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11-‐17-‐10 RECAP #IFD10CHAT Topic: Nuts & Bolts of Client Relationships
Q1: What is your process of gathering information from clients about projects?
• Get and read as much about the client beforehand -‐ and then (politely) interrogate them. Then read all the material again following the interrogation.
• Do you have a standard questionnaire? If so, how do you decide what questions to ask? How do you work your way down to needs?
• As a copywriter and consultant, I ask them to fill out a questionnaire. It's a good way to gauge if I even want to work with the client too. A good way to filter. Since I also consult with them re: social media/marketing, I need to gauge where they are -‐ do they even know who their target market is?
• I provide a questionnaire asking the basics. Why do you want a website? What should it do? What should it look like?
• Keep asking 'why' -‐ best question in the world. • It often happens that a client discovers something through this process that he has not
considered before. • Everyone says they want a website. No one generally understands what that means. e.g.
Images, Copywriting, Domain name. • Clients don't know what they want with their sites, copy etc. • I let them give me their initial project description & then I ask questions to fill in the gaps.
There are some standard questions I ask that inexperienced clients usually need to get asked, but if it's a client who knows what they are looking for they usually give me all the info I need upfront. For voiceover work it's usually what format do you want the files, do you want them raw/edited, do I need to add effects. When people don't understand how something is created, the tech side usually needs to be explained/clarified.
• I have a policies sheet I provide prospective clients, & I go over it with them verbally. If they balk at something, they're not a good fit. After that, I go over the specific work they want done, discuss realistic expectations.
• I also suggest some ideas, just to further elaborate what they need. Some clients are unsure of what they really want.
• When you are copywriting you often have to think about marketing too especially if the company is new.
• One of my common questions: Who are you trying to reach (audience identity)? If more than one audience, put them in priority order.
• I see it as a great opportunity when clients don't know exactly what they want. That's where I come in. "Why" is another great question.
• Another very important question is: Who makes the decisions here? • I have a disclaimer in my contract about me building them a marketing tool-‐ the end results
will depend upon usage. • I was having a client meet today. We segmented the audience into four segments and
decided to focus different areas of the website for each.
• For me, my questionnaire is a good sounding board. I tell my clients you can't start from point Z -‐ need to go back and start from point A. I have them fill out the questionnaire and then I usually have a consult either by phone or in person to discuss.
• Consulting w/clients on defining their wants/needs allows me to highlight my offerings. Sometimes client are more concerned with the results than the technicalities. This way I get to help with the vision.
• I'm also subcontracted so a lot of that is filtered through the agency but same process -‐ have meetings with designers and project managers.
• First step is a creative brief or what I tell clients is a project brief. • Do that with my copy as well for my agencies/designers I work with. Creative brief is a must
and sign-‐off too. • We provide an ongoing project tracking document -‐ tasks, status, who's assigned, due dates,
etc. With OVERDUE in red for late materials. And it helps avoid finger-‐pointing after the fact. • Sometimes I feel like I have to give clients a basic marketing 101 run-‐down esp. small biz
owners. And then I've had some clients who are super savvy with marketing -‐ so just depends.
Q2: How do you keep clients on task? You all know about the late material and the expectation that the deadline won't be affected.
• This is my rule of thumb. I tell clients the sooner you get back stuff to me, the sooner I can write/work. If they lag and sit on it, I put them back in the queue. I have other clients and I have a disclaimer that says as much. If they don't meet my deadlines, then they have to wait.
• I exchange mails with my clients on a regular basis. If they delay they are kept in the loop. • Hearty down payment...they tend to be slow when there's no skin in the game. Plus, I put my
expected date of completion in the contract-‐stating its contingent on their prompt cooperation, otherwise date is in jeopardy.
• I tell clients the sooner you get back stuff to me, the sooner I can write/work. • Also have a disclaimer. The deadline is contingent on them holding up their end. • We play 'deadline shift' -‐ late 10 days? Deadline just moved 10 days. • In my biz I can't make a client's work wait if they're slow, BUT if they create a crisis by their
delay, it costs them more. • Extra fees come into play -‐rush fees etc. • Our agreements include workplan, development schedule with mutual deadlines, payment
schedule, and we follow with our project tracking reports. Big, complicated projects demand it.
• Good way to work from a project management POV. • What app are you using for project management? • One of my agencies works with Zoho, but a ton of good ones out there. • I'm back to tables in a Word doc. We're testing some collab tools to make it easier. • I mail out PDFs. • Have any of you tried box.net or other cloud doc sharing tools?
• I think the biggest problem is miscommunication and everyone needs to be on the same page from the get-‐go, esp. if you work with multiple teams i.e designers, copywriters, marketing etc.
• I think somebody has to play project nazi -‐ keeping track of progress, hours, expenses, etc. -‐ and ensuring everyone is kept up to speed.
Q3: Nuts and bolts. When you are ideating the look and feel of a new website how do you go about it? A virtual whiteboard?
• Paper and Pencil. • I know my designers do the creative brief and consult/meet with clients. They create the
site map, etc. and work with clients • Definitely a process involved and for web copy, I come on board after marketing/design
elements have talked about and agreed upon.
Q5: Speaking of prickly clients, beyond contracts, how do you avoid disputes/legal issues with clients?
• A good contract is important, but it doesn't make you completely bulletproof. • Pick your clients wisely in the first place. • Beyond a contract make sure everyone is on the same page, creative briefs signed, and clear
communication channels. • Interview clients before taking them to make sure they aren't wack jobs :) • Put it in writing. I provide frequent updates in email so I have a “paper” trail. • Listen to your gut -‐ if a client says "I hated my last designer/contractor -‐ they sucked, took
all my money." • Listen to your instincts about a client or project. • Regularly scheduled meetings help. We have a meeting schedule with a major client through
to end March. With tracking report issued at each meeting. • Make sure you're a good fit & what everyone else said :) • Has anyone had to hire a lawyer for a client dispute? • Thank God, no, but have lawyers in my family and have consulted them on a few things. • Yes. And getting ready for another go-‐round. Former employee / shareholder. Nearly
bankrupt one of our companies. • As a friend told me -‐ have a lawyer and accountant in your back pocket at all times when
having your own biz ha! • We have an excellent lawyer and accountant. Totally necessary.
Miscellaneous
• A website is def. a strategy but for me it's a team effort with the designer -‐ esp. web copy. We all need to be on the same page.
• Elaborating: having a website alone is not a strategy, how you use and promote it is the strategy
• These projects cannot be fire and forget for clients, especially consultancy and site redesign.
• @GeorgeButters’ funny story: Another very important question is: Who makes the decisions here? True story. Friday before launch. Boss' wife finally sees the site build. Doesn't like blue. Wants green. By Monday morning. That client had already signed off on the colors, general design, etc. We were down to the tiny details. I said sure, we can do that. But it'll cost you double. We did it. They paid.
Topic Suggestions:
• One that may be an outgrowth of this chat. Best ways to communicate technical issues to (uninterested) clients.
THIS WEEK’S PARTICIPANTS @jepkulot @bhas @GeorgeButters @ JacquelinPeters @ lpmccullough @HopeJoy @ DaphneDrescher @ TheresePope @sixfourweb @nightwriter @KCsez
RESOURCES
• Project Management: Zoho • Finally got the ok to share: http://innovation2010.nrc-‐cnrc.gc.ca/video-‐archive2010.php • “Ray [@sixfourweb] is a rockstar. He's responsible for the revamping of my Fan Page.”
(@lpmccullough) http://www.facebook.com/lpmcculloughACTOR?v=app_4949752878