Creative Business Seminars

Creative Business Seminars are based on the principle of experience sharing--what actually does and doesn't work in the demanding environment facing every design firm today. The material presented summarizes the successful practices of thousands of individuals across North America, as gathered by the staff of Creative Business over many years and constantly updated. This time-tested approach, supplemented by attendee participation, provides the most authoritative and timely source of successful business practices available anywhere.

Nothing is more important to the future of a design firm than how it gets business, especially during tough times. Yet, developing a steady stream of work, month-in and month-out, is an ongoing challenge. Word-of-mouth, referrals, and occasional marketing are rarely enough. Without regular and focused marketing, a firm often finds itself on a feast-or-famine roller coaster at best; at worst, struggling for its very existence. Today more than ever, there's a strong correlation between the success and the effectiveness of a design firm's marketing efforts.

This popular one-day seminar has previously been presented nearly one hundred times in cities across America. To ensure effectiveness, attendance is limited to approximately twenty individuals.

The instructor: Cameron S. Foote is founder and editor of Creative Business. He has over forty years of industry experience including stints at small and large agencies, as creative director for a Fortune 500 firm, and running his own business. Cam has conducted this and other business seminars hundreds of times in cities across AmerIca. He is the author of the design industry's two best-selling business books: The Business Side of Creativity (W. W. Norton, 2007) and The Creative Business Guide to Running A Graphic Design Firm (W. W. Norton, 2009). He is also the author of the recently published The Creative Business Guide to Marketing: Branding and Selling Design, Advertising, Interactive, and Public Relations Services (W. W. Norton , 2011).

Who should attend: Anyone responsible for building and sustaining a profitable level of business activity: principals, new business development personnel, account executives, and experienced freelancers.

	Strategies and tactics: The benefits of marketing that go beyond the obvious... defining your firm's positioning... developing the right marketing mix for your firm... acceptable time and expense ratios and return on investment... short- vs long-term strategies... defining strategies and tactics to meet your sales objectives.
	Prospecting and contacting: Setting realistic expectations and goals... which promotions work best in which situations... building contact lists... the expanding role of social and new media... hiring and compensating new business development (sales) personnel... qualifying prospects... getting appointments... focusing on relationship building.
	Presenting and closing: Developing effective presentations... countering pricing and other objections... closing the sale... principals'involvement in client relations... measuring success... the importance of follow-up.

Marketing Design Services has a practical, real-world approach that's ideal for anyone who is unsure about his or her marketing ability, has had difficulty prospecting for new clients, needs to know more about hiring and motivating sales personnel, wants to explore the use of new social media in creative firm marketing, or has been less than successful in converting presentations into projects.

How to enroll: This one-day seminar is jointly sponsored by Creative Business and the Design Management Institute, which handles reservations. Price is $535 for CB subscribers and DMI members, $599 for others. Early enrollment is suggested, as sessions routinely sell out. Register.

Questions on appropriateness or content can be addressed directly to the instructor, Cam Foote, at 617-451-0041 or by e-mail.