Client call coming in. "Hello good people of Agency X, we need a website. It needs to be done in one month, may cost us $ 10.000 and we need it to reach 200.000 visits of which 10% needs to subscribe to our e-mail newsletter. Can you help us out?". There isn't an agency or individual out there who is going to answer the question with a no and rightly so.
Very often clients have no idea what they are really asking for nor do the agencies. What was your initial thought after reading the first paragraph? It should probably have been: why is the client asking for this?
Back to basics
Many agencies take a client brief like the one above and take it "home" to develop. This basically means they start brainstorming , often with limited information. I've seen it before and have lost the occassional pitch against another agency because their story "looked better". However, I would always insist on getting some information if your Account Executive or Sales Manager didn't already get it for you.
The list below shows the information I would be after if I am expected to make a difference on a project.
The client
What do we know about our client at this point? Nothing really. First thing to find out is more about our caller. I'd like to know his name and position. With position I am not only talking about what is on his business card - I want to know his role in the project. Are there any other people involved? Because then we're not only managing one person's expectations anymore...
The product/service of the client
We didn't only not know our client's name. We also have no idea about his product or service. Once we know his product or service - we can dive a little deeper. I'd like to know the strategy behind the product or service and how is it positioned in the market at this moment. This results in us understanding the product, the field of play and - the competitors!
Target audience
Our client requested 200.000 visits. Obviously it matters to him that those 200.000 visits are coming from the audience our client is looking for. So next up is to dive into the target audience. What are their needs when it comes to this product or service? Why does our product matter to them?
The real goal
Our client's goal was never a goal. The real goal would be what our client wants to accomplish. Getting 20.000 subscribers to a newsletter can indeed be a goal. But in all honesty its an empty number. Because our client wants these 20.000 people to do something after subscribing. The best question to ask is "Why should people subscribe"? What's in it for them?
Budget and planning
Our client has stated a budget and timeframe. However, any agency will tell you these things are often subject to change. Sometimes you can't change the budget or timeframe, but often you will find a budget can be stretched. Its actually quite logical: our client is still looking for the best work. And a great solution will take time and cost money. If you feel you can't excell in the given conditions, don't do the work.
Other demands
Its always smart to ask for other demands. For instance, is the project part of a bigger platform? Or are there any other guidelines we have to follow? As a designer I would also always ask for the brandguides, logo's and fonts.
The smart approach
About 6 years ago I created a Word document for myself which includes about 22 questions to ask a client. With every new project I take my document and try filling it in. This helps me in understanding the real question of our client. I don't want to listen to a client to respond, I want to understand my client - so the solution fits his needs.
Here are my 22 questions I ask at the start of every project.
Clients
If you are a client you should really ask yourself - how much does an agency know about me? Especially during pitches. How many agencies have dived into your history? That should be a guide when you select an agency. I would also advice to stick with an agency for a few years. Create a roadmap with your agency, as partners in crime. You will find that agencies actually care a lot about what they do and a long-term partnership is something we all love.
Understanding, not responding
In this blog post I tried to write down my feelings about understanding a client. Way too often I've seen that clients did not get the best solution, because the agencies didn't understand. There could also be a reason why a company didn't want to understand. If I take a look at the first paragraph and how that client approached us - I would be cautious.
Sometimes it takes a little time, but when you're really helping your client you will get involved in more. You will get another project or be involved in roadmaps and the bigger picture. In my professional career I was fortunate enough to see that happen a lot too. And it all started with those 22 questions I've summed up in the post.
Feedback is appreciated. I'd like to point out this is my first post - so kindness is also appreciated. I hope to improve the level of the blog with every post.
Thanks for reading.
Corné
Very often clients have no idea what they are really asking for nor do the agencies. What was your initial thought after reading the first paragraph? It should probably have been: why is the client asking for this?
Back to basics
Many agencies take a client brief like the one above and take it "home" to develop. This basically means they start brainstorming , often with limited information. I've seen it before and have lost the occassional pitch against another agency because their story "looked better". However, I would always insist on getting some information if your Account Executive or Sales Manager didn't already get it for you.
The list below shows the information I would be after if I am expected to make a difference on a project.
The client
What do we know about our client at this point? Nothing really. First thing to find out is more about our caller. I'd like to know his name and position. With position I am not only talking about what is on his business card - I want to know his role in the project. Are there any other people involved? Because then we're not only managing one person's expectations anymore...
The product/service of the client
We didn't only not know our client's name. We also have no idea about his product or service. Once we know his product or service - we can dive a little deeper. I'd like to know the strategy behind the product or service and how is it positioned in the market at this moment. This results in us understanding the product, the field of play and - the competitors!
Target audience
Our client requested 200.000 visits. Obviously it matters to him that those 200.000 visits are coming from the audience our client is looking for. So next up is to dive into the target audience. What are their needs when it comes to this product or service? Why does our product matter to them?
The real goal
Our client's goal was never a goal. The real goal would be what our client wants to accomplish. Getting 20.000 subscribers to a newsletter can indeed be a goal. But in all honesty its an empty number. Because our client wants these 20.000 people to do something after subscribing. The best question to ask is "Why should people subscribe"? What's in it for them?
Budget and planning
Our client has stated a budget and timeframe. However, any agency will tell you these things are often subject to change. Sometimes you can't change the budget or timeframe, but often you will find a budget can be stretched. Its actually quite logical: our client is still looking for the best work. And a great solution will take time and cost money. If you feel you can't excell in the given conditions, don't do the work.
Other demands
Its always smart to ask for other demands. For instance, is the project part of a bigger platform? Or are there any other guidelines we have to follow? As a designer I would also always ask for the brandguides, logo's and fonts.
The smart approach
About 6 years ago I created a Word document for myself which includes about 22 questions to ask a client. With every new project I take my document and try filling it in. This helps me in understanding the real question of our client. I don't want to listen to a client to respond, I want to understand my client - so the solution fits his needs.
Here are my 22 questions I ask at the start of every project.
- Project name?
- Company name?
- My point of contact?
- His or her position within the company?
- Are there any stakeholders involved?
- What is the product / service?
- Strategy behind the product?
- Current position in the market?
- The essence of your brand?
- Who are your biggest competitors?
- What do you want to achieve with this project?
- Target audience?
- The needs of your audience?
- Best ways to reach your audience?
- What do you expect from your audience?
- Do you have an identity? Brand guidelines?
- Should it fit into an excisting platform?
- Are fonts available or should we purchase and license?
- What is your 'real' budget?
- Scrum or waterfall?
- Are you planning other promotions (radio, tv, print)?
- Deadline?
Clients
If you are a client you should really ask yourself - how much does an agency know about me? Especially during pitches. How many agencies have dived into your history? That should be a guide when you select an agency. I would also advice to stick with an agency for a few years. Create a roadmap with your agency, as partners in crime. You will find that agencies actually care a lot about what they do and a long-term partnership is something we all love.
Understanding, not responding
In this blog post I tried to write down my feelings about understanding a client. Way too often I've seen that clients did not get the best solution, because the agencies didn't understand. There could also be a reason why a company didn't want to understand. If I take a look at the first paragraph and how that client approached us - I would be cautious.
Sometimes it takes a little time, but when you're really helping your client you will get involved in more. You will get another project or be involved in roadmaps and the bigger picture. In my professional career I was fortunate enough to see that happen a lot too. And it all started with those 22 questions I've summed up in the post.
Feedback is appreciated. I'd like to point out this is my first post - so kindness is also appreciated. I hope to improve the level of the blog with every post.
Thanks for reading.
Corné
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