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As more and more people turn to environmentally friendly solutions for their lives, more self-employed people are making this a focus for their businesses.

At just 25 years old, Angela Ferraro-Fanning has done just that with her graphic design business, 13thirtyone Design. As the Principal of the enterprise, this Hudson, Wisconsin, resident not only makes environmentally savvy choices for herself such as cutting out a commute by working at home, but she helps her clients find earth-friendly ways to do business.

If you’re looking to put a little green in your business, read on to learn how this innovative creative has succeeded in doing just that.

Tell us a little about how you got into design.

I’ve always been really interested in graphic design. I remember when I was in middle school and the studio I took dance classes at had a T-shirt design contest for the upcoming recital. I entered it and was so happy when my design was chosen for print. I started entering other contests such as school logo competitions, school wall mural contents, etc. By the time I reached high school, I knew this was the career path I wanted to take; although I never imagined starting my own business… My goals didn’t reach much farther than becoming a creative director.

I really wrestled between going to an art school or going to a four-year university. In the end, I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Graphic Design from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. During my education, I took advantage of as many internships as possible just so I could earn some cash while gaining experience. I took on a gig at the university copy and printing center, the University Publications Office and then finally an internship-turned-first-real-job at a small web company in downtown Eau Claire. After working my way up from an intern to the Art Director, I was ready for a little more creativity in the Twin Cities. I moved to an advertising agency and worked there for a bit before deciding to start 13thirtyone Design.

Your design business is eco-friendly. What types of practices do you employ to keep your business green?

In working with my clients, I try to help them find eco-friendly design solutions. I think it’s really important that an industry such as graphic design, which requires so much paper usage, try to keep the impact on the earth as minimal as possible. This may mean printing with recycled papers and soy/vegetable-based inks. It could also mean turning a direct mail campaign into an email campaign; then no paper or ink is being used at all.

When working on a piece such as a brochure, I also try to keep the paper quantity down as much as possible. By creating a more efficient use of space and cutting down on the number of inserts or pages a brochure has, it saves on paper and ink, thus, saving the client money. I encourage clients to utilize the Internet and digital formats as much as possible for their catalogues and coupons as well.

There are lots of daily practices I use to keep as green as possible, however, the search to learn more never stops. Some examples of things I do to be greener include positioning my desk underneath a skylight window—that way, I don’t have to use any light bulb energy on sunny days. I keep recycled paper in my printer and print on both sides of the paper, not just one. I also send my invoices by emailing pdf documents. This cuts down on paper and envelope usage. I could go on and on…

Why do you think businesses should go green? Are there any instances where greening business wouldn’t work or be appropriate?

Consumers are becoming more and more aware of their impact on the environment and are demanding greener products and services. Businesses should consider going green not just to decrease their harmful impact on the environment, but to keep their sales up and their product/service in the public eye. Many companies, both large and small, are working to create greener goods. They’re also trying to create a more environmentally friendly office space. By doing so, employees of such businesses are happier and feel good about going to work. As a result, consumers feel good about buying that company’s product/service.

Greening a business can be tricky, specifically if product production is involved. There’s more to it than just the product packaging; are the ingredients eco-friendly? Is the product produced under fair labor laws? Are the ingredients organic and USDA certified? Thankfully, my industry is a little easier to control. But just because going green may be a difficult transition for some, doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. According to ConsumerReports.org, consumers are willing to pay “up to 50% more on average for organic produce…”. That could be a large increase for a business’s bottom line.

You specialize in wedding invitations. How did you get into this niche?

Wedding invitations are certainly a service I offer, but aren’t my passion; that lies in website and graphic design for business communication. I actually started designing wedding invitations for clients after I had designed my own. I wanted something unique and personable without the expensive price tag. After working on my own invites and receiving so many nice compliments from my family and friends, I started advertising this as a service I would provide.

Not to sound too corny, but when I am asked to work with a couple on their wedding materials, I do feel very honored. My design work will be a part of something that they’ll always remember. Furthermore, there is a lot of paper used after the invitations, save-the-date cards, wedding programs, table place cards, etc. are all produced. Keeping a couple’s wedding collateral as eco-friendly as possible may be an area of expertise I can provide that other wedding invitation designers may not.

What is the process like when a client comes to you looking for unique wedding invitations?

