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Managing Client Expectations - Wordcamp Phoenix 2014

Jeremy Scott
January 18, 2014

Managing Client Expectations - Wordcamp Phoenix 2014

Managing client expectations. 9 thoughts to help get you and your client on the same page and keep it that way. Look for it on Wordpress.tv (one day) and hit me up on Twitter @jeremyescott.

Jeremy Scott

January 18, 2014
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Transcript

  1. Managing Your
    Client’s Expectations
    Jeremy Scott

    @jeremyescott

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  2. Honesty Hour:
    Ever Been Fed Up

    By A Customer?
    Photo (cc) mooTown on flickr

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  3. We All Made

    Lame Sites
    Once Too
    My First, cr 2005

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  4. View Slide

  5. (Blank because I don’t want you 

    to stare at my embarrassing past.)

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  6. #1: Know Thyself

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  7. Branding
    & Design
    Marketing,

    SEO, Content
    Programming
    Web

    Developer
    What are You?
    “Wordpress

    Integration

    Specialist”?
    What Are You Skills?

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  8. Branding
    Content
    Front-End

    Programming
    Back-End

    Programming
    Graphics/

    Design
    Graph Your Skills

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  9. Branding
    Content
    Front-End

    Programming
    Back-End

    Programming
    3
    1
    5
    2 Graphics/

    Design
    1
    My Skill Graph

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  10. The “Title” Matters:
    Web Developer
    Web Marketing
    Web Designer
    Programmer
    Wordpress Integration Specialist
    Wordpress Developer

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  11. #2: Listen

    (aka: Know Thy Client)

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  12. What For?
    The customer came to
    you with expectations,

    you need to determine
    what they are.

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  13. (cc) via flickr

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  14. Things to Listen For:
    Their goals for their site
    Their story
    About their clients
    Their budget

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  15. #3: Show Your
    Guns, Stick
    With Them
    Ensure a customer
    knows how you
    operate, par’ner
    (cc) via flickr

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  16. Show Your Guns
    Explain your skills, best practices
    Establish yourself as an expert
    Use experience to explain how you can
    deliver, also what you’d do in addition
    to client’s wishes
    Use your expertise to sway a client’s
    expectations if they aren’t optimal

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  17. #4 Do The Survey
    Discovery Survey/Questionnaire
    (cc) via flickr

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  18. #5: Flexible & Fluid
    Timelines

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  19. Things that delay a
    launch… 1,2,3,Go!
    You (Usually personal reasons).
    Your team/contractors.
    The client (Failure to Deliver).
    Technical issues (Usually at Launch)

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  20. A Bad Timeline
    Project will launch on X date.

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  21. A Better Timeline
    Project launches on x date.
    We will have a 80% design review t-
    minus 2-weeks
    I will have wireframes to client by
    Thursday, please return them signed
    by next Tuesday.

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  22. A Fluid (& Awesome) Timeline
    Duration Milestone & Deliverable(s)
    Today Initial Meeting & Discovery Survey
    !
    Tomorrow Discovery Survey Approval Due
    Deposit Due
    !
    + 4 Days Wireframes Delivered to You
    Brand Content Due
    !
    + 3 Weeks 60% Design Review

    Page Content Due
    !
    + 2 Weeks 95% Review, Testing, Launch Approval
    !
    + 1 Weeks Data Migration and Site Launch

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  23. #6: Avoid Industry
    Jargon 

    (But Teach Your Client
    How to Communicate
    with You.)

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  24. Header
    Post
    Sidebar

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  25. #7: Keep Your
    Promises

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  26. - Rebecca Rupp
    “Keep all your promises, don't take
    what doesn't belong to you, and
    always look after those less
    fortunate than yourself, and you'll
    do well in the world.”

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  27. #8: Communicate

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  28. #9: Mash it all up
    into an Agreement
    (But don’t you dare give a client 

    just a stack of papers to sign.)

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  29. Blank for Q&A

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  30. They’re still out
    there, though…

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  31. (cc) Jedmark (Flickr)

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  32. Thank You!
    I’ll be at the Rockstar Bar
    Now to Lunchtime, let’s Chat!
    @jeremyescott

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