Kirstin Carey

Presenting and Protecting Your Creative Ideas

Many creative professionals such as event planners, interior designers, and decorative painters are frustrated when potential clients steal their ideas and take them to cheaper companies. They present their ideas in a proposal or presentation and later f... Read >

Get Paid for Presenting and Protecting Your Creative Ideas

Many creative professionals such as event planners, interior designers, and decorative painters are frustrated when potential clients steal their ideas and take them to cheaper companies. They present their ideas in a proposal or presentation and later f... Read >

Successful Showhouse Marketing Techniques

I recently received the following question about the marketing importance of designer showhouses which prompted me to write this article: "How do maximize my marketing when I am asked to do a room in a showhouse? They take a lot of time which takes me aw... Read >

How to Create A Persuasive Sales Flyer for your Creative Services

Flyers (or "one-sheets" as they are also known because you are using one sheet of paper) are great ways to market: they are inexpensive to print and can convey a lot of information if they are designed and written well. Since people read from left to r... Read >

How Creative Professionals Can Get More Perfect Clients

When you work with the "perfect" client, life is wonderful and business is simple. The perfect client pays on time, is thrilled with your work, tells all of her friends about you, and makes doing what you do easy. If you could replicate the perfect clie... Read >

Stop Going to Networking Events and Get MORE Business

A few days ago I returned from my annual National Speaker's Association (NSA) conference in Atlanta. The educational sessions were OK, the hotel was so-so, and the town was lacking in exciting things to do, but my experience was stellar. How is that poss... Read >

Marketing through Seminars and Presentations for Big Results

Many of my clients are turning to speaking at chambers and other networking organizations to generate business. This is a wonderful method of building credibility and gaining free advertising, especially when you are in a creative business that often nee... Read >

A Testimonial is Worth 100 Cold Calls

If you hate cold calling, and even if you don't, you should start capitalizing on the work you've already done. So often we don't utilize one of the most persuasive selling components in our marketing materials – the words of our own clients. Many cre... Read >

How to Charge What You Are Worth as a Creative Professional

If you are having difficulty knowing what to charge, then check out your competition and find out what they're doing. Find out if they post prices or fees on their website or if they have "packages" or deals. Do they have payment options? While you are ... Read >

It's Not Your Job to Lower Your Fees to Help the Client Afford You

I constantly receive questions and complaints from my creative professional clients about what to do when a prospect claims, "I can't afford your prices, but I want your services." My clients are frustrated, because they are usually being told this while... Read >