Ideas For Client Education
March 30, 2004 | 
16 Comments
Web designers, Web developers, Web producers, Information Architects, Usability Specialists, UI designers, etc. — we all have a common “problem”:
Clients.
Regardless of your job title, if you are involved in the building of Web sites, Web applications and a host of other “Web things”, chances are you have clients that you need to communicate with. If not, luck you — you can stop reading now.
A common concern, and regular challenge, is how to communicate and educate clients on things like Web standards, usability, information architecture and accessibility.
We talk to these people all the time, but it seems like there are still some common barriers that need to be broken down. I mean, at the end of the day, we’re all people (and that’s what the Web is about right? People!) and we should be able to communicate better with each other.
I thought I’d take a stab at some ideas, as well as open a discussion on the topic of client education. I’d like to keep it open, so it’s not all that important what you need to educate people on. Well it is, but to keep it simple, I’d like to focus on methods.
Before I get started, I’d like to define what I mean by “client”, as I’m using that term very loosely. A “Client” — for the purpose of this post and discussion — could be anyone you have to work with that holds a stake and/or some external control on the project. It could be a marketing person, a CEO, someone in IS, a Web designer from another firm, or a business owner. It could be a group of people; a committee, panel or audience. It really depends on what kind of projects you work on and what your role is.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here are a few ideas on educating clients:
- Educate yourself first — The more you know and are able to communicate from a position of knowledge, the better your chances of getting your message across.
- Become a guru — If you become an expert on an issue and can back up what you say with “guru status” you’ll garner more respect from a client.
For example, I don’t see Jakob Nielsen having too much trouble getting people to listen to him. I’ve had quite a few clients parrot his stuff back to me — not usually to my benefit — but that’s another story.
- Enlist the aid of a consultant — It’s well known that an outside third party can make inroads with clients and stakeholders that an internal team cannot. It’s not always right, but it’s a fact of life. This is especially true for teams whose clients are internal to their organization.
For example, down at the hospital we brought in Gerry McGovern in to talk to our stakeholders about content. He didn’t tell them anything we hadn’t already told them, but after he spoke it began to sink in. Our content process has much improved.
- Pass around a book or excerpt — Sometimes you can get your clients to read about an particular issue. Print out a short, hard-hitting chapter and pass it around.
For example, I’ve been able to get quite a few clients to read Steve Krug’s Don’t Make Me Think. It’s gone over very well.
- Attend “a clients” conference — Web professionals tend to run with other Web professionals. It might be a good idea to start to attend conferences that are a bit outside of the Web world. Maybe, at some point, we’ll be able to have some of the more educated Web professionals actually speak at these conferences.
For example, I’m planning on attending this years Corporate Communicators Conference in May and they have a track dedicated to Intranets. You can bet I’ll be asking questions and trying to share some of my own knowledge. Who knows, maybe next year I could speak there? Stranger things have happened.
- Show them some numbers — Many clients like hard data. If you can show them how Web standards will save them “X” dollars they’ll jump right on the bandwagon.
- Develop and elevator pitch — If you can boil your message down to a quick, engaging pitch you can corner your clients in the hallway or after a meeting. If you can get them interested, even just a little, they could come back asking for more.
- Be approachable — Make sure you are always soliciting questions and take the time to understand a clients concern with a particular issue. You can catch many more flies with sugar than you can with vinegar!
- Remember that you work for them — Sounds simple right? Well I’d bet if you thought about it, you could find a few examples where you’ve thought differently. Or at least wished it was the other way around, right? Just try to keep in mind that, usually, they want what is best for their business, organization and what-have-you, and they need you as much as you need them.
Getting client buy-in can be like pulling teeth, or herding cats, but it’s something that you need to do to be successful.
- Accentuate the positive — Don’t tell a clients that they are doing something wrong, or that a decision made is going to be bad. I know this can be hard, and at times our clients can be very frustrating. Instead, keep telling them about the benefits, explain in layman’s terms how things like standards, usability and accessibility can help them in the real world. Relate your cause to their problems.
So there you have it. What do you think? This is just a starting point for discussion and I’d love to hear your opinion on educating and communicating with clients.
I’m hoping that we can expand on these ideas, add some new ones and maybe share some lessons learned. I’m quite sure it’s in everyone’s best interests if we can bridge the gap between Web professionals and their clients.
I know it’d make my life easier.
Filed under: Web General
Comments
1. Dustin said:
Great ideas. I’ll have to take this into consideration.
Posted on March 30, 2004 12:59 PM | #
2. Gabe said:
Awesome suggestions. My only additional tip would be to avoid discussing ‘standards’.
