Vice Versa Client Management - Digital PM Summit, Philadelphia 2013

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3duj7DL2_Tw
Site: http://www.thesambarnes.com

Having worked with and delivered projects for too many clients to count, last year Sam found himself in the surreal position of actually being a client himself, responsible for selecting a digital agency, designs, copy, functionality - everything.

He thought he’d be an awesome client, he thought the project would be easy - he thought wrong!

Instead he gained a unique insight into what it’s like being on the other side that will forever change how he perceives clients and delivers web projects.

Find out what he learnt as well as Sam’s ‘revised’ approach to managing clients, stakeholders and teams.

Transcript

1. Vice Versa Client Management
   

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2. @thesambarnes
   thesambarnes.com
   

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4. One face of client management
   

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5. Another face of client management
   

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7. “Or at least move it round the side of his head a bit”
   

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9. Confession 1
   I laughed and swore at client requests.
   

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10. Skip forward a few years...
    

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11. I went to the dark side...
    

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12. A CLIENT!
    I BECAME
    

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13. Confessions 2 and 3
    I thought I’d be the best client ever in the universe!
    I thought the project would be easy!
    

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14. WRONG!
    

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15. BEING A CLIENT
    IS REALLY HARD!
    

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16. Hiring a digital agency
    1
    

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18. Time consuming
    Tiring
    Repetitive
    ...for many clients
    Daunting
    Meh!
    

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19. Just to get five agencies in...
    

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20. Took brief from boss
    Created written brief
    Found agencies
    Contacted agencies
    Sent project brief
    Answered questions about brief
    Arranged times key people can meet
    Booked meeting rooms & confirmations
    

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21. So, to get five agencies in...
    A few hours of meetings and research.
    10x emails per agency = 50 emails in 2-3 days.
    Not so bad right?
    

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22. Many clients don’t have
    dedicated time for projects.
    

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24. Proposals
    2
    

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27. Confessions 4 and 5
    I didn’t read every page.
    I $
    kipped to the costing page.
    

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28. Put costs first in your proposal?
    

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29. IDIOT!
    

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30. YOU’RE THE IDIOT!
    Always find out a client’s budget.
    

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31. Put costs first in your proposal?
    Here’s how much we want to charge you.
    ...and here’s why we’re worth it.
    

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32. Project timelines in proposals
    3
    

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34. Overselling is a false economy
    

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35. schedule-realistic.pdf
    

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37. What can I do about overselling?
    Get involved in pre-sales!
    

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38. Client meetings
    4
    

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39. Audio record client meetings
    The practical meeting tip.
    

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43. Audionote
    Notability
    Pear Note
    

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44. Sony ICDPX333.CE7 4GB PX Series MP3 Digital Voice IC Recorder
    

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46. No bullshit meeting talk
    The experimental client meeting tip.
    

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47. “We could do that, but...”
    “I see where you’re coming from, but...”
    “I agree with you, but...”
    “That’s interesting feedback, but...”
    

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49. Directness as a differentiator
    Managing clients is easier when you can be direct.
    

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50. Educate your clients
    5
    

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51. “When you step into the room with a
    client, you are a visitor from the future...”
    

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52. “You, web professional, spend your days immersed
    in the new paradigms of the multi-device web.
    Yet even for you, the constant change and
    adjustments that come with living on the internet
    can feel overwhelming.
    So how do you think your clients feel?”
    Matt Griffin, Client Relationships and the Multi-Device Web
    

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53. Explain digital PM and agencies
    In detail.
    

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54. Present your PM process
    Whole project lifecycle.
    Common project issues.
    

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56. Scope
    Time
    Cost
    Quality
    Quality
    

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57. Project process takeaway
    

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58. OMG DESIGN ITERATIONS!
    From the client’s perspective...
    

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59. Confessions 6 and 7
    I was a nightmare client when it came to design.
    I didn’t give a crap about iteration limits.
    

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60. “I know Sam found this hard as he is
    definitely a perfectionist and found it hard
    to be just on the outside of this process.
    This led to a certain degree of pixel
    pushing and numerous iterations.”
    The Digital PM who managed me.
    

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61. Explain your agency processes
    In detail.
    

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62. Be adaptable
    Process for the sake of it is just dumb.
    

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63. “The best kind of agency and client
    relationship is when the client’s company
    forget that you’re a third-party supplier.”
    An old boss of mine.
    

