Re: Fw: Front Pages

At 02:09 a.m. 08/30/98 EDT, JustGio(at)aol.com wrote:
>Just my Humble opinion.......... All of the above not withstanding....the
>client writes the check ....the client gets what he/she/they want. Once they
>have it and find out it doesn't work for their product/market/business...thats
>the time to go back in and do the sell.

I disagree.  It's unethical for a web designer to simply pocket
the check and do what the client wants, if the designer knows it's
not in the best interests of the client.

It's even worse to come back months later, after their website
has failed (as you knew it would) and sell them "the job done
_right_ this time" for an extra fee.

Being in business is not about simply the bottom line and who
writes the check.  It's about a _relationship_ between you and your
clients.  A shrewd businessperson is going to respect you a lot more
if you have _their interests_ in mind, not just _their checkbook_.

Respect makes it easier for you to sell them additional services
(not replacements for those done knowingly poorly!) in the future,
and increases the chances of friendly referals.

Treat them poorly, and they'll find someone _else_ to do it right
the second time!

>I find that in trying to change
>preconcieved desires ....it can really tick a client off.

Any client who gets ticked off because you know more about how to
do effective web design than they do, is a bad client.  And you don't
want bad clients.

Contrary to popular belief of most new businesspeople, you _don't_
want every client you can get.  Some simply are a waste of time or
not worth the effort, expecting too much from you for too little,
and don't produce a decent profit margin.

One of the early signs of this would be that they don't listen to
you in your area of expertise -- web design.  If they listen and
hear each factor, and make a decision wisely, that's okay even if
the decision isn't the one you'd make.  However, if they get
"ticked off" or otherwise don't want to hear you -- get out of
there quick!  You don't need a client like that!

They're hiring you because you know your stuff -- why would they
then not listen to you?  Bad scene, bad client, run like heck.

>yes there are right
>ways and wrong ways to design/present and maintain sites and services.
>However, the client is ALWAYS RIGHT, even if it's only because they sign the
>check. 

Wrong!  The client is not always right, and if all you live for is
their check, they're going to be disappointed in you and what's 
worse, they'll _know_ that you're only interested in their money,
not in their overall image on the web.

And while the checks may help in the short run, in the long run
you're only hurting your own business.

Anyone else want to take this to -business? :)

--
Kynn Bartlett  <kynn(at)idyllmtn.com>             http://www.idyllmtn.com/~kynn/
Chief Technologist & Co-Owner, Idyll Mountain Internet; Fullerton, California
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