I hate assumptions. We all do, yet we’re always making them. Assumptions are especially widespread in tech agencies, where too many of us assume our clients always know everything about what we do.
At Phuse, we do everything we can to avoid assumptions. So we made a Client Guide — previously known as our Client Handbook — to share with prospective clients. It gives a synopsis of who we are, what we do and how we do it. We dedicate a number of pages to outlining our iterative process: what it is, how it works and how clients are involved. It even goes a few steps further and discusses the tools we use, how we like to communicate and other ways that we (Phusers and clients) can maximize our working relationships.
We often work with entrepreneurs and startups who have not worked with design or development partners before. Giving them our Client Guide not only supplies them with a resource to consult if they’re ever confused about our process; it also sets expectations and builds trust between us and our clients. We work collaboratively and iteratively, so it wouldn’t make sense to leave them in the dark about anything we do.
If you run a service-based business and don’t have a client guide, I strongly recommend putting one together. Ours has saved us a lot of time previously spent on questions and concerns, and we think it’s a great way to show prospective clients that we’ll take care of them. Most importantly, it leaves very little room for those pesky assumptions.
We recently spent some time with Jonathan, one of our newer designers, writing and designing the new Client Guide. Feel free to download it, have a look and tell us what you think. :)