I always prefer to start by meeting a client face-to-face. This way I can get a true sense of who the two individuals are as a couple. I feel the invitations should be as personal to the couple and their event as possible. At this time, I ask that the bride bring any swatches of her dresses, any theme ideas she has and, of course, her color scheme. At our meeting, we’ll talk about embellishments we could add, special paper options, etc. We also discuss budget, timelines and the usual details that deal with the actual production of the piece.

After our initial meeting, I provide the couple with an estimate based on the invitation ideas we’d discussed. Once the numbers are approved and a contract has been signed, I begin work on the design. I send my proofs via emailed pdfs until no more changes need to be made. At that point, I construct an actual mock-up of what the invitation will look like and mail it to the client for approval. Only after the client approves this piece do the invitations go to print.

In terms of constructing the actual invitations, the client may choose to do this themselves. But for the bride who’s just too busy, I can construct everything myself for a charge of $1.00 per piece. The invitations and any other pieces will be sent shortly following.

You also specialize in web design. How do you define a client’s needs and create a design that they like?

When working with a web design client, the most important thing I need to know is, “What is the point of this website?” Designing a site that is a shopping cart versus an informational tool are very different things and they must speak to their audiences appropriately. After I know the message the site needs to be sending, I can start helping the client with the architecture of the site. The rest of the design falls around the client’s branding and the look that’s already been set for their other marketing materials. I’ll usually come up with one homepage or secondary page mock-up for the client’s web look. I’m also sure to always provide a rationale for anything that I do. By explaining my thought process and reasoning to a client, they’re more likely to feel comfortable with what I’ve designed for them. From there, we tweak and revise until the client feels it’s just right.

What do you think is the most vital tidbit of information for success for designers starting out?

Start out gradually. I hate paying my dues just as much as the next guy. But whether you’re starting your own business or getting your first job at an advertising agency/design company, you’ve got to start small. Dreaming big is great and it gives us goals, but there are so many little things to learn in the meantime. Try to really embrace everything that you’re learning in design (production skills, client communication skills, layout experience) and you’ll thank yourself for the solid foundation you’ve created later on.

Do you think businesses are evolving into recognizing the importance of good design?

I think there will always be “good and bad” design. However, I do think businesses, both large and small, are beginning to truly see the importance of graphic design and what it can do for your company. Not only can well-designed marketing materials increase your profits, but they can create a sense of credibility amongst prospective consumers.

What’s your typical day like?

I think one of my flaws is being a very restless person; I purposely try to make no two days exactly the same. Typically, I roll out of bed between 7:00 am or 7:30 and get ready for the day. I’m always sure to grab my cup of coffee before starting work. Currently I work from my home—I think one thing that keeps my from leasing an office space is the idea of driving to work. Right now I create no carbon emissions by walking upstairs to my home office!

For the first hour or so, I check my emails and then I’ll start work on projects or head off to meet a client or two. But to make sure each day is different, I’m sure to take a lunch break and run a few errands, go for a walk with my dog, or have lunch with a friend. Following that, I’ll get back to work and then call it quits around 5:00 or 5:30. I spend my evenings lost in a book, with friends over dinner or watching the occasional TV show.

What websites do you frequent?

Hmmm… I definitely do my fair share of web surfing when I have the time. I really enjoy GreenLivingIdeas.com. They have a great podcast that I listen to. Idealbite.com is a good source for fun and daily eco-friendly living tips. I also frequent HOW Design Magazine’s online forum to give and receive advice from fellow designers. Logo Lounge is a great source of inspiration for me when it comes to designing logos, along with AIGA’s design archives. I listen to a wide range of music throughout my workday—check out Pandora if you’re looking for some new and different music.

Original post by FreelanceSwitch.com

If freelancers could invent our own clichés, one might be: no two jobs are the same. Each gig we take on brings with it new personalities, new challenges and new rewards. Despite these differences, most any freelancing gig will fit into one of these twenty types.

Where does the job you’re (supposed to be) working on now fit in? Have you done each of these kinds of jobs before? My guess is that most experienced freelancers will have encountered quite a few!

1. The magnum opus

The job you’ve always wanted, the job you’ll tell your grand-kids about. You get asked to write a book, land design work for a super-company like Coca Cola or get an article published in Business Week. The money doesn’t really matter — though it’s probably pretty good! Because this kind of opportunity doesn’t come along every day, you make this job personal, you obsess over it and make sure every single detail has been polished to a brilliant shine.

The pros:

These kinds of jobs can feel more like play than work. They’re hard to forget for all the right reasons, and can take your credibility and perceived value as a freelancer to the next level.

