#1 Tip On Self Promotion
I'm just going to get right to the point. Selling yourself, whether it's in a job interview or trying to snag a new client, can make some of us (edit: all of us) a little queasy. For me, it gives me a sense of thrill but also boat loads of anxiety. So what's the best way to do it? Have someone else do it for you!
I recently talked about a book that I worked on for a client called The Lemonade Stand Cookbook. This was probably one of the best collaborative experiences I've had during my career. And I feel a well executed project will reap the rewards. The book has had nothing but positive reviews on Amazon and even received a shout out in Publishers Weekly. The author recently wrote a blog post on Reedsy about our experience, but it's mostly a piece about me, the designer. Needless to say, I'm absolutely flattered and hope that I bring a similar experience to all my clients. It also made me realize that the best person to do my promoting, isn't me. Bonus that my client is a writer, thus painted me in a light that I struggle to find the right words for.
Obviously, getting praise like this doesn't happen overnight. It takes time to cultivate these relationships. But it's wonderful once you gain the trust and respect with your clients/coworkers/boss. At that point, anything is possible and the sweet spot where all the magic happens!
And for every bad experience I have, there's at least 10 good ones to make up for it. I'm going to chalk it up to my "awesome client" radar being calibrated just right. Talk about something that takes years to fine tune. Like most things, the answer is never black and white. But in this case, it's pretty clear. Keep working hard and building those relationships and eventually you wont have to say anything, because all those satisfied people around you will be singing your tune for you!
