As the old saying goes – you can’t live with them, but you can’t live without them and that definitely holds true for all clients. They are the backbone of your work financially and I tend to think sometimes they can be, though rarely, the inspiration of great design work. That comments derives from either their relentless push to make you work harder for them or even from your shear determination to prove to them that you are good at what you do, so next time round, they will listen and not argue. Managing client expectations can cause ‘butting heads’ and stems from a whole host of things. But, today I will get in to the details about why; why we need clients; why they annoy us and why you need to take a step back and understand how you should best approach conversations/arguments with them. I don’t believe for even a second that I have all the answers, though my methods over the years have seen me achieve great out comes with clients and in the end, happy results.
I think the most important thing to do when managing client expectations is to understand them and understand what you are doing for them. Firstly understanding them. This can be harder is you aren’t great at reading people, though can be achieved by simply asking them a few questions. Ask them a bit about themselves, why they started their business, what was their motivation to get experienced help with design and what were they intended outcomes. Once you get a grasp of these things you soon know what they are setting out to achieve. Knowing them doesn’t necessarily need to mean that you should know everything about them though does help to get a quick understanding of their persona. Know what ticks them off quickly so that you can avoid doing those things through an argument. Second and this ties in with the questions, understand what you are doing for them. You should always perceive that as a designer you main goal is to fix a problem. Asking the client about this problem in details will soon better give you a comprehension of your later goal. Compiling a detailed list of the conversation that takes place is a sure measure of having some evidence later on. This can definitely work to your advantage.
Signing off, Max Schindler
Chief editor and copy writer for Xmarx.