Giving clients what YOU want!
Photo by stacy michelle. It has nothing to do with the article, I just thought it had a pretty texture.
Let’s face it: most costumers know nothing about the internet, and has generally no clue what they want, what-so-ever. You think you’ve seen it all, but no. Clients still want margins on their website based on the metric system, and many still limits the internet into being just a digital phonebook. But that’s okay, it’s not their job to know it all – after all, that’s why they hired you in the first place! To purchase some of all that sweet knowledge that you’ve collected through the past years. In fact, they’re actually paying you for all the times you’ve failed through trial and error, so they don’t have to even begin to try. But how do you take orders from someone who knows next to nothing about the project you’re about to start up? The answer could very easily be: You simply don’t.
When working such a case, the logical approach would be to sit down, have a chat, and hear them out about their needs. But taking two steps back often reveals that you often already know more about the case than the person you’re about to call your boss. You remember that phonecall you received a week earlier, where the guy gave a very rough explanation of what he wanted. An example: “Hello! I am a baker. I would like an online presentation of my shop”. Giving that you actually already have spend those hundreds of long nights, doing your trial and error that got you to where you are now, those 14 words from the phonecall should be enough to get you started! And by doing so you take a giant load off your clients shoulders!
Any project between two people or more, generally consists of roles the different parts need to fill out. Naturally you’ll feel competent, because of all the knowledge you’ve gained, but what about your dear costumer? He will naturally feel like his role is to dictate to you what to do, but if he is even the least bit insecure about how everything works, he might get nervous about the process, and that’s neither in your or his best interest.
So this is what I do, instead of waiting for him to figure everything out: Right after you receive the first phonecall, start working! Spend an hour or two each day of the week before you meet, thinking about possibilities, and making him a rough (but pretty!) sketch, that you can show him when meeting up. And don’t hold yourself back, keep thinking “how would this project get as awesome as possible?” – and then do it! After showing him your work, one out of the following will happen:
He will like it:
Perfect! You’ve just saved yourself a whole lot of time!
He will somewhat like it:
Fantastic! Before his even knowing it, the project has taken shape, and he will have a much easier time maneuvering his thoughts. Most clients require something to actually look at, before being able to split A from B.
He will dislike it:
That’s too bad – but both of you will still benefit from this. Needless to say, it’s always sad when clients dislikes your stuff, but on the bright side you will both be able to pinpoint what he doesn’t like, and that is somewhat just as good as knowing what he will like.
One final note: you should keep in your head that these are my thoughts, and this procedure may not work for you.
