designer, someone may need a single photo converted from color to black and white. You could do that in Photoshop in under a minute.

I try to follow the rule that if the job takes me less time than it would to put together an invoice for it, the job is free. It takes me only a minute or two to put together an invoice on most jobs, so I’m hardly doing tons of projects for free. But when I do a quick job for free, it helps to build goodwill and can help land me bigger jobs.

And don’t misunderstand…you don’t want to be taken advantage of. For example, if you do that free photo conversion and then the client has a new photo for you to convert each day, you’ll want to work out payment for that. And if your day is made up of only doing small, free projects for people, something is wrong. Use your best judgment.

Also, I don’t advertise my “free” services. It’s something I do when I can and when I feel it’s appropriate.

3. Take the time to educate. This is another area where you can be taken advantage of, so use your best judgment. Back to the tire store, I was convinced I’d need a new tire. But the store employee took the time to explain why a patch was going be a good solution to my problem, even though it meant they weren’t going to sell me a new tire that day.

Not every client who calls you is going to have years of experience in direct marketing, so you’re going to be the expert. Take the time to patiently share your knowledge during a complimentary project evaluation. You may not land a job that day, but you will be remembered as helpful and courteous. And that’s the type of thing that can bring you work in the future.

If they’re not appreciative of the help you’ve offered, you probably don’t want them for a client anyway.

Many years ago, I heard a tape (and just by using the word tape, you can guess how long ago it was) by business and motivational speaker Denis Waitley.

He talked about how a salesman in a men’s clothing store was complimenting him over a suit he was trying on. The salesman said something like, “That suit is really you. Not everyone can wear that type of suit. But on you, it really comes to life.”

Waitley bought the suit.

When someone compliments you like that, even if it’s a salesman and you’re a bit suspicious of his motives, it does tend to make you stand a bit taller and prouder, right?

I flashed back to that story the other day while at a men’s clothing store. I’m speaking in Australia soon about content marketing and wanted a new pair of slacks and possibly a new dress shirt or two.

I explained that in addition to speaking in front of a group, the presentation would be video-taped. So I was looking for clothes that would look great on the screen and go good with my Washington State tan. (For those who aren’t familiar with the Pacific Northwest, anyone with a tan is either from out of town, or got it artificially. We generally tend to be a bit pasty.)

The salesman brought out some traditional dress shirts, then tossed in a type of turtleneck, not unlike what Steve Jobs of Apple tends to wear. It wasn’t really my style, but I decided to try it on since the guy was insisting I might like it.

When I came out of the dressing room and stood in front of the mirror, he said, “Hey… that makes you look like a distinguished professor.”

He lost the sale on that shirt right then.

I immediately thought of the Waitley story. I couldn’t read the salesman’s mind, but I think he was feeding me a line to make a sale. Or perhaps he was sincere.

But the reason I dismissed the turtleneck was because I had no desire to look like a “distinguished professor.”

Fair or not, here’s what came to mind when I heard that phrase: Someone who has been around a long time in the classroom, not in the business trenches. Someone who tells students “these are the facts,” not a business colleague who says, “this is my experience, but there are no concrete rules.”

In other words, the phrase had negative connotations in this scenario. (And no offense to professors. I know many have lots of real-life experience to share. I’m just relating my initial reaction.)

The salesman had no way of knowing that. And I think that was part of his mistake… he didn’t really take the time to get to know me or bother to ask what type of image I wanted to convey. Instead, he probably made some assumptions based on his experience with other customers.

So here’s my question for you: When you’re talking to a prospect for the first time, are you taking the time to ask questions and really understand what he or she is after? Or are you, in a manner of speaking, trying to talk them into a shirt that isn’t right for them?

It’s vital, if we’re to be respected and called upon for our expertise, that we make sure we understand the true needs of the prospect. We don’t want to rush through the sales process because we’re afraid any delay might give them a chance to change their mind. And we certainly don’t want to give them something that we find out too late wasn’t in their best interest.

Ask questions. Understand the true need. Then make appropriate recommendations that will solve that need. Don’t try to shoehorn the prospect into a solution that isn’t a good fit.

