How much marketing material is too much

[ihabkal]

Friends, I have been thinking lately, is there a limit to the number of samples of your work that you show to a prospective client? I feel that if you show a lot, you come off needy and the client thinks you are desperate to get his project and then he treats you like crap. What do you usually present to the client at the first meeting? How do you present it? Is there a need to be more than one person showing off the work i.e. is having someone with you beneficial?

Thanks for any advice.

[Jeff Mottle]

Personally, I'd have a book of 20-30 images from all types of different projects, and only show them the ones that are most applicable to the type of work they want/do. If as you are flipping through your book, they happen to see something that interests them, then you can explain that image in more detail.

[Peter M. Gruhn]

I like Jeff's answer.

 

Also, your client won't be as excited by CG as you are so an extensive portfolio would be (gasp!) boring. Up front and fast, no? Bada bing zip zip zowie!

 

Do you really need five 12 story hotel slabs? What does THIS particular hotel slab offer? "It shows I can do creamy yellow stucco not just pale peachy stucco." "Ah well then, definitely include it." "And this one?" "See, different corporate logo on the sign." "Ah.. yes..."

 

You will want some variety so that when the client thinks (freakishly, but tell me it doesn't happen) "Gee, I wonder if Dave can night time or if I should talk to the guy who sent the postcard with the nighttime image on it...." his answer will be "Oh yeah, remember that one. Yeah, that was sweet." You can't cover EVERYTHING and again you don't want to bore but (for example) maybe Hotel Slab, custom res modern night, custom res trad, Applebees interior. There, look at the variety and only four pictures and almost no clever thinking on my part ;-).

[EddieLeon]

30 images sounds about right to me, but I think this is a tricky question to correctly answer. It all depends on who and how many people you are presenting to and what type of impression you want to leave them with.

 

Some prospective clients can be convinced after just a few samples of some high-profile projects that you have done. Others might be impressed by the amount and range of projects that you can produce.

 

Regarding having an assistant in the meeting, it again depends on the impression you want to give. You might want to be seen as an artist that is personally involved in every detail of the project or you might prefer to give the impression that you manage a team that can handle a large volume of work. Or, you might just want to bring a pretty lady with you to make sure you get their attention (just kidding)