To be a successful graphic designer, you need to be upfront with your clients along with educating them. Most people have an idea in their heads of what they want but have a hard time getting it across. You’ll need to consider all that they don’t know about graphic design in order to build a successful working relationship. If you are respectful, confident and backed by a solid reputation this shouldn’t be a problem.
Often your clients will think it’s going to be easy and fast to create what they want. That is often a huge misconception. Often times it can take several rounds to create what they think they want. Sometimes, once you show it to them, they change their minds and see that their originally idea is just not going to work. If you have developed trust with them, start off by being honest about what they are envisioning backed by your years of experience. They will appreciate the fact that you’re being honest and saving them money.
Most people don’t realize that if they want to use a particular photo for a custom graphic it needs to be a high res version, meaning it needs to have a resolution of 300 dpi at the very least for printed material and 72 dpi if the graphic is being created for the web. This is inportant information to share with them.
Most people don’t realize is that monitor settings can affect how the graphic looks. No two monitors are set alike. Color settings along with brightness and contrast can change the appearance. Print the graphic on nice paper and they will see the correct colors.
Last but not least, price will come up. Statements like “My cousin said he’d do the logo for only $20 an hour”. You need to be able to remind them that you come with experience, testimonials, and the value of working with you. Also remind them that since you have the experience, chances are you can complete their logo in fewer hours than an armature. Remind them that, as in most cases, you get what you pay for.
