PPT from HOW Interactive Design Conference Business Bootcamp 2012

1. Business Bootcamp:
Positioning,
g,
Proposals & Pricing
With Ilise Benun and guests
www.marketing-mentor.com

2. We help
creative professionals
(in-house and out)
(i h d t)
promote and p
p price their work.

3. Ilise Benun
• My positioning:
I specialize in business
issues for creative
professionals.
• Full-time mentor
• Lots of
presentations/workshops
• Author of 7 books

4. www.marketing-pricing-guide.com www.creativeguidetomoney.com

5. Who
Wh are you and why
d h
are you here?

6. What i
Wh t is it about
b t
interactive projects?

7. They are:
• More complex
• More technical
• More difficult to scope out
• More challenging to price
• More prone to scope creep
• What else?

8. In-house
In house
Vs.
Vs
Outsourced

9. In-house survey: Resourcing
Who do your internal clients always turn to for creative
projects? They are required to come
to use to get it done (even if
we have to seek outside
assistance)
We h
W have an outside
t id
11.1%
agency/design studio of
record this gets bid to first
22.2% They can source the work
y
anywhere they want (we
compete against
61.1% freelancers, outside
agencies, and consultants
5.6%
Other (please specify)

10. Part 1:
Positioning

11. The problem:
h bl
Clients don’t
Cli d ’
understand
d t d
and/or value
al e
your services
services.

12. The solution:
h l
Clients must b
Cli be
assured th t you
d that
understand their
nderstand
specific needs
needs.

13. Positioning = clarity
• what you offer
y
• for whom
• how you’re different
y

14. Big ideas
What i the
Wh t is th perception?ti ?
• Blurry or clear? General or specific?
• O d t k or strategic partner?
Order-taker t t i t ?
• Specialist at anything?
•KKnowledge of t h l
l d f technology?
?

15. A B C D
“Fill In The Blank” is an “Fill In The Blank” is a “Fill In The Blank”
imagination and business We deliver
award-winning, strategic digital design and
innovation exposes, big ideas and
design firm specializing interactive product
strategizes,
strategizes and creates even bigger
in branding d
i b di and corporate t development company
d l t
ideas, products, and results with
communications across based in New York City.
partnerships, delivering more agility
all media.
innovative design with and efficiency
We create beautiful,
aspirational intensity. A than larger
Since 1984, we’ve helped
, p useful, and unique
, q
multi-platform innovation New Y k
N York
leading companies content-driven products
studio known for its digital
around the world across digital and
dimensional design agencies. We
do one thing traditional platforms.
process that transforms succeed
exceptionally well: build We're passionate about
the smallest idea into the because
powerful brands that helping our clients
largest deliverable, XXX we're good,
grow their business. achieve their business
has powered start-ups in not because
objectives, while meeting
various industries from we're big.
the highest standards of
interaction design and telecommunications,
production. software, and retail to
ft d t il t
Fortune 500 companies
nationwide since 2003.

23. In-house survey: Positioning
How do your internal clients perceive you?
As a production shop - a non-
creative resource that just
executes their ideas
11.8%
11 8% 11.8%
11 8%
As strategic partners - people
who understand the brand
and can collaborate on big
17.6%
picture marketing ideas and
technology solutions
As technology specialists -
collaborators who are up to
date on the latest technology
and can suggest new solutions
58.8% Other (please specify)

24. Positioning tools
• Positioning Statement
• Your name (firm or department)
• Your titles
• Your tagline
• Your Twitter handle
• The name of anything you publish

25. Your Positioning
g
State e t
Statement
It’s for you -- for internal usage only.
Its purpose is to define for yourselves -- to yourselves --
what you stand for and what makes y stand out.
y you

26. Worksheet
1. Whom are you best equipped to serve?
y q pp
2. What challenges do they face?
3. What do they love about y
y you?
Sample Positioning Statement
We partner with clients to create strategic design solutions for
indulgence brands – brands that offer an elevated experience to
consumers seeking the good life. We work closely with clients to
understand the brand’s promise and relevance to consumers, and
then translate that into emotionally compelling branding,
packaging and marketing materials. Our work grabs the eye and
captures the heart. Our specialties are wine, spirits, beer, specialty
food and beverage.

28. Interactive Sample Positioning Statement
We partner with clients big & small, synthesizing information about the
consumer, the company needs, the product implementation and
execution to create designs and experiences that are rich & intuitive,
measurable & on brand.
We love working with people and nurturing the business relationship,
demonstrating to everyone we work with that solving tough problems
and designing products is a rewarding, learning-based process (and is
fun!).
Always brand-focused, our expertise lies in ideation, creative direction,
and design for websites, web and mobile apps.
Our specialties are technology companies, products, restaurants, food &
beverage, and new business owners.

