We Do Three Types of Jobs Here
At times, I get requests from people wanting me to build websites for them. Such websites range from a simple layout, in css without any server side scripting, to complex websites like those of social networks. These same people want the work to be done in an unbelievably short amount of time and with little to no budget. So I kept thinking on how to approach these people and explain this would cost time and money to deliver quality work. In turn, the old saying A picture is worth a thousand words comes to mind and this picture surely explains my feelings towards this situation. Check it out: * http://tinyurl.com/humorFreelance *Ravi.* * ~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;207172674;29440083;f Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-jobs-talk/message.cfm/messageid:4165 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-jobs-talk/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.11
Re: We Do Three Types of Jobs Here
Hal Helms & Clark Valberg gave a good preso at ColdFusion United called "Changing the Game". It was about how to win more profitable work. The materials may still be on the CF United 2008 website, if not on Hal's own site/blog. It was very interesting and worthwhile. On Tue, Dec 23, 2008 at 12:19 PM, Ravi Gehlot wrote: > At times, I get requests from people wanting me to build websites for > them. Such websites range from a simple layout, in css without any > server side scripting, to complex websites like those of social > networks. These same people want the work to be done in an unbelievably > short amount of time and with little to no budget. So I kept thinking on > how to approach these people and explain this would cost time and money > to deliver quality work. In turn, the old saying "A picture is worth a > thousand words" comes to mind and this picture surely explains my > feelings towards this situation. > > Check it out: > * > http://tinyurl.com/humorFreelance > > *Ravi.* > * > > > ~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;207172674;29440083;f Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-jobs-talk/message.cfm/messageid:4166 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-jobs-talk/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.11
Re: We Do Three Types of Jobs Here...
Vicky, I wasn't able to find the presentation but I did find the notes of a person(http://www.philduba.com/index.cfm/2008/6/21/CFUnited--Changing-the-Game) who attended it. Here are his notes from the presentation "Changing the Games" by Helms. - Concentrating only on your rates = commoditizing yourself, at least without adding value and/or establishing relationships - Acquiring a new customer costs 6 times as much as keeping one - put the best interests of clients first, even if it isn't in your immediate best interests - message you put out is the types of clients you will attract (ie., if you say you build what is wanted and are cheap, those are the types of clients you will get) - build a portfolio before going off on own, take on jobs you have no problem referring future clients too - look deeper when responding to potential clients, keep their interests at heart - keep up to date on competition across the client's industry to see if there are other ideas that may be applicable to a client's needs or other things the competitors do not have - get as much information about a client as you can before meeting with them - remember that to a business person, software is expensive and risky. ideally, you need to develop a process and/or methodology that helps to mitigate the risk - Great comment from the audience: customers want programs done good, cheap, and quick and that most can only achieve two of the three - help to define the risk about the project, make the customer realize what could go wrong. it makes you stand out and differentiates yourself from others - goal is to be not just a commodity developer or coder, but become someone they can rely on that has their interests in heart Ravi. Vicky wrote: > Hal Helms & Clark Valberg gave a good preso at ColdFusion United called > "Changing the Game". It was about how to win more profitable work. The > materials may still be on the CF United 2008 website, if not on Hal's own > site/blog. It was very interesting and worthwhile. > > On Tue, Dec 23, 2008 at 12:19 PM, Ravi Gehlot wrote: > > >> At times, I get requests from people wanting me to build websites for >> them. Such websites range from a simple layout, in css without any >> server side scripting, to complex websites like those of social >> networks. These same people want the work to be done in an unbelievably >> short amount of time and with little to no budget. So I kept thinking on >> how to approach these people and explain this would cost time and money >> to deliver quality work. In turn, the old saying "A picture is worth a >> thousand words" comes to mind and this picture surely explains my >> feelings towards this situation. >> >> Check it out: >> * >> http://tinyurl.com/humorFreelance >> >> *Ravi.* >> * >> ~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;207172674;29440083;f Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-jobs-talk/message.cfm/messageid:4167 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-jobs-talk/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.11
Re: We Do Three Types of Jobs Here...
great post. thx for the info R -paul On Tue, Dec 23, 2008 at 12:54 PM, Ravi Gehlot wrote: > Vicky, > >I wasn't able to find the presentation but I did find the notes of a > person(http://www.philduba.com/index.cfm/2008/6/21/CFUnited--Changing-the-Game) > who attended it. Here are his notes from the presentation "Changing the > Games" by Helms. > > - Concentrating only on your rates = commoditizing yourself, at least > without adding value and/or establishing relationships > - Acquiring a new customer costs 6 times as much as keeping one > - put the best interests of clients first, even if it isn't in your > immediate best interests > - message you put out is the types of clients you will attract (ie., if > you say you build what is wanted and are cheap, those are the types of > clients you will get) > - build a portfolio before going off on own, take on jobs you have no > problem referring future clients too > - look deeper when responding to potential clients, keep their interests > at heart > - keep up to date on competition across the client's industry to see if > there are other ideas that may be applicable to a client's needs or > other things the competitors do not have > - get as much information about a client as you can before meeting with them > - remember that to a business person, software is expensive and risky. > ideally, you need to develop a process and/or methodology that helps to > mitigate the risk > - Great comment from the audience: customers want programs done good, > cheap, and quick and that most can only achieve two of the three > - help to define the risk about the project, make the customer realize > what could go wrong. it makes you stand out and differentiates yourself > from others > - goal is to be not just a commodity developer or coder, but become > someone they can rely on that has their interests in heart > > Ravi. > > Vicky wrote: >> Hal Helms & Clark Valberg gave a good preso at ColdFusion United called >> "Changing the Game". It was about how to win more profitable work. The >> materials may still be on the CF United 2008 website, if not on Hal's own >> site/blog. It was very interesting and worthwhile. >> >> On Tue, Dec 23, 2008 at 12:19 PM, Ravi Gehlot wrote: >> >> >>> At times, I get requests from people wanting me to build websites for >>> them. Such websites range from a simple layout, in css without any >>> server side scripting, to complex websites like those of social >>> networks. These same people want the work to be done in an unbelievably >>> short amount of time and with little to no budget. So I kept thinking on >>> how to approach these people and explain this would cost time and money >>> to deliver quality work. In turn, the old saying "A picture is worth a >>> thousand words" comes to mind and this picture surely explains my >>> feelings towards this situation. >>> >>> Check it out: >>> * >>> http://tinyurl.com/humorFreelance >>> >>> *Ravi.* >>> * >>> > > > ~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;207172674;29440083;f Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-jobs-talk/message.cfm/messageid:4168 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-jobs-talk/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.11
Re: We Do Three Types of Jobs Here
On Tue, Dec 23, 2008 at 12:19 PM, Ravi Gehlot wrote: > * > http://tinyurl.com/humorFreelance That reminds me of a cartoon I saw a long time ago. It basically said, "We have great service and low prices. Which would you like?" -- Matt Williams "It's the question that drives us." ~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;207172674;29440083;f Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-jobs-talk/message.cfm/messageid:4169 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-jobs-talk/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.11