Donald Trump On Web Design

I watched Donald Trump on CNBC the other night. He was the center of a question answer/ interview session called “The Billionaire Inside”. While Web Design isn’t his thing and real estate isn’t my thing, the Donald has a lot going for him as an entrepreneur. He has certainly made his mark and made it well.

We all learn by example. It’s the one thing that’s touted no matter what business or activity you are pursuing. Find someone who is successful and copy them. No one can deny that Donald Trump is successful. So what can we learn from Donald Trump when he’s obviously not a web designer?

Focus

It’s not enough to just wish for something. You’ve got to follow through with what you want. This week we’ve talked about New Years Resolutions and things to do in 2008 to make it a better year. We’ve made plans for the year. We’re all taking action. One of the things Donald Trump advised during this hour long program was to believe in yourself and not fear risk. He said “Giving up is not an option”. Obstacles are really only opportunities to making yourself better. He was even asked by an audience member what was his worst mistake. His answer was losing focus. Focus on what you want so that you can get to that point. You need to think like a winner and focus on the future not past failures. Look for opportunities and think positively about them.

Knowledge is Power

Trump talked about knowing your business because subject knowledge is the key. The more you know the more likely you will be successful. One thing that stood out to me during this program was Trump’s opinion about surrounding yourself with people who are smarter than you. He actually said “You need to be smarter than the people that work for you.” WOW what a statement! Now we all know this isn’t possible when you’re starting out in web design. You’ll need to go find the smart people and hang out with them whether it’s in real life or online. When I don’t know something, I listen intently and don’t say much. Keeping your lack of knowledge to yourself can be just as important in your venue. Lurking and learning is the key when you’re starting out. Knowledge will give you confidence in front of your clients and in front of your colleagues.

Do your homework. Knowledge isn’t just about knowing your subject, it’s also about knowing your client’s subject. Find out about their company, their business, their industry. Preparation puts you one step over the competition. It’s also a good way to figure out the problems a client might be having and solve them. You also want to find out what you have in common with your client to bond with them. What do they do that you can emotionally hook into them with? The more they relate to you the more powerful the bond. Sometimes winning isn’t about being the best, it’s about being someone the client can relate to emotionally.

Work with Passion

Do you like what you do? Trump said that real estate isn’t for everyone. He enjoys it and when he’s at one of his hotels he’s on vacation while he’s working. He enjoys what he does. Most web designers like what they do. That usually isn’t the problem. What I’ve found to be the problem is leaving yourself open for someone to take advantage of your passion. Love what you do and be who you are but be careful of wanting to much. Don’t ever let someone take advantage of your skill set. It never ceases to amaze me what some people will give away. I am always telling my students to NEVER give it away unless it’s for a worthy nonprofit organization. If you have to give it away, why should anyone pay for it? If you need a portfolio, make up fake work and work for yourself. I’ve seen it done a number of times. It’s effective and I still do this when I don’t have work.

Be Yourself

An odd moment in the show was a young guy with bleached white hair spiked in all directions dressed in nice trousers with a shirt n tie came up to Donald to ask a question. Donald instantly latched onto his hair and the way he looked. He said “It’s important to be who you are. Don’t change.” When the young man told him that he was in real estate, Donald told him “You’re at a disadvantage but you know that right?” Of course the guy told him he knew it. Donald told him to continue being who he was and not to change. Who you are gives you confidence. While wearing surfer shorts and shirt wouldn’t be appropriate during the show, the hair was still the core of this guy’s personality and passion. I myself used to ride racehorses. There is nothing like the realization that no client saying “No” to me is ever going to hurt the way crawling off the ground after a 1200 lb animal slammed me down to give me confidence to go out and find a new client. We all have additional skills and passions outside of our web design world. These define us as much as web design defines us. Life gives you confidence and passion.

The Competition

The Donald advice was to enjoy your competition. There is nothing like competition to push you into being a better designer or developer. Competition is the impetus that makes us expand our capabilities and extend our reach beyond what we thought we could do. Watch the competition and learn from them then beat them at their own game. What’s your local market like? Who’s your competition? What are they doing that’s working? Have you found out? Embrace your competition and make your business better than them.

Revenge

Now this topic didn’t and did shock me when Mr. Trump started talking about it. I did have the impression that Donald Trump is driven to succeed and drive his competition under his heel. He did go on about getting even being very satisfying. I think the key here is to understand that the need to prove yourself against the naysayers and the people who say you can’t do it can drive you to success. That success can be all the sweeter when you’ve been told no many times. My IT career is littered with negative family members who’ve had to eat their words. It makes me a little smug sitting here thinking about it right now. It’s not the only place that I’ve let my determination and tenacity drive me to succeed and it certainly won’t be the last place I do.

So let’s tie it all together. Focus on what you want with the passion that led you to web design. Outsmart the competition and impress the clients with your knowledge. Let the competition and the naysayers be the whip at your back driving you to higher successes. Most important of all, be who you are… a web designer.

Web Out

Des