Desperation? Enthusiasm? It's how you present yourself.

A couple of related client stories from yesterday. One had been awarded a job, but the new Creative Director at the client was now fretting about a scheduling thing and the job was hanging in the balance. So my client wrote him an email expressing – with a sense of humor – his point of view about how everything was going to be fine and what a great project it was. The CD was mollified and said, “Fine – it’s yours – I really like your enthusiasm.”

A second client, with a job in the offing, was mulling over whether to do some exploratory work to show the client that he really was the right guy for the gig. “But we don’t want to appear desperate – so we haven’t done anything.” “So why not do the work and appear enthusiastic” I suggested.

There is a fine line between being enthusiastic and seeming desperate – and it’s up to you to pick the right side. Clients often find they have several talented people who could execute their projects equally well – even if not interchangeably. So once they have narrowed it down, your enthusiasm, however you choose to demonstrate that, can be what swings the deal. So be keen, let them see you’re keen, but don’t let them see you sweat!

Books to stimulate your career planning

I was just interviewed for an article on Creative Career Transitions - the piece will appear in American Librarian. I was asked for some books that might help stimulate the thinking juices of people deciding what they are going to do next. So here is some grist for the creative development process that is your own career.