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64. Manage clients like your team
    6
    

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65. My team wah
    wah wah wah
    

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66. wah wah wah
    wah wah wah
    

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68. I see...
    

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69. So what are YOU
    going to do about it?
    

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70. Huh?
    If your team are failing, then
    YOU’RE failing as their manager.
    

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71. WTF!?
    

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72. If a client is failing, you’re failing.
    

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73. Treat them like one of your team
    But never at the expense of your actual team.
    

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74. What a client’s day is like
    7
    

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75. Opinions, opinions, opinions
    

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76. Strength of a bear
    

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78. Help the client out
    

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79. Make the client look good
    

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80. Managing expectations
    8
    

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82. Not just for clients
    How?
    

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83. One simple Jedi technique
    Are you ready for this?
    

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84. BE HONEST
    

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85. mind.blown
    

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86. JUST BE BLOODY
    HONEST
    

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87. “A No uttered from the deepest
    conviction is better than a Yes
    merely uttered to please, or worse,
    to avoid trouble.”
    Mahatma Gandhi
    

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88. @brettharned #stalker
    “Honest and friendly chat resulted in agreement”
    

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89. However, be warned...
    

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90. “Sam, you have about as much tact
    as being hit in the face with a brick.”
    Another old boss of mine.
    

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91. Weekly reports from day one
    

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92. What was done this week
    What will be done next week
    Blockers / issues
    Revised project timeline
    Revised project budget
    

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93. Dealing with Megabeasts
    What the f*&k is a Megabeast?
    9
    

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96. One way to deal with Megabeasts
    

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97. The right way to deal
    with Megabeasts
    

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104. JUST DO THE RIGHT THING
     No matter what,
     just keep doing the right thing,
     and it will all be ok in the end.
     

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106. “He wins his battles by making no
     mistakes. Making no mistakes is what
     establishes the certainty of victory,
     for it means conquering an enemy
     that is already defeated.”
     Sun Tzu PMP, The Art of War
     

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107. You remain the professional one
     You can never be accused of anything
     Always on solid moral ground
     Gain respect for not reacting
     Exposes the problem in the right way
     It REALLY pisses Megabeasts off :)
     

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108. Just one more thing...
     

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109. Get client feedback
     Really listen, learn and change.
     10
     

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110. “Sam, it was great working with you
     and I learned a lot...”
     

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111. “HOWEVER”
     

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112. “In the nicest possible way...”
     YOU WERE A PAIN IN THE ASS!
     The Digital PM who managed me.
     

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114. We can change
     client’s faces,
     from this...
     

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115. To this :-)
     

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116. Thank you
     

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117. @thesambarnes
     thesambarnes.com
     

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118. Credits
     • Worst Client Comments posters by http://sharpsuits.net
     • Meeting designed by Joe Sparano from The Noun Project
     • Scared designed by Nicolas Hue from The Noun Project
     • Test Tube designed by Benton Rochester from The Noun Project
     • Triangle designed by Pierre TORET from The Noun Project
     • Angry designed by Austin Condiff from The Noun Project
     • Neutral designed by Austin Condiff from The Noun Project
     • Disgusted designed by Austin Condiff from The Noun Project
     • Stormtrooper designed by Simon Child from The Noun Project
     • Death Star designed by Andrew Forrester from The Noun Project
     • Death Star designed by iconoci from The Noun Project
     • Darth Vader designed by iconoci from The Noun Project
     • Group designed by Javier Cabezas from The Noun Project
     • Meeting designed by Julieta Felix from The Noun Project
     • Teacher designed by Juan Pablo Bravo from The Noun Project
     • Target designed by Simon Child from The Noun Project
     • Audio Recorder designed by André Rafael from The Noun Project
     • Rating designed by Dirk Schmücker from The Noun Project
     • Devil designed by SuperAtic LABS from The Noun Project
     • People designed by Tiago Monteiro from The Noun Project
     • Happy designed by Tobias F. Wolf from The Noun Project
     • http://www.flickr.com/photos/pasukaru76/5023702628
     • http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattingham/4379387793
     • http://www.flickr.com/photos/baggis/4970712962
     • http://www.flickr.com/photos/cole007/3295053576
     • Matt Griffin, Client Relationships and the Multi-Device Web
     

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