The Designer's Guide To Marketing And Pricing: How To Win Clients And What To Charge Them (Paperback)

~ (Author), Peleg Top (Author)
Key Phrases: top design, labor hourly rate, sig file, New York City, Peleg Top, Graphic Artists Guild (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Designer's Guide to Marketing and Pricing answers all of the common questions asked by creatives every day. This nuts and bolts guide to running a creative services business teaches readers how to create a smart marketing plan--along with small actionable steps to take to reach their financial goals. From learning which marketing tools are most effective and how to use them to discovering how to establish contact with potential clients, this book is the must-have guide for navigating the murky waters of the design business. The book also touches on tricky subjects such as how to talk about money with clients and prospects, how to figure out a fair hourly rate, and how to give an accurate estimate for a project.

About the Author

A marketing consultant to creatives since 1988, Ilise Benun partnered with designer Peleg Top in 2004 to create Marketing Mentor, a company dedicated to teaching self-employed creatives how to market their work. Benun’s marketing articles have been featured in national publications such as The New York Times, The Globe and Mail, The Journal News, The Denver Post, Inc. Magazine, Self, Essence, and Working Woman.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: How (March 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600610080
• ISBN-13: 978-1600610080
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #50,196 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A much needed book in a sea of Marketing books!, July 11, 2008

By	Patrick Mccoy Jr. "Patrick McCoy" (Louisiana) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When I first picked up this book it was because it was recommended to me by another designer that I respect and trust. I have to whole hearty admit that in the beginning I was very skeptically of what this book could offer to me. Over the past few months since I started my design business I have read tons and tons of marketing books only to find out that the basic marketing principle seems to be the more you do the better the results. In the end marketing is one thing I have seen most designers struggle with on many of the forums I visit and websites I look over. The fact is most people are not natural marketers or good at pricing themselves. But in the end is this book going to change that?

I am proud to announce that this book should change many of the things you do. If your a firm believer in hating marketing books that try to sell you other pieces of marketing junk from the authors website then you will love this book. Both of the author's are very clear in their goals and it's obvious that they have the experience and know how of running a business and making it successful without you having to buy anything else they sell. Some people judge books by nuggets of real solid information and I have to say this book is one of the few that I dared not to skip any pages for fear of not getting another good tip or piece of advice to make my business better.

For those who are looking for the guts of the book, the book is separated by two portions: Marketing and Pricing. Two huge issues on a designers plate when they are trying to start a business. The marketing chapters are really well thought out, anyone who has run a design business is going to shake their head through this chapter as they cover many of the things that most of us DON'T DO but should. They even provide worksheets to be filled out at the end of most areas so that you can keep track and build. The pricing chapters are also solid and help you to think about pricing in a new light through the eyes of seasoned designer which I honestly thought was going to be a waste of the book but wasn't.

PROS: Decent amounts of information, good worksheets that help you to build your prefect business, NO in book marketing like Guerrilla marketing or any of those other marketing guys who write books and not really understand what they sell and it feels good to buy from a REAL designer.

CONS: NO printable worksheet on the website (I hate marking up my books), no real talk about what happens if you don't have trade organizations in your market, no real talk about expanding your marketing across the country or internationally.

OVERALL: The book is very well worth the money you pay. While a few glitches in my mind kept it from being a 5 star I feel that it is still the best on the marketing for designers. It has become my recommended book of choice and I really enjoyed reading it and I'll enjoy going back to fill out the worksheets when I read it again.

Patrick
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hugely Helpful, April 4, 2009

By	Kayle Simon (Clarksville, MD USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have several times ordered books or tapes that I thought would help me with making decisions about how to move my company forward, how to price, how to market, etc. They have all fallen short with too-general advice or off-subject musings. This one is actually doing what it says it will do...I'm finding it's almost like a road map, helping me to pick my direction, pushing me to think differently, and clarifying things that used to confuse me. Bravo!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A really good book on marketing., July 26, 2008

By	Jason E. Shultz "Open Sky Media, LLC" (Cottonwood, AZ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If your a freelancer of any sort, not just a designer, and you need help with your marketing then this is a book you should read. The information supplied could readily apply to almost any entrepreneur regardless of the profession.

One thing about this book, it really forces you to think about what your doing and what you want to become. There are many many fill in the blanks throughout the book causing some deep introspection for the reader.

The pricing section has some good points as well that you should read. But, I think the heart and soul of this book and the one that will have the biggest impact will be the marketing section.