Story: Witness of The Futur
I discovered The Futur, a design channel, quite early, around 2015-2016. Chris Do and Jose Caballer discussed design topics and hosted daily live streams on YouTube with a dedicated team. I don’t recall exactly how I found it; perhaps YouTube’s recommendations led me there.
Since then, The Futur has transformed into a substantially different channel. It was a more team-oriented channel but now is more impact/business-oriented. While its core mission of educating designers remains, it now acquires a much broader audience, primarily freelancers, I feel.
I don’t watch The Futur frequently compared to before, but Chris Do has still influenced me a lot. Chris Do is my digital mentor.
Preparation/protection
©The Futur: This Pre-Call Ritual GUARANTEES You Close More Sales
– How client find you? (SEO, lead generation, sales funnel)
Prequalify
– Who is your target audience
– What you do
– For what
– Minimum engagement if you can
Precall
– Budget
– Timeline
– What problem are you trying to solve
Imagine an ideal client
– Pain point
– Scope
– Budget = pain point (between A and B)
– Objection
Checkpoint
– Confidence (body of work, review, testimonial)
– Positive (energetic, happy)
– Right person
I picked up this video because I often receive inquiries from clients who are not fully prepared for the work. They request an estimate but provide limited information. They suggest using Zoom, which I comply with. However, when I provide an estimate, it often exceeds their budget, resulting in a waste of both time and effort.
Personal brand
©The Futur: Personal Branding Masterclass w/ Daniel Priestley
5 Ps
– Pitching
– Publish contents
– Product ecosystem (symbol)
– Profile (do not chase the spotlight)
– Partnership
4 types of product categories
– Gift
– Product for prospect
– Core offer
– Product for a client
Profile
– Google search yourself
– Data analytics and personalization
I might see Daniel Priestley on The Futur, but I deeply listen to his ideas on other YouTube channels. Then, I backed to here. I already passed 7-11. Will I buy his product? Maybe, I don’t know yet.
The Futur: Creating Demand: Sell Out Every Time!
Daniel Priestley was featured on The Futur Podcast for the second time. I wasn’t aware of the first appearance when I saw him on this episode in August 2023. He discussed a Rolex case study, which made me realize my previous oversight. Once we create tension, we must continue to build on it.
I’ve been using UpWork since just before the pandemic. I reached 10K quite quickly and hit 30K in 2 years. Then, I took a break because I was frequently receiving invitations and had regular contract jobs. The situation changed in August 2023 compared to 2022, and I had to adapt and learn. I could earn 10K in 2 months, but I had to hustle.
©The Futur: Should You Build a Personal Brand? Purpose Map Full Webinar
– Belief → Action → Result → Belief…
– Result = What’s the result you want?
– Action = What’s the action you have to take?
– Demonstrate expertise
– Create & publish content consistently
– Committed to the long-term brand development
– Om YouTube, title and thumbnail matter
– Stop selling
– Respect the audience’s time
– Find your X-factor
– Strategic boosting
– Social media = value exchange platform
– Carousel = mini keynote
– Teach = SEO = guest post
– LinkedIn = carousel → PDF
– Social proof
– Stage effects
– Brand deals
– Awareness
– Build audience
– Share message
– Positive impact
– Pick one platform
– Measure progress
Pricing
©The Futur: 3 Pricing Strategies – How To Price Your Service 2022
Hourly
– What is your rate?
– How is your availability in a week?
– Full-time, part-time?
– Hybrid or remote setting?
Fixed-rate
– Generally scope creep, so include it
*I prefer a client to set up maximum hours per week
Based on outcome
– Usage/impact you create, impression, traffic, conversion, goods, copyright, commission, profit share, etc…
*Keep transparency whatever your position is
I don’t often have experienced clients contacting me at midnight. I also don’t have extensive experience in negotiating hourly rates. I do myself consider their needs and the value I provide. Some videos advise an increased rate based on confidence or self-esteem without much context. Know yourself first. Sometimes, overconfidence sacrifices yourself.
©The Futur: When Client Says “Your Price Is Too High”– How To Respond Role Play
On The Futur YouTube channel, there are several videos dedicated to pricing. Pricing is a common challenge for many, including ordinary designers like me who may not have significant authority. However, I have a mindset of not accepting projects that don’t align with my budget. In such cases, it’s crucial to maintain a certain deposit in the bank. My conservative intuition suggests having at least two years’ worth of rent saved up without any ongoing work.
e.g.
$1,000 for rent x 24mo = $24,000
$1,500 for rent x 24mo = $36,000
$2,000 for rent x 24mo = $48,000
…
Nonetheless, I recognize the need to further develop my negotiation skills.
©The Futur: How To Run A Profitable Business & Make Money
– All profit comes from taking risks. – Peter Drucker
– The buyer determines the value.
– When the perceived value exceeds the price, the buyer makes a purchase.
Many individuals attempt to implement value-based pricing, but it often fails without the backing of authority, such as an impressive portfolio, extensive experience, awards, or a significant following. To succeed, you must understand your target audience and their pain points. Adjust your positioning in the market accordingly, and then strive to establish yourself as a key person of influence in your field.