The cons:

Magnum opus jobs can be time vacuums. Being paid $X,000 for a project doesn’t work out to much if you spend a total 100s of hours polishing up the bells and whistles.

2. The English Patient

Widely regarded as a good movie, I’m talking more about the reaction Elaine (the Seinfeld character) had when forced to see the film — which she hated — for the third time:

“Oh. No. I can’t do this any more. I can’t. It’s too long. Quit telling your stupid story, about the stupid desert, and just die already! (louder) Die!!”

The English Patient job instills the same feeling of never-ending pain and boredom. It just won’t end. When you think it’s finished, you discover that something isn’t working. When you close the door on it, the client asks you to revise this element, and tweak that paragraph. It’s the job you quoted at twenty hours that ends up taking a hundred and twenty. It just… won’t… end.

The pros:

If you’re getting paid by the hour, the money might help soothe the pain.

The cons:

If you were paid in advance based on a quote, you’ll be cursing like a flea-bitten trooper while you wonder how this happened again.

3. The ‘everything that could go wrong, did go wrong’ gig

This project gives you nightmares. You perfected your design, only to find it looked like a Picasso painting in Internet Explorer. Your draft article got lost when your computer water-cooling system sprang a leak and started a small electrical fire. You spilled ink on your painstakingly-crafted poster concept. You deleted the wrong file, and the application broke. The frustration and disappointment makes you wish you hadn’t accepted the job in the first place. Your only goal is to get the thing over and done with.

The pros:

You learn from you mistakes.

The cons:

Sanity -2.

4. The favor for a friend

Your best friend just happens to be launching a blog. You offer to design it for them, happy to work for a client you can trust, and you also offer them a rate that’s well below your usual. This sounds like a great idea, until you discover that working for rock-bottom rates isn’t fun once the glow of appreciation and excitement has worn off. As a result, you start prioritizing the job last in order to do the work that really pays your bills. As the project stretches longer, you ultimately know that your friend isn’t going to start making angry phone calls in the same way a client might. Unless, of course, it gets too out of hand…

The pros:

You give your friend access to a service they might otherwise not have been able to afford. You also get to work for a client you know and trust and care about.

The cons:

When things go wrong, they also get tricky. It’s impossible not to take a terse business email personally if the author is a close friend. If you let them down, or if they let you down, your friendship might suffer, either through broaching the issue directly, or slowly cultivating silent resentment.

5. The Ramen Noodle fund raiser

You know you’re worth more than $10 an hour. You nod your head when other freelancers talk about the importance of charging what you’re worth. But when faced with an empty pantry or a stack of increasingly urgent-looking bills, most of us will put comfort before honor.

The pros:

If the only work you can get is low-paid, it’s probably still better than no work. What would you be doing instead? Some would argue you should spend the time looking for high-quality work. Other freelancers would argue this task is a little tricky when you can barely afford the internet required to market yourself.

The cons:

Too much of this kind of work can negatively influence the way you perceive the value of your own services. Being confident about asking for $50 an hour when you’ve been working for $10 is a tough leap, and some freelancers find it difficult to get their mojo back.

6. The pot of gold

You’re not quite sure how you landed it. If all your jobs were paid like this one, you’d be stinking rich. You’re doing easy work for $50, $75, maybe $100 an hour. You tell your friends about it and smile when you earn in 90 minutes what you usually make in a day. You make sure to tell the client that you’re available for any other work they need you to do. Anything at all. Really — anything.

The pros:

Making good money feels great and boosts your confidence about the kind of rates you can achieve.

The cons:

Your bread and butter jobs might seem lackluster in comparison. It’s important to remember that these pot of gold jobs won’t be the core of your income. Appreciate them, but acknowledge that you should not always expect money to be this easy.

7. The ‘it will look good in your portfolio’ job

You’re opposed to the idea of spec work. You think it’s a bad thing for freelancing, and you’ve denounced it on blogs and in forums. But one particular opportunity comes up that you can’t help but accept: a competition you’d do anything to win, or the chance to work for the client you’ve always dreamed of. You give in, but you feel guilty about it.

The pros:

Spec work shows itself when you get nothing in return. From the perspective of those who get the jobs, or those who win the competition, it probably seems very much worth it.

The cons:

Most people don’t get the jobs, or win the competitions.

