Episode 25: Clients, Working Remote VS. In Person

Show Notes for This Episode:

[1:00] In this week’s episode we’re looking at client relationships and more specifically at the differences between working with clients remotely vs. working with them face to face
[2:00] Ian Barnard is on holiday and the other hosts are wondering what will the dynamic of the show be without a host
[3:00] Tom used to do both back in his freelance days and loved the in-person interaction as you can get more done and get instant feedback
[3:40] This reminds Tom of the big negative of in person interaction as client’s will end up looking over your shoulder
[4:00] Dustin remembers that about 10 years ago people used to mostly work with people that were local
[5:00] Lisa mentions that she started with local clients and this has helped her establish the initial relationship with them
[5:50] If you’re looking at long term relationships you should probably put in the effort and meet your clients face-to-face
[6:30] For one off jobs meetings could end up being a waste of time
[7:30] Dustin mentions a good way of building real relationships is becoming friends with your clients
[8:10] Building a relationship is all that matters – it’s up to you how you to find the best way to do it
[8:50] Tom thinks that if the four hosts were closer to each other their relationship and friendship would have developed faster
[9:20] Meeting in person is still very important and there is no real substitute for it
[9:50] It’s much easier to explain your processes and get a better brief when meeting clients face to face
[11:00] Conferences are a great way of meeting people and developing relationships which couldn’t have otherwise been established via email
[12:30] Tom has met Ian a couple of times but looks forward to meeting Lisa and Dustin in person
[12:50] Tom tells the hosts how incredible it was meeting Elijah, one of our oldest customers
[14:00] Dustin remember meeting a great customer and how many things he found about him while meeting in person
[14:50] Meeting someone that you’ve only known online is almost like meeting a celebrity, because you know so much about them already
[15:30] Technology has enabled us to communicate remotely with so many people
[16:00] Dustin wonders how people used to work and communicate remotely before the Internet boom
[16:30] There’s never been a better time to be a designer
[17:00] Client’s find it difficult to articulate what they want and meeting them in person will make this easier
[18:00] You need to meet the client and see their company to get a good feel of the work they really need, not what they think they need
[18:30] You can really show your expertise when meeting the client in person
[19:30] Fake designers might hide online but can’t hide when meeting the client face to face
[20:00] A huge benefit of meeting in person is that clients can see the kind of person you are
[21:30] “Sitting and having a beer with someone is the equivalent of talking for a year on Twitter” – Dustin Lee
[22:00] Explaining to a non-designer what you do is much easier face to face
[22:45] It’s beneficial to have people skills and show your personality before starting work on a project
[23:30] Once you’ve done the ground work the client will know you better and understand you when communicating via non-personal channels
[24:30] Sometimes meeting face to face is just not possible
[25:15] Quick fire tips – ways to communicate when it’s not possible to meet face to face
[27:00] A personal card/gift will help break the digital divide
[27:50] Dustin mentions the DC personal video tweets and how much they meant to him
[28:30] Use the right platforms for the right type of communication
[29:40] Put in a bit of effort and take note of your client’s current situation
[31:20] Do the personal touches for as many clients as you can
[32:00] Dustin made personalized postcards and has these ready for whenever he needs to send them
[33:00] The project brief is very important so make sure you ask the questions and get all the details you need
[34:00] Dustin thinks that video calls are very useful to clarify project details
[34:45] Tom mentions the most common downfall or video calls: connection drops and unflattering freeze faces
[36:40] Dustin and Tom say this is true for pictures as well, and it’s very hard to find the one good picture in which everyone looks okay
[37:40] If you can’t meet with clients make the effort to go to a couple conferences
[38:20] Dustin found this very beneficial as he always got a good contract from a conference
[38:50] Find someone to go with as it might be easier to start conversations and network
[39:40] Dustin found some important partners this way
[40:10] People are used to being spammed online so they will usually have their guards up
[40:40] Conferences help break these barriers
[41:30] Tom is setting a reminder for himself to find some conferences to attend
[42:10] Conferences can be beneficial for everyone no matter the design experience of the designer attending
[42:40] Dustin mentions local meet-ups
[43:20] Tom went to an entrepreneurs meet-up but wasn’t impressed
[44:00] Dustin would like an invite for the four Honest Designers hosts to ‘Weapons of Mass Creation Fest”
[44:50] Dustin prefers smaller conferences as most people attending will share the same hostel which makes them interact easier
[46:20] Tom reiterates the importance of meeting clients in person
[47:00] Treat your clients like a friend and talk about stuff outside of work
[47:30] “We buy from people we like” – Dustin Lee
[48:20] Think of your clients as people and less as clients
[48:40] Don’t worry about impressing them
[49:00] Take advantage of any opportunity to meet them in person
[49:50] Thank you for listening to this week’s episode