One of the things I like about what I do is that generally my work makes people happy. In big corporations, sometimes it’s hard to see a one-to-one relationship between your work and business results. But I do all the time. Making clients happy isn’t any big mystical business secret either. It’s easy when you communicate with them, respect their time, and do the best job you can for them.
For example, last weekend I got an e-mail from a client who was thrilled to report that a PowerPoint presentation template I did for him under a rather tight deadline helped him land a $150,000 contract. Now that’s one happy client!
I also got an e-mail from a relatively new client who after waiting two YEARS for her Web designer to finally finish her site, gave up, and switched to Logical Expressions. I met with her and had a new search-engine-friendly layout to her the next day. After we discussed possible color changes, I gave her 6 options to choose from, so she could compare them side-by-side. In her words: "Fantastic!"
Another new client has had three Web developers work on their site. Currently, the site has almost zero traffic because it is search-engine hostile. Plus, everyone in the office passionately hates the site because it’s embarrassingly ugly. Their market is becoming more competitive, so they are having me redevelop the site. I had a meeting and came up with a new layout and database tool within 48 hours.
Today, I noticed a link to a brand new Web site another Web firm just developed. We bid against them for the job and lost. The date on the copy of my proposal is December 13, 2001. Sure I don’t finish a Web site in 24 or 48-hours, but I also don’t take two or three YEARS to finish a job either.
Granted, I don’t know the specifics of that situation, but given all the tales I hear from my (now) happy clients, I can guess. It’s easy to excel when people are used to that kind of "service."