My Secrets To Successful Client Relationships As A Freelance Designer

I have been thinking a lot lately about my various approaches to providing the best services I can for my very distinctly different design clients. I have seen a few really interesting and educational articles and blog posts recently that talk about the different types of clients, ways to keep clients from dictating your schedule, things to understand about clients before starting a project, and even 5 Rotten Things No One Else Has Told You About the Clients You’ll Work For. In my 10+ years as a freelance designer I have learned that although not every client is necessarily the nicest person, or the best communicator, or has what I consider to be the best design ideas, each one is ultimately a contributor to the existence of my freelance business. My clients enable me to do something I love, get paid a decent wage for it and enjoy the freedoms that come with being your own employer.

So I thought it might be helpful to share some of my own experiences and how I have learned to work with my clients to give them the best possible products and services I can. Perhaps you have had your own experiences and can share your personal solutions and guidelines so we all can learn and grow together.

THE GOLDEN RULE

Although I try to enter into each project with an open mind and a clear understanding that everyone is unique, every project needs its own approach, and no one comes to me wanting a production line design, there is one golden rule I try to live by: always treat people the way I want to be treated.This is not just a business rule for me – it’s a lifestyle. When I call a company to complain about how I’ve been wronged, I don’t yell at the person on the other end of the line. I (do my best to) calmly express my dissatisfaction and expectations for resolution, sometimes even apologizing that the poor customer service representative has to deal with an angry customer, since they are not actually the one who personally did me a disservice. Think about it – do you want to get yelled at for something your employer did?

So when I think about how I want others to treat me, there are some key elements: respect, kindness, generosity, and humility. I believe that if everyone human being treated each other with these primary goals, the world would be a better place. The risk that is involved – as in any relationship – is that the other party will not reciprocate. But I cannot be responsible for anyone else’s actions, so I try to focus on my own. So far, this is working for me. I believe it is working for my clients too.

THE FIRST ENCOUNTER

After years of trolling Craigslist ads, cold-calling and asking everyone I meet if they need any design work, I am pleased to find myself in a place where business comes to me. I am not a salesperson or a networking/marketing man, so it is refreshing to (most of the time) be able to choose the projects I take on. Every week I receive emails requesting price quotes and proposals, and maybe someday I will try to analyze the statistics for how many of them have ended up rejected. It is still amazing to me how many people truly believe they should be able to acquire a completely customized website that takes weeks to build for less than a McDonald’s employee makes in a day. But rather than laugh in a client’s face, I try to approach the initial discussion with a case-by-case mentality. Every organization has a different budget, different goals, and different expectations. So I try to learn about these things first before I write a proposal or give a rough price quote.

In that initial encounter I state my hourly rate and explain that my project pricing is based on estimating the amount of hours it will take to complete the project. I ask questions that will aid in my calculations, and I really try to ascertain the goals and expectations the client has in as much detail as possible. If I can, I try to allow the client’s passion for their project to infect me, so I can become a passionate participant in producing the best possible outcome. On occasion, though, I have taken on projects that do not line up with my personal political, religious or social views. In these situations I have learned to disconnect from the goals of the organization or individual and instead connect with the pride I take in producing quality design and functionality. Of course, there are certain lines I will not cross, and if those lines arise I just politely suggest they use someone else’s services. In fact, if you are reading this and enjoy creating websites that deal with pornography, guns, racism or illegal acts, please send me your contact info and I will refer these people to you. On second thought, never mind.

THE PROPOSAL

Once I have a good ‘feel’ for the project, the client and the budget, I prepare a contract and proposal to submit. The proposals I write follow a standard format, itemizing each element of the project and the amount of hours I estimate it will take, along with the corresponding price. I use a standard contract that I adjust as needed for the specific project. I have learned the hard way that it is VITALLY important every detail of what the client will get for what they pay is outlined clearly. Far too often there are changes and new directions made along the way that MUST be covered in the paperwork in order for everyone to walk out of the completed project satisfied and unscathed. This is for the good of the client and the designer. Any confusion will only lead to unhappy clients and/or disgruntled designers. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have everything in writing and in detail. Here are a couple great resources for things to be aware of at this stage:

• Freelance Design Contracts & Templates
  
• What to Include In Your Design Contracts

Again, I like to approach the concept of having everything in writing not just to protect myself, but more importantly to insure transparent communication and a universal understanding of what all parties are responsible for. This saves a lot of questions and potential disagreements in the long run.

THE MOCKUP

For me, this can be the most enjoyable part of the process or the absolute worst nightmare. Most often my experience has been the former, but every now and then there is a client who forgets they hired me because they don’t know how to do it themselves. There is a difference between someone who has a vision or a style they feel strongly about and someone who believes they should micro-manage every design decision along the way. In those cases I do my best to try to expand the client’s vision to include the aspects they have not yet considered or even knew existed. It is a serious challenge for most designers because we consider ourselves artists and therefore everything we design has the potential to become our ‘baby’. No one messes with your baby, right? But once again I am reminded of the value and the virtue of humility, so I try to work with the client to keep from changing their vision to fit mine and instead meld and shape the two together to find the best possible compromise. In the end, the client MUST be happy and satisfied with the work, so I do everything I can to work toward that goal. It is not always easy, but usually it ends up with everyone stretched somewhat and ultimately united.

THE BUILD

I have found that the most important step I can take for the client in this part of the process is communication. Constant, consistent, concise communication. This is usually the longest stage and the one in which the client has little or no visual update throughout. So I try to give regular – daily, if possible – updates regarding the current status of the project. That may mean a quick phone call or a morning email that just states which parts of the site we’ve completed and what’s being worked on that day. Usually the client doesn’t need any in-depth explanation. They just want to know that work is being done and you care about them enough to keep them updated. Think about it. Wouldn’t you?

THE LAUNCH

I realize I’m skipping the testing phase, but I never let the client participate in testing a site, at least not until I have completely tested it myself. The last thing the client wants is to click on a link that doesn’t work and begin to allow the doubts or questions to creep in. Of course, neither do I. I want the client’s first experience with their shiny new website to be one that excites and amazes them. I want it to have that new car smell and ride like it’s never been driven by another. So when it comes time to launch, I simply allow the client the final walk-through to be sure that everything is exactly as decided in the proposal stage, including any changes that were made along the way.

In my opinion, the launch should be a party. An experience. A day that is remembered by the client as money well spent to receive something that surpasses their original dreams and provides sustained anjoyment and satisfaction. I consider myself a frugal man, and whether I am buying new shoes or a new car, I want to enjoy the anticipation and excitement of the purchased item for as long as possible. So I want this experience to be no less for my clients. This means planning and making sure the site is not rushed into launching before its time. This also means celebrating the client’s success as a partner in the launch, instead of focusing my personal pleasure on the completion and payment for the project.

THE CONCLUSION

In the end, you can see that ultimately the “Golden Rule” prevails throughout the process. Contrary to popular belief, the client is not always right, and to treat them as such would be patronizing and usually end up with substandard results. But I do believe the client must always be satisfied. Whatever it takes. That’s how I want to be treated as a client and as a human being. So that’s how I treat my clients. And other human beings.

I would love to hear your thoughts and your own guidelines and experiences that have formed your client relationships. Please feel free to share in the comments below.