What’s on the iPod: You Wreck Me by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Super day yesterday. I finished a case study, an article, and got the sidebar nearly complete. Also, I took two client calls — one that sorted out future payment arrangements and another that outlined ongoing work and potential retainer arrangements. I was so busy I worked through lunch and well past 5:30. Today, I hope, will be much slower.
I was talking with a client recently about how we would communicate best with each other. Have you done that yet? The idea is to discuss with them what your process is, but more importantly how they’d like you to approach communication with them. In this case, we were on the same wavelength, and this time, they brought it up first. I’m always glad when clients outline what works best for them. I can easily adapt or I can offer up slight alterations so that we can get the most out of every communication.
Here’s how I typically handle building a communication process with clients:
Outline a typical communication scenario. For me, this usually includes much of the drafts and revisions expectations. For example, this client and I will have an initial conversation, then there may be follow-up conversations with experts or company sources, then the first draft will appear (if I’ve not asked a bunch of questions), then we make room for, at most, four revisions. I say four because even the little tweaks count. Most projects are done within one revision, but I leave room for more so they get the sense that there will be back-and-forth collaboration.
Explain the “It depends” exception. The client yesterday asked how long it would take for the revision process. I said, “It depends on how many people are revising.” That allowed me to explain how sometimes companies have six or more people contributing and how often that leads to messages being lost in “committee.” It also gives us both the opening to discuss who exactly will be involved and at what point I need to push back harder on changes that shouldn’t be made.
Define a regular update procedure. I like to give clients a weekly or biweekly email or phone update on what I’ve done and what I’m working on. By deciding it at the outset, I’m able to better organize what may be several projects at once. Plus it doesn’t hurt to keep the client informed so they don’t think you’ve forgotten about them.
Set realistic deadline expectations. Part of my job is made easier when clients understand and honor their own time commitments. I know companies get busy. So do I (I’m a company, too — just on a smaller scale). I need to know that I’m not going to work my weekend through to get a project done on time only to have them take a month to get back to me with revisions. While they can take all the time they want, they need to allow me a similar luxury. I like to let clients know that I need a 48-hour notice on most projects, and that the delivery date has to match up with the work involved. In other words, I’m not going to be able to give them a 10-page customer case study in three days. Well, not if they want it to be any good.
Define my level of involvement. Am I going to be involved at the writing stage, editing stage, or planning stage? If the goal is to maintain a consistent voice and focus, I say the planning stage. It’s my time to explain to the client how much time we might be able to save if we partner at the conceptual stage of projects, not just after someone has written something that needs polishing.
To me, setting these processes in place at the very beginning really puts everyone on the right footing and to my mind increases the odds of a great outcome.
What goes into your collaborative communication process? Do you often outline it in detail to clients, or are you more of a “Here’s how I typically do things” operator? What has worked best for you?
Yup, all of those are important. Especially "define level of involvement." More and more places that look for press releases want to pay a pittance, then not pay to have the writer do the distribution using the writer's contacts. No, honey, you're paying me to WRITE it. And you'll pay my rate, or I won't. My hard-won contact list costs a lot more than that, and my time is hourly if I'm doing the distribution, too.
I do very little phone communication. I realized, yesterday, my cell phone's been off for an entire week. I never even missed it. My clients know that they can reach me by email during business hours. If we need to talk by phone, we can set an appointment. But there is no incessant calling to nag at me. My work gets in on time, and that can only happen if I have quiet time in which to work.
I LOATHE the phone. I wouldn't own one if I could get away with it.
Before e-mail became the most efficient way of distributing press releases I had would-be clients assume WRITING a press release also meant printing it out, coming up with the mailing list, and mailing it out. One guy was outraged that I'd charge so much and not "do the whole job." Then I pointed out that the cost of my paper, envelopes, ink and the postage alone would probably cost more than I was charging. My time and skill isn't free, either. I'm sure I wasn't the only writer to reject his offer.
Just yesterday my sister had a long-time client inform her they're organization's name is changing from "institute" to "center," and their former "centers" are now called "groups" (or something like that). And oh – remember the 55-page booklet she's been designing and is due in less than 24 hours? They need her to swap "center" for "institute" and "centers" to "groups" throughout the entire booklet. They told her around 5 PM Thursday and needed it first thing Friday. They'd known about the change for several weeks, too. She did it, but tripled her fee.
Their. Not they're, but hey, we need to save perfection for paying clients.
Devon, I got that a lot when I edited book manuscripts. Even when I was ghostwriting, I'd get the same question: "Where will you send it once it's finished?" Back to you, honey, because I'm not your publicist.
Paula, that should be an easy fix for her if she uses the Find/Replace function. Okay, it may not happen in two seconds, but I'd guess 20-30 minutes depending on the document size and number of instances of the word.
The expectation setting is so important… many potential clients think we can guarantee their success with our writing… apples and oranges that can make a nice fruit salad, but only when the writer's roll is understood.
If only she could use find/replace – but she's not using a word processing software. She's using some high-end design software…and because the new words aren't the same length as the old words, she probably ran into some layout issues – you know how even "widows" or "orphans" can ruin a clean section or page break.
Anne, great insight. What I find is that a good number of clients believe that what you hand them as a draft is the final product. I always tell them we're a team — we work on revisions so that I can learn their voice and preferences. I can't please them if they won't let me!
Oh gawd! That's awful, Paula. It's times like these you wish for Microsoft's interface.
Well, she got it done. Said she didn't run into any layout issues. But she also have to change some photos with the old names in them. Never ends.