This has been said before, but it bears repeating. The issue of ‘standards’ is too technical for most client meetings. If they are interested in the technical issues then by all means explain away, but in general it has very little with the issues that they actually care about. When I build a client site I just code with standards and don’t bother explaining it. If they come back later and complain that the page looks ugly in Netscape 4 that’s when I explain my methodology. It’s cheaper, more maintainable, lightweight, looks better to search engines, will work in future browsers, and is accessible in ANY browser (even if it doesn’t have all the design elements). This is a good time to bust out the validator which gives them the sense that they are getting quality work. After that speech (which should be no longer than 2 or 3 sentences, by the way), then I add that I can make it look the same in Netscape 4 but it’ll cost X amount more. I’ve only had 4 freelance clients so far, but I’ve never had anyone take me up on the NS4 version.
If you do wanna talk about your methodology up front then I think Information Architecture and Accessibility are much better places to start.
Posted on March 30, 2004 01:01 PM | #
3. Bobby van der Sluis said:
The two things I have learnt when I deal with clients is A to be prepared and B to communicate a lot and keep on communicating troughout the process.
Clients sometimes come up with the craziest and most incoherent ideas, so it is best to prepare for all kinds of situations and questions and have loads of good arguments ready in your bagage. My previous client/project experiences and reading books about usability really helped me fill my bags with arguments.
Currently I have this client who really would like to design his web application as an Excel spreadsheet. My arguments have channeled him not to head for disaster, although I know he never changed his mind about what his ultimate application should look like (an …). Constant communication and reminding is the only thing that keeps him from getting of the right path, so that is what I will do until I finish the project.
Posted on March 30, 2004 01:29 PM | #
4. Chris Vincent said:
“Remember that you work for them.”
That’s an excellent point. It seems we professionals often forget that we’re being hired, not the other way around. While it’s important that you use your knowledge to do the best job possible, as well as educate the client as to why it might need to be done differently, in the end, they’re the ones paying.
I’ve known one too many sound engineers that are a little bit cocky with the bands they work with. It can get ugly.
Posted on March 30, 2004 01:37 PM | #
5. Gilbert Lee said:
I’ve learned that with clients it’s always about “relationships.” You need to learn about your client, their needs and do everything you possibly can to make them happy…and then DO MORE! When they see that you care about their business and their needs, they will come back to you for more. Why would they do business with other designers if they have a relationship with you? That’s talking from experience. 75% of the work I have is from past clients. It feels good that way.
Posted on March 30, 2004 01:43 PM | #
6. Scrivs said:
Well, there goes my writeup on this issue. Well done.
Educating clients is probably the most overlooked aspect when it comes to freelancing. The better you can educate someone in why your service costs the price it does, the more secure the client should feel about paying you.
However, many times we catch ourselves thinking that the client should just know or that if they asked us we could easily explain why we do what we do. However, when asked, we catch ourselves stuttering looking for an appropriate answer.
Become a guru. One good way is by starting a site and actually writing relevant information as if you were trying to teach people who might not understand. Maybe nobody will read it, but at least you will understand how you present the info to a client in the future.
Posted on March 30, 2004 02:06 PM | #
7. Nollind Whachell said:
True, but as I said before, it doesn’t really matter to me if the client likes their web site, if their customers (the user’s of the site) don’t like it. In my opinion, I’ve failed in my job if this happens. Reiterating to the client that the primary target audience is their customers and not them will hopefully drive this point home. Yes the site is being paid by the client but it is being built for their customers. I’ve found this to be one of the hardest things for clients to understand. They keep wanting to put stuff on their sites for their personal/corporate reasons but usually not for their customer’s reasons who are the main ones using it.
One again I agree you have to keep the direction a positive one but if they are going to make a major mistake you need to make them aware of it. By not addressing these issues, you are hindering your client. That is what I find the most hilarious thing of all with clients. They think it is an us vs them issue and it isn’t. We want the best for them. Hell, if we didn’t then we would let them make all the mistakes that they wanted. That said, I think a bad web designer is one that just agrees to everything their client wants without question because they don’t have their client’s best interest at heart.
Actually the thing that I mentioned before is trying to remember to talk to the client at their level of understanding and more importantly from their point of view. Gabe is right, you can’t go spouting standards because they aren’t going to care one bit. However, if they choose a direction which deviates from a standards approach then tell them that they will be blocking people from accessing their site or creating a frustrating experience for others. Most businesses want to attract and keep customers. Going against a standands approach would go against this line of reasoning.
Hmmm, the more I think about this, the more I’d like to see a sort of translation chart showing what a client wants and how a web designer can achieve it (via usability, standards, etc). That’s the hilarious thing, we both usually want the same things. When a client asks you to put a flaming logo on their home page, instead of telling that isn’t done anymore, ask them why they want the logo there. Usually if you find out the reasoning behind something, you can give them alternatives to work with that will achieve the same results but be better for everyone involved (i.e. client, designer, and customers).
Posted on March 30, 2004 02:27 PM | #
8. Mike P said:
“Instead, keep telling them about the benefits, explain in layman’s terms how things like standards, usability and accessibility can help them in the real world.”
This is good advice - I’ll add: don’t get frustrated when they forget this stuff, and you have to repeat yourself. Sometimes they don’t get it the first time, and other times they forget.