29. Reinforce your positioning
• Get results of your work and share them
• Publish case studies and success stories
• Distribute an email newsletter
• Bring new technologies to the table
• Do “special” projects to show strategic
thinking and knowledge of technology

30. Show your team’s value
team s
• In person: Show off a recent piece of high-
high
quality work (in a leadership or networking
meeting )
• Online: Build a portfolio website or capabilities
brochure and drive traffic to the site.
• Vi email + social media: Sh
Via il i l di Show samples and/or
l d/
case studies (in another department's staff
meeting or ….) )

31. Part 2:
Proposals

32. The problem:
The client doesn’t
doesn t
know what they need.

33. They
Th say….
We need a web site.

34. In-house survey: Proposals
When estimating a project for internal clients, do you:
Provide details
verbally?
Prepare a simple
estimate?
17.6% Prepare a detailed
proposal?
Other (please specify)
35.3%
17.6%
29.4%

35. You need to know (or find out):
• Your hourly rate.
• Ho long it takes to do the work.
How ork
• Your overhead, mark up and profit
• Your client s budget range
client’s
• How important price is to your client

36. Best practices for proposals
• Qualify first (whenever possible)
• Ask smart questions (for positioning)
• Simple estimate or multi-pg document?
multi pg.
• Focus on the prospect’s needs
• Show relevant samples
• Present it in person (whenever possible)

37. Types of proposals
1. Simple one-page agreement
one page
2. Basic estimate (2-3 pgs)
3. Medium (3-10 pgs)
(3 10
4. Large (10+ pgs)

38. Proposal review
P l i

39. Cameo #
C #1

40. Erin Pheil
• Degrees in Psychology + Digital Media
• Started timeforcake in 2002.
• Thought I was a designer.
• Made lots of mistakes.
• Slowly realized I was passionate about
the bigger picture & proving results.
• Now focused on making meaningful
differences and
differences—and proving it.
Also…
• All i to cane sugar
Allergic t
• Is mountain biking or snowboarding if not at her computer.

41. Website Blueprint
What is the Website Blueprint?

42. Website Blueprint: Benefits
The Client…
• gets to see how you work
• eliminates uncertainty & guesswork from the selection process
• is empowered to make a more informed choice
• makes better use of th i ti
k b tt f their time and b d t
d budget
• reduces risk (they don’t have to commit to an entire project)
You…
You
• get paid for your hard work + expertise
• have the opportunity to learn how the client works
• become a trusted authority/partner during the process
• can feel confident you’re giving the client what’s best for them

43. Website Blueprint: Contents
Always start out with:
• Overview of Client + Site
• Client’s Primary Online + Overall Business Goals
Client s
• Biggest Challenges Faced + Proposed Solutions

44. Website Blueprint: Contents
Also included…
• Sitemap
• Functionality flowcharts (if applicable)
• User profiles
• List of specific feature requests
• Technology recommendations
• Punchlist of all work required
• Master list of deliverables
• Considerations for future
• Pricing

45. Part 3:
Pricing

46. The
Th problem:
bl
They
Th won’t pay what
’t h t
you need to charge
o

47. In-house survey: Pricing
When doing a web site (or other interactive project) for
internal clients, do you:
clients
Tell them how much it will
cost?
11.8% Have to fit within their budget?
5.9%
Have a chargeback system in
place so they know the value of
52.9%
what they're buying?
29.4%
Money/price isn't part of the
conversation.

48. Are you talking to the wrong people?

49. Show Your Value/Process
Absence blindness
• If they can’t see what you do, they can’t value it.
• If they don’t value it, you don’t get credit for it
• If you don’t get credit, they won’t pay for it.
Make your customer a smarter client about what
they’re buying by elaborating on your process.

50. www.accidentalcreative.com/podcasts

51. Pricing strategies
• Time-based (when necessary)
( y)
• Project-based (best for everyone)
• Package-based (for structure)
g ( )
• Retainers (for cash flow)

53. Standard pricing memo
• Actuals from past 5 comparable jobs
• Averages
• Adjust for oddities

54. Process / ballparks
• Diagnostic/phase 1 (10k or 20k)
• Visual identity (20k to 40k)
• Messaging platform (15k to 30k)
• S
Style guide and training (10k)
( )
• Website (60k to 150k)
• Implementation (tbd- scope or pass)

55. Our i i depends on:
O pricing d d
• Accurate time-tracking
• Past actuals informing estimates
• A clear scope of work > contract
• Fixed, inflexible hourly rates
• Transparency with clients about money

56. Daily, accurate time-tracking by all staff, freelancers

57. Past actuals

58. Cameo #
C #2

59. What s
What’s your top takeaway?
• Positioning?
g
• Proposals?
g
• Pricing?
• Other?

60. That s it
That’s it. Questions?

61. Resources

62. Special offer on
Designer s
Designer’s
Proposal
Bundle
$20 off with
promo code
“SAVE20”
www.proposalbundle.com

63. The 13th Edition
Graphic Artists Guild Handbook:
Pricing Ethi l Guidelines
P i i & Ethical G id li
http://www.graphicartistsguild.org/handbook/

64. Free tips

65. Free session

66. Contact me ilise@marketing-mentor.com
(201) 653-0783
Blogs:
www.marketing-mentor.com
www.marketingmixblog.com
g g
www.creativefreelancerblog.com
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