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Does Your Client Act Like a Toddler?
The Sprocket Report
Your toddler doesn’t think the nap you’re suggesting is necessary. As a parent, you know better. You read the books. You talk with peers. You have the experience to make an informed decision and so the toddler gets a nap. But what about when your client doesn’t think your suggestion is necessary?
It frustrates all of us – the client who won’t take our good advice. We have the education, toil daily in the trenches and were hired – by the client, mind you! – because of our expertise. So why won’t they do what we assure them is in their best interest?
Clients aren’t toddlers. They are intelligent men and women who are successful in their chosen fields. If they aren’t accepting the advice being given, maybe it needs to be explained more effectively.
Clear and understandable explanations are especially important in a technology business like ours. If our clients already knew web development inside and out, they’d be our competitors. Instead, they know things like law or manufacturing or how to run a government.
The Sprocket team prides itself on being able to translate geek-speak into language non-techies can understand. But even we stray into jargon at times and our clients have every right to ask us to explain ourselves in plain words. It’s in our best interest that clients comprehend what we are doing for them so they can make good decisions.
Of course, understanding goes both ways. We count on clients to provide the information we don’t know about their businesses so that we can build them the most successful website.
Here’s a mashup of two old truisms to sum up: “When great minds think alike, the customer is always right.”
What that means to us is that we try to put extra effort into explaining the benefits of our procedure rather than just barreling ahead. By educating our clients on how they will save time or money or stress by using the tools and processes we advise, we hope it will help both of us to “think alike.”
And if a client still declines our technical advice, we try to stop and re-examine the situation from their perspective. Once we understand what the issue really is, we can usually come up with an alternate solution that works for us both.
Our best clients are not tantrum-throwing toddlers, but thriving adults of successful companies. It’s a privilege and a thrill to work as a team with such people so that we can both grow. If you know a company who is looking for a web development teammate, please introduce us because, as you know, we’re always happy to help!
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Kate Gingold
I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.
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I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.
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