Getting A Foot In The Door

(MoneyWatch)  Let's pretend you're a designer looking to hook a new client in the financial services arena and that this sector is new to you. You have a company in your sights.

How do you go about getting in front of this client?

You could make a call and try to secure a meeting to present your portfolio, but that's quite likely to be met with a rejection: "We already have a designer, thank you" or a similar fob-off. Well isn't it?

Instead, imagine an alternative approach --- one that involves you briefly immersing yourself in the financial services industry. You might begin by undertaking simple actions like buying all the magazines and publications covering the financial services market; visiting the websites of all the key players; getting hold of as many brochures as you can lay your hands on.

By so doing, you should be able to form opinions concerning what's really going on in the marketplace and the role of effective design. You'll inevitably have observations about such things as the relevance of imagery; the use of colour and typography; the quality of printing and so forth.

From there, can you see how straightforward it would be to put together a compelling presentation that may headline with something like:

"The 5 visual mistakes most financial services companies are making and how it's costing them business."
Or

"Why financial services firms are spending too much on their design production."
Get the idea? Your opinions can help open doors.

After all, which design company would you choose to meet? The one who simply wanted to show you their portfolio, or the one who could help you grab a greater slice of the market and save you money?

Basic stuff, but it amazes me how many businesses still don't get this stuff!