10 Ways to Manage Clients and Keep Your Sanity

Transcript

1. 10 Ways to Manage Clients and keep your Sanity
2. about.me • github.com/kzap • examine.com - Director of Technology • Openovate Labs - Int’l Accounts • Namespace.PH - Chief everything officer.
3. “You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want” - Zig Ziglar, Secrets of Closing the Sale (1984)
4. How much? • Know your per hour rate • Have a Weekly, Monthly Price • Have a minimum charge / engagement, deposit. • Have an broad estimates. • Separate pricing for QA, Testing, Written Tests, mobile, hosting….
5. Document Everything • Put your tasks in the contract • Be very detailed and specific • No vague terms. • Include QA and Bug fixing terms, maximum iterations. • Responsibilities of Client and Developer • Separation clauses for end of contract • Get a lawyer for contracts above 100k
6. http://theoatmeal.com/comics/design_hell
7. Default to No • People don’t know what they want • Scope out everything first • Can we do this? Ask should it be done • You are the expert, you are the one who was hired.
8. Exaggerated Timelines • Project time vs Quoted Time • Set Weekly Reports / Monthly Meetings • Under-promise, Over-deliver • 2-3x Actual Estimate
9. Protect Your Devs • Buffer between client and developer • You need to talk both languages • Client’s don’t know how to manage engineers • Rules for devs in talking to clients
10. Be the first to email • Always follow up first, even if the client doesn’t reply. • Set an expected response date/time (24-72hours) • If possible, email an acknowledgement • Reply within a strict timeline • If the client follows up, you fail
11. http://alicebolte.com/2013/08/04/how-to-deal-with-a-bad-client/
12. Have patience • Think of it like a partnership, not a contract • You are building a relationship, not a one night stand • See the project through the eyes of the client • Develop the idea first if possible • Make your life easier
13. Changes cost money • Change management • Client’s have no real idea of how long it takes • Say yes we can do this but always mention a price • If you do something for free, make it known you are doing it for free this time, but not next. • Don’t be abused
14. http://creativemornings.com/talks/mike-monteiro--2/1
15. Collection - Get Paid • DO NOT DO ANY WORK WITHOUT A DEPOSIT • Host on your own Dev machine • Do not upload to their servers unless balance is paid, make this in your contract • You own all the code until they pay in FULL • Once you give them the files, you lose your advantage • Have milestones to ease collection. 50, 20, 20, 10 etc. • Base it on the relationship.
16. Happy Client, Happy Life? • Means to an end • Stick with the good clients • Fire the bad clients • Look for partnerships, recurring revenue, % deals. Passive income. • Don’t have to be the entrepreneur.
17. http://phackers.IO - REGISTER NOW