Profitable Referral Process

Look for opportunities to make more money on each individual project. Don’t try to squeeze more money out of the client if it’s not necessary…

Be creative. Your expertise in graphic design doesn’t hinder your ability to refer to people who provides services that might be related to the project at hand. Some people will pay you for your referral… Print services, e-mail marketing, shopping carts, website security, hosting, etc…

You will quickly learn that you can’t be everything to everybody. Agencies, marketing teams and creative departments consist of people with different specialties in different roles. When creating a brochure, you generally won’t write the content, make the paper, print, and deliver it. Passing along the parts that you can’t complete yourself not only helps others, but also can be rewarding to you.

An Outsourcing Graphic Designer – Cool!

You probably already know developers, writers, marketing specialists, and other designers that you can work with on projects. Outsourcing is a common industry practice to get the job done.

Often a printshop will print your piece but send it to a specialized shop for the die cutting, foiling, and sometimes even the bindery and fulfillment. Generally they account for the outsourcing and add a 10-15% charge to cover the brokering service. The same concept can be applied to design projects. You can add a percentage to cover the costs of handling print, coding, writing, etc.

Your position as a broker can be valuable. If you are working with a client who needs writing, SEO services, or marketing offer to handle the referral. Most clients prefer to work with one contact, and this is a great way to bundle projects under the same Purchase Order. Include your services as a separate line item or as part of the whole project. You will find the process beneficial to you, rewarding to your network, and convenient for your client.

Testimonials Can Lead to Even More Success

Testimonials are a great way of showing that you have been successful with other businesses and people. And, on top of that, they show that you are diligent and prepared and have a desire to do well and succeed.

I am a huge word-of-mouth person. Before I choose any goods or services, I have to read all of the reviews and know what I’m getting into. When hiring other designers for our team, it was important to check references to make sure they were responsive, easy to work with, and had a positive attitude. At the base form, what you are doing for yourself is a little basic PR.

Find a Referral System that works for you

LinkedIn has a great referral/testimonial system. I have talked to recruiters that check LinkedIn before they proceed into the recruitment cycle. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, I would recommend you get one. Also collect testimonials for use on your own personal site. Testimonials are effective self-promotion and speak louder than your own words can in the potential client’s mind. They have been proven to sell books, movies, and even Sham-wows®! Why not you?

One easy way to get testimonials is to simply ask for them. If you have a good relationship with your clients, this should be easy. They will want to help you success (that means you will still be around to do more work for them). Keep track of emails that praise your work. Our last team had a “brag book” that was filled with these kind of emails. If you have a blog, keep track of positive compliments. Not only are they good for testimonials, but also a great ego boost when you need it.

Thank you for reading this graphic design tip. Please be sure to subscribe to our blog. We have many more tips and tricks coming your way!

ThePerfectDesign.com Team