Marketing
©The Futur: What Makes People Buy? Price & Value Masterclass w/ Ron Baker
Specializing, focusing on a niche, and charging more are profound considerations for us. I often contemplate these topics, yet I don’t have a definitive answer. Self-esteem may not provide a solution for many designers. I occasionally adjust the value proposition. On November 3, 2023, my value proposition is as follows.
Open Bookmarks Co. specializes in developing an outstanding MVP (Minimum Valuable Product) brand/website with a focus on UX design. Your MVP brand/website will be launched within 8 weeks, enabling you to swiftly test your business demand and lead-generation capabilities.
It describes what I provide clearly. I am testing how it works.
©The Futur: Attract Customers Like a Magnet: Marketing Strategies To Grow Your Business+Brand (Masterclass 5/5)
– Outbound sales → contents marketing
– Build leadership, authority, follower, community
e.g.
– Pitch: I do _. I help clients with _. If you need help with _, please talk to me now.
LinkedIn (you can pick 1 social media)
– LinkedIn notices who looks at your profile (paid account?). Check the profile and contact them.
– I noticed you were looking at my profile. Is there anything you need help with?
– People look at your profile if you comment on someone’s post or post content yourself.
– Understand short-term content creation and long-term content creation
– Short-term = look for client (transactional)
– Long-term = touch a broad range of audience (transformational)
– Give value = teach expertise, share knowledge,
Story
Story branding is a marketing strategy that uses storytelling to define a brand’s identity and connect with customers emotionally. It involves crafting a compelling brand narrative to engage and build trust with the audience.
Key elements of story branding include:
01. Brand Story: This is the central narrative that defines a brand’s purpose, values, and mission. It often includes the brand’s origin story and the problem it aims to solve.
02. Character: In story branding, the brand or its founder often takes on the role of the protagonist. The character’s journey and growth are used to connect with the audience.
03. Conflict and Resolution: Every good story has a conflict that needs resolution. In the context of story branding, this conflict can represent the challenges or issues the brand is addressing. The resolution is the positive impact the brand has on customers’ lives.
04. Emotional Engagement: Story branding aims to evoke emotions, making the brand more relatable and memorable. Brands use emotions to connect with their target audience and build trust.
05. Consistency: It’s important for a brand’s story to be consistent across all touchpoints, from advertising and social media to products and customer service. This consistency helps reinforce the brand’s narrative.
06. Authenticity: Authenticity is crucial in story branding. Customers are more likely to connect with and trust a brand that is genuine and true to its values.
07. Visual and Verbal Branding: The visual and verbal elements of a brand, such as logos, slogans, and design, should align with the brand’s story and reinforce its narrative.
©awwwards.: The Futur Founder Chris Do | How to communicate your value and get known | Awwwards San Francisco
The Futur – Business and Design Education, Revolutionized
@The Futur
The Futur is a community filled with expert advisors to help you amplify your business.
Stuck in a swirl of confusion and indecision when it comes to reaching your goals? What you need are field-tested and entrepreneur-approved action steps and expert coaching to move your business forward with clarity and confidence.
You’ll find the tools and mentorship to grow on social media, become an expert in your field, and so much more inside the Pro Group.
The Futur provides coaching, YouTube, podcasts, templates, merchandise, etc. Pro Group for $2,496 billed annually, Accelerator for $996 billed annually. Both plans are not so expensive.
If it has a value (attendant increases sales), I can commit to it for a year. What’s the objection? The Futur channel already has enough resources. If I cannot change the business perspective, the paid service may not have an impact on my business. Anyway, this is a plan for the next year.
The Futur™ YouTube
The Futur™ Podcast
Conclusion: Fundamentals for designer
In the early stages of The Futur, I used to listen to it like a radio while working. I gained knowledge from it, but I didn’t make a strict effort to apply it. There was a period when I didn’t watch The Futur for a few years because I couldn’t find new episodes, and YouTube didn’t show it for a while. Now, it has grown into a 2 million-subscriber channel, and I’ve started re-listening to apply its teachings to my work.
Chris Do co-founded The Futur (formerly known as The Skool) with Jose Caballer because he questioned the market’s perspective. The award-winning motion design studio faced challenges in 2013-2014. Where are ordinary designers, The Futur listeners, headed in 2023? The top of the top (Pentagram, Landor, IDEO…) will prosper in any era, but in the AI era, how can regular individuals thrive? Is there a future for us?
Many people watch and learn from The Futur. However, it isn’t significantly meaningful if you don’t apply what you’ve learned. How do you measure it? Your income should increase if you apply the knowledge. If your income hasn’t changed yet, it means you haven’t made any changes. It may sound blunt, but let’s face reality. I chose Chris Do as a digital mentor to enhance my design work. Whether it’s in the real world or the digital realm, mentorship is all about learning and actual improvement. That’s why mentorship works. Let’s keep pushing ourselves hard and fulfilling life.