I’ve written what is perhaps one of the most important article I’ve ever tackled about freelancing.

I rate it so highly because I was making this mistake for a long time. So it’s something that directly affects whether I’m successful or not.

Fixing the mistake required me to get over some mental barriers that I think most freelancers suffer from.

AWAI was kind enough to publish the article, so I won’t ramble on instead just point you to that article: Marketing vs. Sales, And Why Knowing The Difference Is Critical To Your Success.

I’ve been doing some cold-calling.

Unlike some who cold-call and try to sell something, I’m calling to offer a book I wrote. (I’m also calling to make a friend, but I’ll expand on that another time.)

I don’t try to sell anything on that call for a very important reason: I have no idea what their needs are.

Imagine the scenario… you’re sitting at your desk when a call from someone you don’t know interrupts you. The person calling immediately starts talking about what he – or she -  does because he’s scared he only has a few seconds to make his pitch and doesn’t want to waste his golden moment. Maybe he finishes off with an invitation to visit his online portfolio, or have his marketing package sent in the mail.

As you’re sitting there thinking about how soon you can hang up and get back to important work, the caller pushes to get any kind of decision from you. Maybe you’re interested. Maybe you’re annoyed at his rookie technique of trying to sell you something without understanding your needs.

At that point, you feel like just another name on a list and you’re not terribly inclined to waste more time on the phone with him. If you want to be polite, maybe you’ll take his name and number and let him know you’ll contact him, “if something comes up.”

Let’s be honest… even the worst techniques of all time occasionally work. But that approach sure makes it harder on yourself and is probably taking you much longer to reach your sales goals.

Fully respecting that I’m interrupting someone, and that I haven’t got a clue as to what his specific needs might be, I offer my book that has value whether the business ever hires me or not.

The book is not one of those, “I’ve got a secret that I’m going to tease you with and you can only get the full information if you call or hire me,” pieces. It’s full of great value.

When I check back a week later (and I ask them upfront if it’s OK for me to do that) I’ll ask if he has any questions and see if he wants to discuss his marketing needs. Based on the content of my book, he already knows what I do and how I can help.

If I can help, great… the conversation continues. If he didn’t find any value in the book, or doesn’t feel he needs the services I offer, that’s fine, too.

Here’s what someone wrote me after I sent my book following an initial call:

Hi Mike, thanks. Interesting lead gen too. I’ve had people call from the web site, but not to offer me something of value for free. It’s amazing how many marketers still don’t get that.

Those last two sentences are interesting, aren’t they? Replace the word marketers with freelancers so you can appreciate how this applies to you.

You do not have to offer a book. It could be a special report, a helpful video, an audio download… whatever. But offer something, don’t try to sell at that point.

Even if you never intend to make a phone call, is there a free offer when people visit your site? It might attract interest that you might not otherwise have had.

I dislike the idea of reviewing someone’s book. I’ve done it in the past, both here on this blog and professionally for others.

Instead, I’d prefer to give you a couple of thoughts that stood out for me from a book, point you to the book’s site, then let you decide for yourself whether it’s a good buy.

The book in question is Smarter, Faster, Cheaper by David Siteman Garland. Garland is the passionate personality behind The Rise To The Top. If you’re not subscribed to that in iTunes (or getting it some other way) you should check it out.

By going to Garland’s book site, you can learn more about its focus and what he covers. But the subtitle clues you in: Non-Boring, Fluff-Free Strategies for Marketing and Promoting Your Business.

I want to highlight two things that stood out most… enough that while reading in bed, I reached over for pen and paper to make sure I didn’t forget to share them with you.

(There are far more than just two good things in the book, but I have blog length issues as it is.)

First, people generally link to (or tweet) your content, not your home page. I’m not even sure Garland said those exact words, but what I read in his book inspired me to write that down to pass along to you.

I watch the stats of all my sites closely and I can see very clearly that my blog content is bringing in more traffic than my home page. And that shouldn’t be a surprise.

On this site alone, I’ve covered a lot of ground in five years while my home page has remained pretty static in terms of covering what I do. So the blog content increases my chances of being found when someone is searching on topics I’ve written about.