8. The fake it ’til you make it job

You knew you were unqualified and not quite what the client was looking for, but you submitted your proposal on a lark. To your surprise, you got the job. The money is good, but you’re faced with a challenge: how can you fake it ’til you make it? Creativity is key here, and you’ll usually find clever ways to cover yourself. Unusually formal language in your emails won’t go astray either — after all, you’re on of those ‘experts’, right? It’s all about appearing confident while you shake in your boots beneath the desk.

The pros:

Most of these jobs are complex, challenging and will look good in your portfolio.

The cons:

Future clients may expect the kind of work you ‘faked’ to be your standard offering. The more time you spend faking it, the more likely you are to be caught out: for example, when a client asks for Lightbox and you open the blinds in your meeting room.

9. The chore

There’s play, then there’s work, then there’s chores. Chores sit at the bottom rung as the work we’re obligated to do but would love to forget about. The ‘chore’ stage usually only manifests itself after you’ve started a project. If you’d known the job would be this boring and unrewarding, you wouldn’t have accepted it. Jobs usually become chores when they involve unforeseen repetitive tasks: when that online store is 70% finished and you discover that you have to manually enter details for each of five-hundred stock keeping units because you didn’t read the brief properly.

The pros:

Like cleaning the house or doing the washing, chores feel good when you finally get them done.

The cons:

Boring and unimportant.

10. The balloon gig

“We need you design a website.”

When the site is 30% completed: “We’re really pleased with how this is going. Could you redesign all our brand imagery to suit the site?”

When the site is 50% completed: “Could you possibly create the copy for our About and FAQ pages? Our copywriter is on holidays and we need someone we can trust.”

When the site is 70% completed: “I’ve discussed this with our marketing department and they’ve said they need the website to be fully optimized for search engines.”

When the site is 90% completed: “As a finishing touch, could you create a simple Flash game to determine whether a visitor is allowed to enter the site or not?”

When the site is finally done: “Great work, we’re really happy with it. In fact, we want to expand into the online auction sphere. How hard would it be to create an add-on section for the site, kind of like eBay, but targeted at the Web 2.0 crowd?”

The pros:

If you’re hungry for work and don’t mind being a jack of all trades, you might love this kind of gig.

The cons:

If you’re not a copywriter, an SEO strategist, a Flash designer or willing to design an eBay-style auction website as an afterthought, balloon gigs can mess up your schedule and keep you away from what you really want to do.

11. The burnt toast gig

Toast smalls great until it burns. This is the kind of work you do for the client who eventually reveals themselves to be a) strangely paranoid, b) unwilling to pay you c) unusually eager to send a barrage of panicked emails when you don’t respond to a question within four hours — even if it’s the middle of the night where you are. It’s the job that starts off great and takes a slow or sudden turn for the worst.

The pros:

At least it started off great. After all, some jobs start on a low note and stay there.

The cons:

The smell of burnt toast tends to linger long after the toast itself is gone.

12. The ‘Lost in Translation’ gig

Either your client actually does speak another language to you, or they might as well do so. They say one thing, you act on it, then you find out they meant something completely different. You explain something, they confirm they understand, only to send panicky emails asking why you’ve done such and such thing. You and the client, despite your best efforts, just don’t ‘get’ each other.

The pros:

A reasonable client will accept some of the blame for communication errors and give you a longer leash to compensate.

The cons:

When the client believes they’ve been clear as crystal and that you’re the one who can’t follow simple instructions.

13. The passive-aggressive project

The work is good, the job is interesting but you’d sooner go to lunch with Bill O’Reilly than your client. For whatever reason, you don’t like them, but that dislike must always hide behind a veneer of politeness and professionalism — making it all the more frustrating. The best you can do is resort to small acts of resistance, like not saying ‘Have a nice day’ at the end of your emails.

The pros:

As long as they pay you on time and are clear about what they want from you, what does it matter? Even self-employed people have to learn to get along with people they wouldn’t normally choose to associate with.

The cons:

As much as we like autonomy, we have to communicate with our clients. Keeping the disdain out of your emails and conversations can require more effort than the work you’re being paid for.

14. The top-secret gig

Almost every freelancer has done a job like this: the client is usually a web entrepreneur who believes their mysterious ’start-up’ is going to be bigger than Gmail, Mint, YouTube, eBay and Grand Theft Auto IV combined. Here’s the problem: they can’t do everything themselves, yet anyone they work with is a potential ‘million dollar idea stealer’. As a result, you’ll be questioned, psychologically profiled, faxed non-disclosure forms, given vague descriptions and briefs, and usually forced to refer to the project by its special code-name ‘Talon X’ or, in the company of others, ‘Delta Sky’.

