A Head Full Of Plush

Being an freelancer whatever kind is a little bit like having an relationship. The thought crossed my mind while reading the "web designer's success guide" by Kevin Airgid which had been published as a book quite some time ago and was now released as a freely downloadable PDF.
One chapter, Project Management and Client Treatment, stirred a special interest in me, simply because I was lining up quite a bunch of analogies to leading a relationship.

I. Respect your clients.
" (...) nine times out of ten, it isn't arrogance that makes clients think they know how to design, it's the passion that they have for the project. (...) Replace impatience with respect for their position. They want to do a great job."

II. Be consistent.
" (...) You must be consistent all the time. (...) Or you may need to learn how to say no. Not every change request is a good one, and you must be able to diplomatically say to avoid racking up unquoted hours."

III. Be honest.
"This is Kindergarten, Golden Rule stuff. It's this simple_ lies grow like cancer, they require tremendous energy to cover up and they are disastrous to your reputation."

IV. Be the expert.
"You are the one that trained in your field and worked hard to develop your skills. So have confidence in your skills and be an advisor to your client. They need and want help; so you should provide it."

V. Listen.
"Sometimes in our eagerness to show off our abilities, we get over zealous with chatter about our ideas. You can walk away from a meeting feeling like you really got to shine, and they'll walk away wondering if you understood at all what they want."

VI. Go the extra mile
"Worry less about the money you're being paid and a lot more about doing an excellent job, one that you can be proud to put in your portfolio."

VII. Reflect and take note.
"When you begin new personal relationships, you spend time noticing the things they like, what they don't like and what is important to them."

Anymore questions? Time for an hour of Civ 4, then I may get back to work or to sleep, either way... I have some things to discuss with my friends. :)

The salad wasn't that bad. ;)