And that content is generally not about the hard-sell. On this site, it’s about my passion for some topic that I wanted to share with other freelancers. That’s what people relate to. It’s what can open the conversation to a sale down the road. Or maybe it leads someone to reach out for possible business partnerships.

If all it does is inspire other freelancers to keep pushing on, in my mind that’s just as good.

So… do you have a blog for your site? If not, why not? (If you’re not sure on the value of a blog, or worried about what to write about, check out my 1/9/11 interview with Christine Whittemore on my podcast.)

The second thing that stood out was the question of what would happen if Twitter went away tomorrow and something new popped up. How many of your Twitter followers would make it a point to connect with you on the latest social networking tool? How many of the people you follow would you want to track down on the new whiz-bang tool?

This is something I touched on recently in my article, Here’s A Novel Idea: Connect With Your Connections. A lot of us are connected to people we know nothing about. And we couldn’t name most of them if our life depended on it.

We got wrapped up in the numbers, not the people. For every tweet that someone sends talking about meeting someone new, I’d bet there are twice or three times as many tweets of people talking about hitting some Followers milestone.

We tend to measure things with numbers because numbers are concrete. But it can also get the best of us.

Sure, it’s not like all our connections are total strangers. But could we do better at reaching out and learning more about the people we’re connected with without trying to make it into a sale. Of course! (And that applies to Facebook and LinkedIn, too.)

And this, to me, ties into one of the themes of Garland’s book… making sincere connections with people.

I’m not a blog… I’m a person sitting on a chair in my studio (Canucks hockey game in the background if you’re really curious), sharing what’s on my mind in the hopes that you get some value from it.

And you’re not a browser connecting to my site. You’re a person who is likely looking to be a successful freelancer.

I think that’s important to remember as we send out messages each day on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and whatever other tool we might be using.

So those are two key things among many that I walk away with after reading Garland’s book. Check out his site and see if what he’s saying resonates with you. If so, grab the book. And if  you do that, take an even more important step… put the advice into practice.

As 2010 came to a close, I started cleaning out some old e-mails and notes to myself.

Most of it deserved to be deleted, but I ran across a note to myself to pass along a link that has some good advice. Definitely not for the “delete” button.

It’s from Jeremy Tuber, a friend I’ve pointed you to in the past. His book, Being a Starving Graphic Artist Sucks, is must-reading in my opinion.

His article, It’s Important to You, So Why Don’t Your Clients Give a Crap?, rings true with me, especially in the direct market design world.

Unfortunately, looking at the sites of beginning designers, quite a few spend more time talking about themselves and things clients couldn’t begin to care less about. Maybe that’s just normal if you don’t feel you have a track record to talk about.

If you feel yourself being pulled in that direction, resist. Talk about what’s important to the client. When you demonstrate that you understand what’s important to them and can deliver, you’ll land more clients.

On another note, this month marks the 5th anniversary of this blog which originally started on a whim over on Blogspot. I hope you’ve received some value from it over the years.

Thanks for reading!

According to the web archives, this is the earliest version of my website.

The graphics aren’t available any more, but as you can see, the site was pretty basic.

It’s evolved over the years and today, while I like the simplicity of my site, I wish I had done things differently.

Back in 2003, WordPress wasn’t the powerhouse it is today. But if I was starting a new business today, I’d do a WordPress site.

It used to be that people thought of WordPress only for blogs. But the design is flexible enough for WordPress to be used as a full-featured site. In fact, that’s what a lot of people are doing these days.

Instead of messing around with code like I did, a WordPress blog and an appropriate theme is a better route in my mind.

I use WordPress for my site’s blogs and love how easy it is to make changes and take advantage of free plug-ins that add even more functionality. But comparing the main site with the blog, you can see the design isn’t unified.

A part of me would love to totally start over with a completely WordPress-based site. But I’m afraid it might negatively affect certain search engine rankings I’ve achieved.

So my advice today is of limited use if you’re already a freelancer and have created your own site. But if you are just starting out, or not seriously invested in a relatively new site, take a look at a WordPress-based site and the advantages it would offer for your situation.