The pros:

Any client who thinks your work is going to help make them rich is almost always willing to pay any rate you like. They’re impatient to start making money, and thus rarely care to shop around. You can usually charge whatever you want without causing the client to blink.

The cons:

It’s really hard to do creative work when you don’t know what it is, exactly, you’re helping to create.

15. The ‘feet of the master’ job

The surreal has happened and you’re working for an idol. You’re blogging for Darren Rowse, designing for your modern-day Andy Warhol, illustrating a book for your favorite author or coding your favorite sports-star’s personal blog. These jobs are both rare and something every freelancer should try and experience. This is the stuff you remember for a long time.

The pros:

You get to work for, maybe even collaborate with, someone who has been important to you.

The cons:

They might make better idols than they do clients!

16. The charity job

You’re working for $12 an hour and proud of it. Why? Because your work is helping good people, or good causes, and you feel good, too.

The pros:

You feel good about it, you get karma points.

The cons:

Big not-for-profits or charity initiatives generally invest a large proportion of donations or funds back into growing their reach. It’s not always justifiable that this doesn’t extend to paying freelancers a healthy rate.

17. The outsourced gig

You don’t remember much about this one, mainly because the market research was done by Abhijeet in India, the copywriting was done by Mia in Canada, and the logo was created by a design firm in the UK. You added your own touch, of course, but it was a collaborative effort. Stripped of all romance, you paid other freelancers less per hour than you made from their work, and took most of the credit to boot.

The pros:

You’re practicing the same strategies used by small and large businesses everywhere to earn a profit and free up time you can use to pursue other work.

The cons:

Managing employees can be a job in and of itself. It’s important not to fall into the trap of spending more time managing your outsourcing than it would have taken to simply do the work yourself!

18. The job you won’t talk about

The money was good, but the client, or what you were helping to create, was a little shady. In some cases, a lot shady. Whether it was spammy, scammy, seedy or sleazy, you finished the job, took your payment and very deliberately left it out of your portfolio. In fact, let us never speak of it again.

The pros:

You got paid. Sometimes you have no choice but to accept whatever comes your way, even if it’s not the proudest work you’ve ever done.

The cons:

If you know what you’re doing is not a positive thing, or that your creative work will be used to dubious ends, you’ll feel a little less proud about what you do. You can’t really quantify that loss.

19. The job you didn’t know existed

You still can’t believe that somebody out there wants to pay you $45 an hour to write about competitive pinball, or to illustrate a comic book designed to teach 3 - 5 year olds the ins and outs of income tax, or to photograph cracked and dry heels for use in a direct marketing campaign for a new kind of heel balm. In other words, it’s the work you never imagined doing when you envisioned your freelancing career. That doesn’t mean it’s bad — it could be great — but it’s always very weird, and you generally don’t share the specifics with others (lest your mother declare that you’re “taking photos of feet” for a job at the next family dinner.)

The pros:

Highly specialized and obscure work can be among the best-paid. Plus, it’s unlikely to feel like you’ve done the same job ten times before.

The cons:

Weird work often comes with weird clients.

20. The reason you’re a freelancer

If this list seems to emphasize the negative, that’s only because it’s easier for this comedically limited author to make that stuff (kinda) funny. Hopefully, most jobs you do are like this one: they make you glad you decided to become a freelancer. You might not be making $50 or $150 an hour, and your client might be a little late to pay sometimes, but ultimately, you’re in control of your work and your business. Your career is guided by choice rather than a sense of repetition and inevitability. If this kind of job is your bread and butter, you’re doing something right!

Enjoyed this post?

You might like to read our two classic posts - 12 Breeds of Client and How to Work with Them, and 13 Breeds Of Freelancer And How To Up Your Game

Original post by FreelanceSwitch.com

As a freelancer you are obviously offering a service to clients, whether it be designing, programming, writing, photography, etc., but what else are you selling?

You should be able to improve your overall effectiveness and your conversions of leads to clients by emphasizing and selling these aspects of your work as well:

Customer Service

Besides being great at the work that you do, you have an opportunity to separate yourself from the others and win clients over by providing exceptional customer service. Some clients will prefer to work with freelancers because of the one-to-one contact that they may not get with a large firm. Clients like to know who is going to answer the phone when they call and they like to have someone who is there to work closely with them.

Pride yourself on providing quality customer service and sell this to your potential clients as just one reason to do business with you.

