Characteristics of great (and not-so-great) design sprint clients
Let’s assume you’ve just gotten a brand new, shiny certification in design sprint facilitation (Congratulations!), and you’re looking to convert that investment into something meaningful. A new job, a new business venture, humble bragging… you could go anywhere with it.
Maybe you’re interested in signing a real, honest to goodness statement of work (SOW) to get some momentum and start practicing design sprints. It may be a side hustle where you’re hedging your bets on your current work engagement. Perhaps you’re considering a new career where the old one just isn’t doing it anymore.
Whatever your situation may be, you’ll need to be patient with your newly found design sprint facilitation skills. You’ll be pleasantly surprised if you can land a few contracts here and there… but you shouldn’t bank on solid work coming through (unless you’re ammaaaaazing).
Why be patient? Well, you’ll be using an inordinate amount of energy pursuing leads and opportunities (also known as business development, also known as ‘learning to hear the word “no”’).
These opportunities may come as a message late on a Thursday night where an old contact wants to meet for coffee *early* on Friday (like 5:00 AM Friday). Or, a lead that goes cold for 3–4 months and all of a sudden needs you engaged and involved in less than a week. It runs through a broad spectrum of possibilities.
The other reason, and probably more important…
Not all clients are created equal.
You’re going to run into a lot of clients that aren’t right for you (or them). Conversely, you’ll have clients that are as interested with working with you as you are with them, and want to make the relationship work.
But how do you know if a client is right for you?
Let’s start with a shortlist of four situations that probably aren’t right for anyone.
Budgetless Endeavors
You have an opportunity to work with an organization going through a digital transformation. It’s a larger company, and there’s room for both training and direct engagement of project teams on the design sprint process. It’s a multi-month contract that offers some great, solid work for the coming months.
Problem is, no one knows where the money is coming from.
It’s on the books, or it’s in planning, or there’s a desire to get a head start and begin exploring the problem space and the funding will eventually come in a bit. It could be a startup that’s waiting for another round of funding, or an existing company that paid a parent company which should send over the first 50% in a check in a couple of weeks.
Stop, turn around, and run as fast as you can in the other direction.
If there isn’t a payment up front for at least half of the contract, or you don’t have a signed contract in hand by an official representative of the company you’re doing business with and a timeline for payment, you shouldn’t be doing business with them. It almost always never works out.
Bad Communication
Let’s say you’re working on the details of your next design sprint with a potential client. There’s been a few phone calls, a series of emails, and a Sprint Charter that’s gone through a few revisions. You’re getting pretty close, and there are still a few details or issues to work through. You should have the contract hammered out by the end of the week.
However, you’re noticing that some conversations are going unanswered. You’re also seeing the client not pay attention to particular details around deliverables, scope and direction. They may seem like minor infractions or nuances, as things are moving along. But they probably hint at a larger problem.
Whenever a client isn’t listening, or clearly comprehending what’s going on during the planning stages of a design sprint, call a timeout.
There’s something clearly distracting the client or keeping them from fully engaging. Either way, that lack of attention may be symptomatic of something more problematic. Start a side conversation and see if you can figure out what’s going on. Otherwise, you might want to cut bait if you can’t get to the root problem.
Solo Client Engagements
You get to work with a C-level executive (and only the C-level executive) on your next design sprint. All thoughts and decisions go through this person, without any other client team members active or present. They act as the ultimate resource: Decider + their field of expertise (marketing, technology, etc.). Typically, they’ll have a unique vision and want to drive towards a prototype they can sell to their peers.
Here’s the problem… most executives are oriented to view design sprint teams as ‘resources’ and not ‘team members’. As such, they will likely work you into oblivion.
It’s not uncommon to hear a client-side team of one adjusting scope or adding to a storyboard. You can also expect to work will 1:00 AM to refine the prototype… sometimes with your client contact right there on the call, adjusting and refining micro-interactions to their personal specifications.
The scope of the project will likely expand as well, even if it wasn’t on the contract. The work doesn’t have a defined ‘end’ state, and it just seems to keep on going.
Deciding to do a design sprint is an intense process that requires full commitment from the team taking part in it, and not just a single individual. Without 100% engagement from everyone who has a stake in the project’s success, you’re setting yourself up for something less than expected.
Any engagement that values profits over people
No matter what the opportunity may be for your business… capturing that brand icon on your website, or snagging a million dollar contract, or having a pipeline for more business throughout the year, it’s not worth the hassle.
In the long run you’re sacrificing the well being of yourself and others that trust you. It’s the fastest way to lose your best talent and lose sight of your purpose and passion.
It’s never, ever worth it.
Characteristics of Great Clients
So what do you look for with your next client opportunity?
Here are a few characteristics to consider that may increase your chances of having a long-lasting engagement.
- They’re up front about their budget
If you can have the ‘budget’ talk within the first 30 minutes of your initial call, you’ll know whether the client is right for you. It’s great that you’ll understand their problem and the opportunity, but knowing the spend will dictate what kind of work you can realistically do. - They respond quickly
It’s hard to follow any process if a client disappears for several days or even weeks at a time. Open, frequent communication prevents mismatched expectations around deliverables and timelines. - They exhibit a teamwork mentality
There’s a tendency to view outside help with an “us” versus “them” mentality, and it never works. Clients who want to maximize success see teamwork as a critical component, and what you in their long term approach to their big opportunity. - They show patience with the process
The idea of change or innovation in the abstract always sounds like a good idea, but when it comes time to execute, clients often panic. Great clients understand that measurable results can take longer than a week. Having that patience as a foundation for your professional relationship will make everyone a winner. - They have healthy levels of cooperation
Finding a proper balance with a client can take a while. Everyone has a different way of working, and you can’t just do a design sprint in a vacuum. If there’s a healthy level of cooperation around goals, outcomes and the journey you’ll both take to get there, you’re in good shape. - They learn to trust you
The best relationship you can have with a client is a trusting one. Any lasting professional relationship is built on good references and great chemistry. If you’re allowed to conduct a design sprint to the best of your ability, you’ll set the stage for some great work. - They show an interest in the process
Not everyone will be interested in design sprints, but clients curious to improve will ask questions and try to understand what’s going on. If you have some client-side team mates who want to learn more, take the time to feed that need. You might develop an advocate for what you bring to the table. - They have a sense of humor
Can you relax and be yourself? Can you joke with them and have a good laugh together? Humor cuts to the chase. If you can share a laugh at some of the unexpected events that happen (both in and outside your Sprint), you’ll have a great shared experience to reflect on.
The more you have of these, the better your chances of having a lasting, meaningful relationship with a client that values what you do.
If you have more to add to this list, or have your own stories of challenging client relationships, feel free to leave some comments below! I’d love to hear your stories.
Until next time, I hope your upcoming design sprints are rewarding, engaging and above all else… a wonderful experience for you and your clients!