Soon enough though, they may start educating their workmates, which only helps you out later on.
Great writing suggestions Scrivs, and another great post Keith. Love it.
Posted on March 30, 2004 02:44 PM | #
9. James Zambon said:
A lot of good common sense stuff here. Something that I have always had a hard time with is giving into the clients requests (demands) when I really do think it is a bad idea, but they refuse to listent to reason. Almost makes me embarrased to put my name on the site sometimes.
Posted on March 30, 2004 03:07 PM | #
10. Nollind Whachell said:
James that is exactly the situation that drives me off the deep end as well. I mean I could just focus on the money and give them what they want but I can’t. Why? Because I care about them. I don’t want their bad choices to blow up in their faces only to come back to haunt them later. Really the feeling is almost like being a father (even though I don’t have any children), you tell them that that will cause problems, they listen, but ignore your suggestions, just like a kid. When the websites launches, guess what? Problems. You could say I told you so but no point in driving the knife in. You could be happy that you get to make more money from the client but I’m not. I care about the client. I care that they just threw their money out the window by making a bad decision and now have to pay me more to fix it for them. It is so frustrating trying to help someone who has hired you but really doesn’t want your help.
Posted on March 30, 2004 04:30 PM | #
11. Keith said:
Yet another great article. A number of good tips that we tend to forget while falling into the trappings of our daily routines. I would like to add this one point….Remember that the “Client-Developer” relationship is a partnership. Ultimately your client’s goals are your goals. Together your are trying to help them serve their clients better. Developers are stakeholders too. In the end, if you do not help your clients acheive their objectives they are not likely to enlist your services on a repeat basis. And if you believe that your clients can benefit from your expertise, losing their business benefits neither party.
Posted on March 30, 2004 05:51 PM | #
12. Donna Maurer said:
Good suggestions. A couple of quick comments:
- as well as educating, improving your own experience is a good way of better understanding the field and communicating it easily
- gurus do as much damage as they do good ;)
- rather than elevator pitches, short stories or anecdotes go down very well. Like ‘oh, that’s interesting - a similar thing happened when…’
Posted on March 30, 2004 06:14 PM | #
13. Richard Rutter said:
A few months ago, I showed my CTO “Don’t Make Me Think” with great results. Two days later, the CTO bought 3 copies of the book for company (we’re a small company) and handed them out to key individuals saying ‘from now on we do it this way’.
Usability for our company is now moving from a buzzword ignored by most to a culture embraced by many.
Posted on March 31, 2004 07:44 AM | #
14. Olivier Travers said:
In my experience timing is critical. If you push too hard before the client got to know and trust you (the worse is during the pre-sales process) then it’s often not only wasted energy, but it can be counter productive, because no matter how right you are, you’ll seem cocky. Let your customers become used to working with you and see the benefits of your approach, and then any education you might want/need to do will be accepted more smoothly, or even sollicited (then that’s gratifying). Timing means sometimes you need to be patient. If you feel resistance but you need to drive a point home, sometimes it’s better to plant the seed and water it over time than butting head in a confrontational way. People might lose interest and let you have it your way, or better, they might recognize why you’re right after the idea had a chance to sink in. Give examples they can ponder (best practices from the biggest sites help), rather than theoretical points. Inspire rather than pontificate (remember your bad and your good teachers when you were a student).
Listening is also critical. Ask your clients to educate you too. Typically, they know the business/sector they’re in and you don’t (or not as well). If you carve a good place for them to be the experts, the relationship will be more balanced when it’s your time to educate (“OK, your turn to be on top!”)
Now, as Nollind said, some clients won’t listen. File them under the “bad clients” category, and fire them if you can. If a client won’t be educated and their site suffers as a result, chances are you’ll bear the consequences (bad customer reference, disgruntled employees etc.) in the end. Or charge them by the hour if you have bills to pay! But if what you sell is results, you’ll need to educate most clients or they’ll get in the way of meeting those goals.
Posted on March 31, 2004 08:13 AM | #
15. Vince Loden said:
One other thing I would like to add is make sure who exactly are you working for i.e. your direct boss and his/her ultimate boss. Pull someone aside and find out the politics of the company you’re working for. If it looks as though you are in purely for someone to further their careers - pull out. Don’t get involved - it can be very messy as the fall-guy will always be the consultant/ freelancer, who’s easy to sacrifice. It’s very brutal and soul-destroying
Posted on April 7, 2004 10:31 PM | #
16. Ryan said:
Client education is one of the biggest stumbling blocks that I’ve encountered. However, once I’ve been able to education my clients it has paid huge dividends. Here is what I do:
1. Use terms that are familiar, avoid industry jargon.
2. Explain the benefits in terms of dollars and cents.
3. Present more than one option.
Sounds basic, but I know I don’t always get the same education from people I work with–such as hosting companies.
Posted on April 27, 2004 11:11 AM | #
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