Name Recognition

While most freelancers are relatively obscure, some are able to benefit from potential clients who recognize them as being an expert in their field. Those who are well-known in the industry can have a sizable advantage. Name recognition certainly doesn’t mean that the work is of a better caliber, but some clients will prefer to work with a freelancer because of an established reputation. In this case, you’ll receive more inquiries for work and you’ll likely be able to justify higher rates.

If you’ve already established a name for yourself in your field, be sure that you receive some of the benefits that should result from your past work which helped you to develop that reputation. In your marketing materials, make an effort emphasize your work and your associations that potential clients may recognize.

If you are working to develop stronger name recognition, here are a few tips:

Start a blog - Leading bloggers in most fields have excellent name recognition. For most freelancers a blog is a natural extension of their knowledge that will help to bring in new clients. As those in the industry will see your work and your expertise, your reputation will grow.

Get around - Part of building name recognition is just getting out and receiving some exposure. Don’t stick to the same low-profile jobs and expect people to suddenly start recognizing your work. Make an effort to get involved with a variety of different clients and look for opportunities to do work for high-profile clients. Do what you can to put yourself in a position to be seen.

Build a Killer Portfolio - A top-notch portfolio speaks for itself. If your work is genuinely high quality and you’re able to get people to see it, the name recognition will come in just a matter of time. Ideally, if you are able to develop strong name recognition you will be able to back it up with a quality of work that is deserving of your reputation, so the portfolio really is key.

Brand Yourself - Name recognition isn’t just about waiting for people to acknowledge you. You can help the process along by effectively branding yourself and your work in a particular way.

Experience

Freelancers come in an immensely wide variety of experience levels. If you are one of the more experienced freelancers in your field, use this to your advantage. Make sure your potential clients are exposed to your accomplishments and don’t downplay your past work. There’s a peace of mind that comes to clients when they’re working with someone who is experienced.

Results

Rather than focusing on the actual pieces of work in your portfolio, focus on the results that followed for your clients. I’m not suggesting that you brush over the portfolio itself, but make an effort to take it a step further. While potential clients will be impressed with quality work, results are ultimately what they are after. Without results what does the work really mean?

What’s Your Opinion?

There are literally thousands of freelancers who are capable of providing decent work. Help yourself out by finding new strengths that other freelancers may not possess or may not be capitalizing on as much as they could. Any of these things can help you to separate yourself from the crowd and ultimately allow you to provide clients with the best experience possible.

What other things do you market to potential clients either directly or subtly? What do you feel gives you an advantage over others?

Original post by FreelanceSwitch.com

This post is part 4 of 5 in our four-author series on perfect pricing and rates.

Getting ready for a seminar I was presenting in February, I needed to get some t-shirts printed in a matter of days. I had the files ready to go and was looking for a service that could run off a quick batch for giveaways.

As I surfed around, I stumbled upon VistaPrint.com’s website and, being somewhat obsessed with sales processes, started to play with it.

I was blown away by the way they cross-sell products.

I wanted to see just how much they would try to cross-sell me, so I uploaded an image and went through the process of ordering a T-shirt, in an effort to see just how much extra stuff they would try to get me to buy.

Here’s what happened.

After placing a preliminary order for shirts, I was then pushed to a screen that revealed that “Customers who ordered T-shirts also like…

(a) Matching personalized note cards
(b) Business cards
(c) Large stampers and
(d) Gift Tags

I passed on all, clicked next, then was pushed to a page that told me, “Customers who ordered T-shirts also like…

(a) Small rubber stamps,
(b) Pocket stamps,
(c) Note pads, and
(d) 4 X 8 flat note pads

Again, I passed and hit the “next,” button. Then came a new page that asked me to “Please select any of the offers below to receive a FREE coupon to try the product or service. No risk and no obligation.” Services included:

(a) A toll-free number from RingCentral.com
(b) A trial Postage meter
(c) Free online advertising from Kudzu.com, and
(d) Free advertising from Goodle Adwords

I passed, again, and was finally pushed through to the checkout page.

Do you think this level of cross-selling annoys some people?

You bet! It would have bothered me just a bit had I not been so interested in their process. It is probably one of the most aggressive cross-selling processes I have ever seen.

But, the flip-side is, it will also get a certain percentage of people to buy “related” services and products that they might never have thought about purchasing, while they are already in a emotional buying state and largely committed to at least the basic sale.

If it didn’t work, they and the thousands of other sales-driven organizations that cross-sell related products and serv