stc 2014 client relations
DESCRIPTION
Client relations talk, STC14TRANSCRIPT
@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
Saving Your Sanity Through Better Client Relations
Alisa BonsignoreClarifying Complex Ideas
@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
How to stop apologizing,
say “no” tactfully, and know when to shut up and
listen
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@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
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@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
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“But Mom…”
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@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
My business
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Via ThisIsIndexed.com
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“Independent years”
8 x 7 = 56
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Client relations
@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
It’s a lot like sex
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You don’t know what
you’re doing
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You assume that everyone
else knows more than you
@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
You don’t know how to ask for what
you need
@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
You feel awkward
saying “no”
@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
More experience
@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
confidence?
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CONFIDENCE
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experience
success confidence
value
@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
“Anything worth doing is worth doing badly in the beginning.”
- childhood friend
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My first time
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My first projects
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Billed hourly
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Extremely apologetic
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<20% of market rate
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And I apologized
for it
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Why?
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Too many nights and weekends
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@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
Terrified that I’d be
“caught”
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Underpriced=
Undervalued
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Who is in control?
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@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
“You may say to yourself, my god,
what have I done?”
- Talking HeadsOnce in a Lifetime
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2008: 2 years in business
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Client from hell
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“I wish I knew what they
know.”
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I lacked follow-through
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Contract?
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Accountant?
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Logo?
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Website?
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Marketing message?
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“Exploration is what you do
when you don’t know what
you’re doing.”- Neil deGrasse Tyson
@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
Two great revelations:
@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
1. Others make
mistakes
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2. You can fire clients
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“10% of nothin’... let me do the math here... nothin’ into
nothin’, carry the nothin’....”- Jayne Cobb
Firefly
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@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanityhttp://detectivejane.tumblr.com/image/1046616222
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http://gnomercy.org/event/calling-all-achievers-the-big-lebowski/
“New shit has come to light, man.”
- The Dude
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“No.”
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@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
Trial and error
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Lots of error
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We learn from our mistakes
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Mistake 1: Talking too
much
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Mistake 2: Apologizing
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Mistake 3:Saying “yes”
instead of “no”
@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
Mistake 4:Answering the
phone
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Mistake 5: Billing hourly
vs. per project
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@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
Mistake 6: Thinking
you’re alone
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Results
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Gets better every year
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Learn from colleagues
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Surrounded by an amazing
network
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Asking the Tough
Questions
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“You can’t always get what you want.
But if you try sometimes, you
might find you get what you need.”
- The Rolling Stones
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The tough stuff
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More time
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Better terms
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More money
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The most magical item
of all: the retainer
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Take a step back
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How much money should you ask for?
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How much money
do you need?
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Rule of thumb:gross = 2x net
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How many hours per
week?
@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
40 working hours
25 billable
• work you can charge for
15 non-billable
• marketing• IT • contracts• proposals• blogging• reading
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@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
How many weeks per
year?
@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
52 weeks- 2 weeks for federal holidays (down
to 50)- 2 more for vacation (down to 48)- Random school holidays (46 or
fewer)- Days that the kids are sick (< 45)
@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
48 weeks x 25 billable hours/week
1,200 billable hours/year
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$100,000/year ÷
1,200 hours
$84/hour
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Lifehacker:Value of your time
http://is.gd/Pq6MDZ
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Solid financial basis
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Tough stuff #1:
Time
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Establish turnaround times and deadlines
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“We need that tomorrow morning.”
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Breathing room
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Contract terms
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More money
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@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
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Know the marketplace
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The easy way:Flat rate
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The hard way:Hourly
increase
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Ease into it
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The holy grail:Retainers
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Know thy client
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The tougher the client, the shorter
the timeframe
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“Never miss a good chance to shut up.”
- Will Rogers
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I want you to talk to me
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@clearwriter #stc14 Saving Your Sanity
Tweetup Tonight
8:00-12:00Bliss/ReBAR
901 N. 4th
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