Nidahas » Musings on design, web standards and free software from a Sri Lankan geek.

Feeding Clients - Part 1

2005.06.16

All work we do as designers, developers, consultants or, in the broader term, service providers, is based on the essential two way interaction with our clients. The past few weeks at Vesess has shown me a couple of simple ways we can improve this relationship and delight our customers.

Give them homework

Last week we sent a prospective client a lengthy survey to understand his requirements for a web design project. He answered all the questions in detail, and finally added this comment:

“This was one big survey, but I’m glad you asked all those questions. I can respect a company that gives me homework”.

Working your ass off to satisfy customers is the best way to build a long term, profitable relationship with them. It’s the first lesson of marketing - nothing new there. But we often forget the other important part of this equation: the work done by the client.

Getting clients involved from the beginning of a project is essential in meeting their requirements. However, if their role is limited to the passive observer with the odd feedback here and there, it won’t be of much use. We need to really get them on our team: define their duties and responsibilities, with emphasis on the vital role they play in the project.

We is the Force

We all have big egos. Remember Piet Hein:

The Egocentrics

People are self-centred
to a nauseous degree
They will keep on about themselves
while I’m explaining me

Those who can understand this perpetual need for recognition and acceptance can get clients hooked on them. One simple way is to always discuss the matters of the project with the client from his perspective. As we. Instead of saying “Your site needs to go online in a week, so it’s essential you finalise the content”, say “We need to go online next week, so let’s work on finalising the content”. Use the force. Use We.

Permanent Link | Filed under: Marketing, Thoughts

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