Let’s face it. There are plenty of other designers or businesses out there offering products and services similar your own. So, what makes you different? What makes your clients choose you over all the other options out there?

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” — Albert Einstein

As designers we care about good design, therefore we assume our clients feel it’s a top priority. However, since most clients don’t know much about design, they actually care about other things as well. In this video by design and teaching website nuSchool, they give us the top five things clients care most about. Watch the video and see how we as designers can use increase our value to clients, thus allowing us to charge more for the work we do.

Increasing your value

High-quality design

Most designers believe that this it the most important thing, when it’s actually just part of the puzzle. Your client probably doesn’t know that much about design, so they probably don’t know what good design is.

Good service

Just like in a restaurant, bad service can ruin the whole meal. To your client, you’re not a designer, you’re a service provider. Therefore, every interaction you have with them—from emails, phone calls, and face-to-face—becomes part of the service they’re paying for. The better the service, the more you can charge them for.

Experience

There’s a reason all beer companies have the year they were founded on the label of their bottles: experience builds trust. So, if a designer’s been around for a while, they’re probably good at when they do. Years of experience is easier for your client to understand than how good your portfolio is. Therefore, if you have lots of experience, tell your client about it. It’s one more thing that will allow you to charge more.

Branding

It’s our job to create brands that will add value to their business. And as designers, we sometimes forget that being a creative professional is also a business that needs branding. Your brand will help you to stand out from the crowd and define your unique value. This includes everything from your website, proposals, even to the clothes you wear to a meeting.

Relationships

You might see your client as someone who is not creative, but he’s just a person (good or bad) who wants to work good people, not pricks. Whether the client chooses to work with you—or pays extra to work with you—this isn’t all rational, there’s some emotion involved. So, try to be nice and not all business. By trying to be more personal (ask them about their life or interests) you’ll develop a much more solid relationship that will make them want to continue working with you into the future.

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Now that you’ve watched the video, let us know if you agree with these five points. Or if you’re looking for more tips, find out how to attract clients with your LinkedIn profile.

Source: http://thenuschool.com/5-ways-to-increase-your-value-to-your-client/