Thursday, October 15, 2015

Project: 6 Ways to Condition Your Clients



When you are in a creative field, you want to give your all to your clients. You want to say “Yes!” because you want to showcase your skills and market their services and products to the best of your ability. But there comes a time when they begin to bulldoze your kindness and take advantage of your willingness to serve.

It can be a risk to start saying “No.” To being upfront from the beginning to being transparent, to not negotiating. To not being a doormat when your clients walk into your studio even though they could be an ideal creative canvas.

There are more canvases out there and you have to protect both them and yourselves. Here’s a good guideline to abide by:

1.    If your hours are between 9 and 5, don’t answer before 9 or after 5.

2.    If you add surcharges, enforce those surcharges.

3.    If you say that is something your company does not offer, do not offer it.

4.    If you say it will be ready in two days, do not provide them with a rush service benefits.

5.    If they challenge your expertise, be assertive in your work integrity.

6.    If your client signed a contract, refer and uphold them to the contract.


-The Green Couch


Thursday, October 1, 2015

Project: Humility In the Workplace



There is a millionaire dollar word missing from the workplace. It is not “deal” or “sold.”  It is “sorry.”

Many minor misunderstandings have halted even stopped mergers, partnerships and other proposals because the million-dollar word is exempt from a company’s vocabulary.

Too often your pride or naiveté hinders you from seeing the error in your work or lack of work.

It can be simple as missing a deadline, but over time these “infringements” adds up and will discredit your word. If you say sorry and don not mean it or don not change your word, your million-dollar words will also depreciate until they are in the negative.

One of the ways you can be proactive within your company is to know how to say and be sorry.

Thanks to Dr. Gary Chapman and his BA and MA degrees in anthropology, he has a passion for understanding social interactions. With the help of other doctors, he has created The Five Languages of Apology.

After taking this test, you will have a better understanding of the importance of humility, apology and how you should appreciate others that interact with you when issuing apologizing. After the completion, it is a great idea to hold an open, informal meeting at work where everyone can share their results. Maybe this will even lead to "sorry sessions"!

Furthermore, as a leader, taking a step-down, letting employees have a voice, giving a statement to the press before the fault is found out - this is why the word sorry is so valuable.


This word may cause pause for thought, but once reflection is over, once forgiveness is extended, whether ways are parted or not, you will find internal success. And that’s the first step towards a true millionaire’s success.

-The Green Couch