How to Avoid Being a Difficult Client and Get More Bang for Your Buck

By Rick Sloboda (@webcopyplus) Apr 28, 2010 Comments

1 comment

Working with contractors or 3rd parties, like any relationship, is a two-sided affair. Here are some tips for keeping your Web projects running smoothly.

Like anyone whose job involves direct client contact, web professionals often come across difficult client behavior patterns. But as the saying goes — the customer is always right — and often these problems go unchecked in favor of politeness. These things not only affect your web professional's sanity, but may also be detrimental to your working relationship, your project's productivity, and even your wallet's contents.

The following is a collection of things you should avoid saying to your web professionals, including designers, developers, and copywriters, if you want to get the most out of their services, while making the world a happier place.

"This Shouldn't Take Long"

Describing a project to your designer or developer as ‘quick' by saying things like, "this design shouldn't take long," or "I've got a great vision that should be easy to design" is a surefire eye-roll trigger. Unless, of course, you are well versed in the intricacies of great design and developing, which is not usually the case.

Designing a logo that represents everything your company stands for, or a website your customers can easily navigate, plays an important role in communicating your desired brand image, and also takes time and effort. Remember that you are paying your service provider for his or her expertise on something that is not as simple as a finger snap, or anyone could do it.

If you're saying these things in an effort to subliminally reduce the amount of hours you will have to pay for, you're just going to annoy the provider and start your relationship on the wrong foot.

"Give It To Me Raw"

You may not be aware of this, but asking your graphic designer to give you the raw design files after the job is complete often loosely translates as, "I'm going to keep this so I can make changes in the future or give it to a cheaper, less talented graphic designer to butcher as I see fit."

This is particularly troublesome if the design has been carefully crafted to represent your brand, and is meant to be consistent with the rest of your marketing designs.

Think of it as walking into your grandmother's kitchen and adding tons of salt to the pot she's been slaving over all day. She knows what she's doing and she's been doing it a heck of a lot longer than you have so leave it alone before you create a monster.

"Last Change, I Promise!"

Your copywriter has just sent you 15 pages of web copy for approval and awaits your comments. Instead of taking the time to carefully go through the web copy and collect your thoughts on edits, you start firing off emails. You've also sent the draft to several of your coworkers for their input. Now the poor copywriter is under email assault and is getting multiple edit requests from several different people.

Designers and developers also agree that taking time to compile your requested changes in one response saves everyone time, money, and headaches. This is because: 1. Well-organized feedback is more easily understood and applied; and 2. Your copywriter or designer is now able to make changes all at once, which can actually end up saving their time, and your money.

"You're My (Human Paintbrush)"

Don't get upset when your copywriter or graphic designer limits your edits on a project. By the time you've hired them, you've endorsed their creativity and have agreed to pay them for their brilliance. Micro-managing the project every step of the way is like hiring a human paintbrush. If you would rather do the project yourself, maybe your money would be better spent on your own graphic design software.