Five ways to keep a client (and a reputation)

Freelance designers are familiar with the term “feast and famine”, which is used to describe how you can go weeks at a time with nothing to work on, and then suddenly, ten projects come walking through the door. While more projects equal more money, it can be all too tempting to promise clients that you can meet their deadlines, knowing that your plate is already full with other projects on deadline. Unfortunately, the result is often deadlines that are missed, clients who go unhappy, and worst of all—a damaged reputation that is all too difficult to rebuild.

Here is a list of five suggestions to keep you from taking on more than you can handle. They will help you keep your business running smooth, your clients happy, and your reputation on a pedestal.

1. Estimate beyond your gut instinct.When figuring how long it will take you to complete a project, double your time estimates. Even if you think it will take a short time to complete a task, there are always computer-related issues that seem to crop up at the most inopportune times. Do yourself a favor and build extra time into your project schedules. The worst that could happen is you find that you have extra time to double check a file before it goes out the door, or even go home an hour early.
2. Don’t be afraid to say no. A good designer who is honest will earn the trust and respect of a client, and will profit more in the long term. A designer who constantly misses deadlines will find fewer jobs coming in the door. In the design business, your reputation is far more valuable than your talent or your fee. If you’re sincere in turning down the request of a prospective client (meaning, “I really want to do the job for you, but knowing my schedule, I can’t meet your deadline” instead of “I don’t have time for you”), the response will often be “I understand and appreciate your honesty. Maybe we can extend our deadlines – when do you estimate you can complete the proposed project?”
3. Underpromise and overdeliver. This is a phrase I gleaned from Rudy Giuliani’s book entitled Leadership. Designers often feel the need to make promise after promise in an effort to impress their clients. Making true on those promises is another story however, which again reflects on trust and reputation. A good friend once told me, don’t tell me what you’re going to do for me, show me what you’ve done for me. Let your design talent do the speaking for you, and you’ll only stand to benefit.
4. Find a good friend. When work does pile up, don’t be a hero and try to handle everything at once. The likely result is almost always a project that doesn’t live up to your standards, and that leaves a client unhappy. A friend or colleague might be perfect for helping out with either part of a project, or for taking on some work. You don’t have to farm everything out, but by building a relationship with a peer, you might find that you can be of assistance to another when they experience heavy project loads.
5. Don’t waste your down time. If there aren’t any projects on your plate, then it’s the perfect time to pick up a book on the design software that you use and learn a few tips and tricks or design techniques. There are also plenty of wonderful online learning resources (Lynda.com is a good example), and watching a video tutorial on a cool Photoshop trick is far more productive than watching silly clips on YouTube. Who knows, you may learn something that will be useful for your next project.