The Pleasures of a GREAT Client
Ok, I’ll admin, I am spoiled.
I have GREAT clients. And not just a couple…I can honestly say I have many, many great clients…and you know what? That makes my job a whole lot easier. Understand, I’m not saying that I’m not challenged by the work they bring me, but it certainly makes digging in and solving design/marketing problems easier to engage in (and stay focused).
This got me thinking about what makes a great client…which is why I’m writing this post. For the most part, great clients share a few common attributes, so I thought I’d share those here:
1) Vision: They know what they want to do with their businesses and more often than not, have a specific path to achieve those goals.
2) Passion: They are honestly excited about their businesses and what the future will bring. It comes out in their conversations and their actions.
3) Care and concern: Most often, they are in the business of serving others (through the products and services they offer). The care about their customers…about their experience interacting with their companies. They also care about how they are perceived in the marketplace (which is often where I partner with them) and actively pursue how to improve their offering.
4) Willingness to invest in themselves: this one is HUGE for me…and it may sound a bit selfish, but I have found that the clients that are willing to spend the money to do it right…let me say that again so I am not misunderstood…willing to spend the money to DO IT RIGHT, are the ones that make the best clients. That doesn’t mean (necessarily) spending a fortune, but it does mean spending an amount appropriate for the intended result.
For example, a company owner who’s only looking to spend a couple hundred bucks on a website (hello GoDaddy) isn’t a great client. Through their actions, they shows me they lack one or all of the above 3. If you aren’t willing to invest in yourself to do it right, then you’re probably setting yourself up to fail in the future.
It’s easiest to work for people that share the same values as I do. Afterall, I am a business owner, just like they are. I strive to better my offering, position and value in the marketplace. When I know I’m being sharpened by those of like-mind, it makes doing a great job for them a natural extension of my relationship with them.