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.

Transcript

1. Managing Your Client’s Expectations Jeremy Scott
 @jeremyescott
2. Honesty Hour: Ever Been Fed Up
 By A Customer? Photo (cc) mooTown on flickr
3. We All Made
 Lame Sites Once Too My First, cr 2005
5. (Blank because I don’t want you 
 to stare at my embarrassing past.)
6. #1: Know Thyself
7. Branding & Design Marketing,
 SEO, Content Programming Web
 Developer What are You? “Wordpress
 Integration
 Specialist”? What Are You Skills?
8. Branding Content Front-End
 Programming Back-End
 Programming Graphics/
 Design Graph Your Skills
9. Branding Content Front-End
 Programming Back-End
 Programming 3 1 5 2 Graphics/
 Design 1 My Skill Graph
10. The “Title” Matters: Web Developer Web Marketing Web Designer Programmer Wordpress Integration Specialist Wordpress Developer
11. #2: Listen
 (aka: Know Thy Client)
12. What For? The customer came to you with expectations,
 you need to determine what they are.
13. (cc) via flickr
14. Things to Listen For: Their goals for their site Their story About their clients Their budget
15. #3: Show Your Guns, Stick With Them Ensure a customer knows how you operate, par’ner (cc) via flickr
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
17. #4 Do The Survey Discovery Survey/Questionnaire (cc) via flickr
18. #5: Flexible & Fluid Timelines
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)
20. A Bad Timeline Project will launch on X date.
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.
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
23. #6: Avoid Industry Jargon 
 (But Teach Your Client How to Communicate with You.)
24. Header Post Sidebar
25. #7: Keep Your Promises
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.”
27. #8: Communicate
28. #9: Mash it all up into an Agreement (But don’t you dare give a client 
 just a stack of papers to sign.)
29. Blank for Q&A
30. They’re still out there, though…
31. (cc) Jedmark (Flickr)
32. Thank You! I’ll be at the Rockstar Bar Now to Lunchtime, let’s Chat! @jeremyescott