When I was first getting started, I had my iMac set up on a folding card table that I was using as my desk in my parent’s living room. I had a Skype meeting with my client (he was a Windows user, so I had to use Skype on my iMac). The client was an Information Technology service provider for small businesses and they needed a website which is where I came in.
I made sure that everything I didn’t want the client to see in the background was out of frame of the camera and I started my meeting with the client. About 10 minutes into it, my mother came bursting into the room shouting her greeting at me while the family dog came running and jumped about excitedly. I was so embarrassed. What’s worse is I lost the project because the client didn’t think that I was professional enough. He immediately pulled the plug on the project and I lost the client forever. I asked what the issue was and he told me straight up that I lacked professionalism.
I love my mom even though she lost me the client. She didn’t know that I was in a meeting and I was in the public living room, so there was no expectation of privacy. It was my fault and mine alone that I didn’t set up a professional working area especially for running my business.
Get some experience working in a professional space
Let’s face it: as designers, we don’t naturally have a lot of business training as we tend to work from home by ourselves, usually in casual clothes.
The best place where you can get experience working professionally is by working in an office, and I mean your typical “desk job”. This could be anything, but it’s even better if you have to speak with customers either in-person or over the phone. Yes, I know this is scary as we designers are often introverts who have chosen this life because it affords us space to work by ourselves, but if you’re going to be successful, you NEED some interpersonal skills just as much as you need design skills.
Look the part
If you are going to call yourself a “designer” then people expect you to look like a designer. Not only that, you should look like a professional designer.
Everybody has prejudices and preconceived notions, and I mean everyone; even you. It’s something we all do to discern at a glance if we can trust someone or not. Some people call it “unconscious bias” while others call it “discernment” either way, you need to present yourself in the best light.
People will judge your clothes, they’ll judge your hair, your tattoos, the way you speak, whether you have acne or not, so every aspect of your “look” should tell people that you’re a designer.
Look better than the part
There was a time when I worked in an office as “the IT guy”. I hate that title since I did a lot of other things in the office, but people knew me as that: the IT guy. I was the IT guy as I worked alone and didn’t meet with other IT guys in-person.
When the office was moving into a new unit and I had to tell the construction guy where to put the Ethernet ports for the VoIP system, I had to visit the site to meet with him. I was wearing a white and purple plaid button-down shirt tucked into purple pants and wearing a belt and gray, canvas chukka-style shoes. Not to brag, but I get comments all the time that I dress well. When I arrived, he looked at me incredulously, and asked “You’re the IT guy?”
“Yes, I’m the IT guy.” I replied.
“You don’t look like an IT guy.” he retorted.
“What were you expecting?” I replied, slightly annoyed, but slightly amused. He dropped it and we went on to talk about how the office was set up. I’ve remembered and thought about his first take of me because it was a rare case of simple honesty (that you don’t often find in an office setting, by the way). I have since realized what he meant by that: he meant that I didn’t look nerdy.
Set aside a time and a space for you to work uninterrupted
Be very, very protective of your time and work space when it comes to doing your freelance work. If you have a family or live with others, make sure that they are aware that you must not be bothered under any means when it comes time to conduct business. If you have those pesky things called children, lock the door or get a baby-sitter if you can help it. Don’t get me wrong: I love kids as much as the next guy, but
