Product Consulting: 4 Steps to Happier Clients
If you have done client work for more than a couple minutes you know there is a lot more to it than just delivering great work. These are 4 steps I have implemented over the years and they have completely transformed my client relationships. Now, instead of playing catch up or having to endure painful conversations with clients, I am able to take on more work with less effort, capture more referral business, and maintain long-term, healthy client relationships.
If you are in a rut or feel like you keep getting the wrong clients, these might help you push through.
1. Keep it crispy
The foundation of these types of relationships is built on you providing clarity. Your client is swimming in a sea of murky ambiguity, which is why they hired you. The #1 way for you to serve them is to provide them with extreme clarity from start to finish.
For me, this starts from the very first email I send back to a potential client. Client requests are very rarely pretty, so it is your responsibility to inject clarity into the conversation from the get-go.
Typically, I get a message like this:
“Hey Daniel, So-and-so referred you to help with this product we are working on. We have [insert some type of issue] and are trying to [insert some type of aspirational state]. I am wondering if you could help us work through this.”
Now, I have a few ways that I work with clients. Young me would have replied:
“Sounds Like a great project! I offer service A, B and C. I could definitely see B working well for you, but if you only want A that’s cool too!”
Awful, I know. But, some of us learn by tripping. The client is already trying to decide if they want to work with me or not, now I’ve added additional cognitive load by asking them to decide how they want to work together.
Clients are coming to you for expert guidance, so you have to give them expert guidance from the very beginning, starting with choosing which service would be best for them.
Here is what my response looks like now, keeping things crispy:
Thanks for reaching out,
I offer full day, on-site consulting to help with x, y, z. It sounds like this would work well based on your email.
Here is how it works:
1. You do this before our on-site.
2. I do this before our on-site. I will send you doc a, b, c, and an agenda before our on-site.
3. During our on-site, this is exactly what will happen, and this is what you will have at the end of the day.
I charge $12 for the full day on-site. This includes [all these specific things]. I have availability on [all these days].
If you are looking for a different type of service or price point I would be happy to refer you to someone who might be a better fit.
That’s it, and I close a ton of deals this way. I am telling the client exactly how I can help them, exactly what is needed from them, and how every step of the process will look. This has an additional benefit of setting the bar. In one email the client and I agree on what the bar is and what a good experience will look like.
2. Make it easy to buy your time
Ok, dealing with money is awkward no matter what, especially if you are an introverted designer like me. Having your invoice and payment system dialed in avoids any chance for awkwardness here. Again, we are aiming for clarity every step of the way. Having an unclear payment process is a chore for the client and adds unnecessary challenge for already awkward people (read: designers like me).
One counter-intuitive way that I keep my payment process clear is by coupling it with scheduling my time. I have an email that basically says:
“To book this day you need to pay by June 2. Pay me $12 by clicking here. Once I receive your payment you will receive a calendar invite for our on-site”
That’s it. They pay, I release an invite, I buy myself a drink to celebrate. Everyone is happy, and no awkwardness is possible.
Notice again-Clarity, clarity, clarity. There is no room for frustration to enter the situation because we are continually serving clients with a clear, non-ambiguous path forward.
3. Do great work.
Yep. You read that right, you actually have to do something awesome now. Fortunately, we already have the playbook for what awesome looks like from step #1, so all you have to do is execute on that and go above and beyond to create a great experience. This all comes down to having your work systems dialed.
Before you start with a client have your research methods tight, your deliverable templates dialed and your agenda completely tested and optimized. Here, you need to set your own personal processes and standards so you know you can consistently deliver on your expectations. Remember, you are the expert here. You know what the client needs and you need to create systems and processes to consistently deliver. Having your agenda, process, and deliverables dialed in continues the clear path for the client.
Lastly, and I shouldn’t even have to say this anymore, but you have to over deliver. Setting the expectations for the client is not the same as drawing your finish line. I’m just going to be real here: I totally sandbag when it comes to this. When I am setting expectations with a client I make sure that I am setting them up to get everything they need and that they are getting a ton of value for their money, but I always tell them I am going to run a 6 minute mile, fully knowing that I intend to run a 4 minute mile. Make sure you have value adds and make sure they are awesome. This is what separates satisfied clients from enthusiastic clients.
4. Ask for feedback
This step is extremely important and the best way for you to stay self-aware and growing. Asking for feedback is one of the quickest ways to make major learnings and adjust so that you can continue to improve your client experience and your reputation.
This helps you do #3 easier in the future and also lets you respond to and correct any areas where the client may have been underserved. It may take a little extra time on your part, but if you didn’t give them the value they paid for on the first time around it is important to have integrity and remedy the situation.
When asking for feedback it is best to keep it to 3–5 questions and ask things that are actually important to you. There is no sense in asking questions that you aren’t actually willing to address, so don’t ask “Is there anything I could have done better?” if you aren’t going to be open to the feedback and actually try to learn something from it.
I have a very simple email that I send out each time, and I only ask 4 questions:
1. What worked?
2. What didn’t work?
3. Did I miss anything?
4. Would you write me a short review?
That’s it, and I have gotten the best, most candid and most informative feedback from these emails. I take this portion very seriously and I urge you, if you want to grow your business, take it seriously as well.
That’s it! Those are the 4 steps I follow through every consulting process and it makes life 1000% easier for both the client and myself. Since implementing these steps I have very little friction with clients; and clients who aren’t going to work out get weeded out pretty early, which is better for both of us.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or want to learn about any specifics on each step, I would love to hear from you!
