Building a Career Through Honesty and Professionalism

The best way to grow your brand and your business is being a Professional. A Professional is not someone who has a certain degree of study or years of experience in a field, a professional is someone who has its work based in the professionalism. Professionalism involves the way you think and execute actions. It’s also associate with honesty in your work. Being ethical, honest and professional are the foundations of any successful entrepreneur.

Clear Communication

The key for professionalism lays down in clear communication. People tend to presume someone meant to say this and that without even confirm it. The worst thing you can do in your work is to project ideas and thoughts that weren’t expressed by your client, but that you think are what they meant to say. Never do that! The good professional deserves the full understanding of all the information he receives. You need to listen to what your clients are saying and eventually ask when something isn’t clear at all.

Always ask, never presume.

But this is only one side of communication. Besides listening, you should communicate clearly everything for your clients. Since your process until the expectations your clients should have. If you think a certain terminology isn’t common in the client’s language, always try to simplify and teach a little to them. Like any other people, clients feel more comfortable when you’re talking their language and when they understand what you’re saying.

Keep in mind both interests

Part of being honest and professional is understand both sides interest in a project. You have your interest in a project, like the case study you will build from this project, the exposure your work will have, etc. Your clients also have an interest in the project, otherwise, he wouldn’t be paying you to do it. Their interest is most of the time related to their brand or business, related to growth and revenue. In all moments of the project, you should have that in mind. Every design decision and direction you make, need not to fulfill a personal desire, but to go according to the best for both sides.

It is also reflected in the Agreements you make with your client. When writing your contract you need to make sure you are safe but also you need to make your client feel safe working with you. Big companies tend to only value their sides and devaluate their contractors.

Being honesty and professional means to see both sides and interests in a project. A relationship based on trust is essential.

Focus on the best for your client

We talked above that you should keep in mind both sides interest, but you need to remember why your client contacted you for. All business have goals and your work will help that business to fulfill them. Depending on how you approach your first talks with clients, you should be able to look far ahead their original scope. If you see you are capable of offering more from your work to help even more your client’s business, it’s your duty to propose it. Being professional is not about doing the work you were asked for, but to look ahead and understand how to offer the best for your clients.

Sometimes clients can come with requests you know are not the best for the project and their business. Most designers tend to accept all client’s suggestions without questioning it. If you see something is “wrong”, communicate it clear to your client and let him know you have the best interest for their company.

You need to work on what you believe and always do the best work you can.

Forget About Money

Money is essential for any business, but it shouldn’t be the reason why you do business. Your work has a meaning and importance for your clients. When doing business, you should focus on what will be the best for their goals, even if it represents a lower price option of your services that won’t gonna make you that bunch of money. If you base your work on money, you will try to get all the ”opportunities” you find, instead of looking for doing your best work. If you focus in the results, a small client can lead you with a case study and even referrals for bigger projects.

Never base your output with the amount of money you’re receiving. Bad professionals will underdeliver underpriced projects. As we said before, bad projects and bad clients are the designer’s fault. If you underpriced your work just to get that money, don’t devaluate your output. It was a choice you made, your client doesn’t need to suffer the consequences of you being unprofessional.

Always be honest with your work and your clients. Communicate clear your process, the project expectations and always listen. Professionalism is related to mindset. You need to think as a professional, act as a professional and live as a professional. Your clients and your business will thank you.

Originally published at mowestudio.com on December 16, 2015.

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