I’ve met almost all of my clients (freelance) drinking in karaoke bars in China. Networking is the best way to get clients - and networking is the way EVERYTHING happens in the Orient. China is starving for innovative designs. They know this isn’t their core competency (yet).
Referral is the best way to develop a broad client base. Good design breeds more design work.
Blaster and One-word plastics, have it exactly right do what you promise and network based on your success. It is absolutely essential to understand and partner meanignfully with your clients and that will bring more work. Delivering beyond expectation as well. Today clients change positons and venues so often and with so much upward momentum that the idea of “referral business” has taken on new meaning.
As for move to Asia. I don’t get that. There will always be a need for design, design thinking and strategy whereever you are located in whatever country of the world. Just offer the best.
Great question. I’d like to offer my opinion to the questions in reverse-order;
Keeping Clients in my mind is the simplest part; provide excellent results, within budget and deliver them on time. This will equal a happy client.
Winning clients is much more hit and miss. Target the ones that you feel that you can best help or deliver results to. If you’ve never done medical products, don’t go after Boston Scientific right off the bat. Know your competencies, your value proposition and your DNA. Now, hone that into a pitch. Be honest - you can’t be everything to every company. It’s about the fit. Don’t undersell your services - what we do is still considered ‘magic’ to those not in our profession. It’s a powerful tool.
Finding clients is easy - they are everywhere. Network, network, network. Always have your business cards on you. Polish your 2 minute ‘Elevator Pitch’ that you can verbally repeat to someone you happen to bump into that may benefit from your services. Match the clients to your company - if you are a job shop, and want to compete on price, find clients that think that way. Conversely, target clients that interest you and you are excited about their products. Knowing your clients markets is also a great way to ‘talk the talk’ and give yourselves a bit of credibility when talking turkey with them.
MOVE TO ASIA ,it is a good idea,but it is very difficult
you should understand the culture there different from west or any other place . as I know, not all design companies or studio from EU or USA do well in Asia,the result is that many of them had to back home.
Chinese companies except some big ones would not like to pay higher design fees,.one reason is that some of clients dont take design as one very important element ,another one is that they do not have ability to pay,China is still a developing nation.
If you really move to Asia ,in my idea ,your target clients will be the ones who want to sell their products to abroad.
Hogwash. The workers in China might not be able to pay, but the ones that are running the factories and paying the bills for the Design work have ample money.
I buy that they may not want to pay for Design to be sold in China.
I’ve found that word-of-mouth is absolutely the best advertising there is. Do the best work you can possibly do for a fair price & be nice to your clients. People will start to recommend you to others, and then things can snowball. It really is that simple.
Maybe you are right.
but I still want to ask if you have business in China ?if not , I hope you can try to move your design house to there,to explore the big market and make big money.