Creative Business Advice
for Creative People
If you’ve ever had trouble getting much needed information from your clients, this week’s installment of the Ace Freelancer’s Guide to Asking Questions is for you!… Read More
Want to learn how to improve your negotiation skills?
Watch other people negotiate.
“But Katie, that sounds boring! And possibly worse than suffering through the last episode of Lost.”
Perhaps. But not when Penny Arcade does it!… Read More
Questions are some of the easiest, cheapest, and most time-efficient tools you can use to get better results from your negotiations.
But people don’t use them.
When I ask freelancers why they avoid asking questions in their negotiations, I get one of two responses: they don’t know how to ask questions effectively, or they worry they’ll come off as rude if they ask too many or the “wrong kind” of questions.
Let’s fix that!… Read More
When I talk to freelancers and artists about why they’re afraid of negotiating I often hear
“What if I don’t know what to say? What if they say something outrageous and I don’t know what to say and end up blurting out ‘yes’?”
It’s a perfectly rational thing to worry about. And you wouldn’t be the first one to do it if it happened.
There are a lot of different ways to potentially deal with not knowing what to say,… Read More
One of the things that makes conflict so darn difficult are all the Feelings.
Anger and fear and embarrassment are strong, visceral emotions. Once introduced, they can easily dominate a situation.
Two very different things happened in the world of Internetlandia this week that highlight the best and worst ways these emotions can serve you in conflicts.
Let’s unpack each so we can understand the difference between using emotions when in conflict and having emotions when in conflict.… Read More
This week I have two podcasts for your listening pleasure full of great advice from professional freelance cartoonists.… Read More
If you want to know how to write a better client email, an email that will be understood and appreciated, an email whose directions will be followed, scratch these words out in a bold color on fine paper and hang it right above your desk:
It’s not about what you want to say, it’s about what you want them to hear.… Read More
You’ve been working merrily along with a client or collaborator. Things are going well and you’ve had good results so far.
Now you’ve reached a crossroads and you need them to make a decision, sign off on the work, or pay an invoice.
You, being a good reader of this blog, tackle the issue head on and ask for the other person’s input, approval or payment.
And you hear…nothing.
Radio silence.
How long do you wait for a response? What… Read More
The Ace Freelancer’s Guide to Asking Questions: Discovery Questions
If you've ever had trouble getting much needed information from your clients, this week's installment of the Ace Freelancer's Guide
Want Katie's tips via email?
Sign up here:
