Clients… that golden, wonderful name, full of confidence, balance, and optimism. But on the other hand, it’s easy to get a hefty dose of frustration when dealing with a client. So, to stay comfortable and adapt to the mood swings of yourself and your client, treat them naturally. Don’t imagine them as that noble prince on a white horse. They’re just an ordinary person who needs a certain job done… for a certain amount of money, and that’s it.
Note: Some parts of this post are sarcastic and might be discouraging, not suitable for those with a cheerful and optimistic disposition!!
How Does the Client See You?
The simple truth is that the client sees you as a tool to get what they want, which is perfectly natural in some cases for this type of interaction. After all, you’re selling a product, “though in a different way from general commercial practice,” but in essence, what you’re doing is purely a business transaction. You provide a product and receive payment. Think of it this way and forget the fairy tales that describe your work as selling a “dream – style – and art.” It’s just business!!
How Does the Client See Themselves?
Your client is a “businessperson” with little time to spend communicating with you and explaining what they want, some more time to review what you’ve done, and additional time to give you the necessary revisions and some lovely advice. Please, don’t waste their time with long, meaningless talk. They fully understand what you’re doing, even better than you. Their revisions are the most suitable and will make the work look bright, wonderful, and unique.
The Project from the Client’s Perspective?
For you, a brand identity, for example, is “a harmonious, color-coordinated, visually balanced work of art, suitable for you and creative minds like you before anything else.” But, my friend, to your client, the brand identity is:
Just a graphic that helps them sell more – just a trend that changes over time – something nice one of their friends did, and they should do the same – a purely superficial style in some cases, or a form of ever-changing advertisement. Approach it this way. And when the client is an artist like you, and appreciates what you do, then you can scratch out this section, forget about it, and return to it with your next client.
How Does the Client Want You to Interact with Them?
The project, for you, is the project of the future, the one that will embellish your portfolio to be the most beautiful and exciting part of it. It’s the most unique thing you’ve encountered in your brief career. This project requires a lot of time, focus, and mental clarity. What you’re doing is just a small part of that grand project. Sometimes it may mean nothing, and at other times, it is the foundation on which your client builds their work. If what you’re doing isn’t top-notch and doesn’t impress everyone around your client, even their family, you’re destroying their golden project. So, beware and handle the project with care.
Time Management!!
Your client doesn’t have much time… So if they delay responding for a few days… no problem!! They’re busy and have a lot going on, but you, my friend, must respond within 12 to 24 hours at most, which is the ideal time frame for replying to emails “with some leniency, of course.” You have nothing else in your life except this project. Even while sleeping, think about it, and don’t forget your phone, please. They might send you some messages reminding you that they contacted you, and you haven’t responded yet!! Try to dedicate yourself to your wonderful client.
And About the Revisions,
What you do will be reviewed by at least twenty people, starting with your client and ending with their family. Everyone who sees it will add some ideas and suggestions, and you’ll need to try them out and then return to your client with them “and then repeat the process until everyone they know has seen it.” If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to finish and deliver the work without any “mental breakdown or stress-related illness” left by your happy client.
In the End,
This post is entirely satirical. Some of what I mentioned is real and happens to every designer or developer, and some of it is exaggerated for comedic effect. But, of course, I don’t mean to generalize. I’m just poking fun at some behaviors with a touch of sarcasm 🙂
