January 30, 2024
Kris: Hello and welcome to Design and Prosper. This is episode 120. Before we get into this Ask Kris and Don Quickie episode, we have a favor to ask. If you’re loving the podcast, it would mean so much to us if you could subscribe and leave us a positive review. This is really important for the growth and the future of the podcast.
Thank you. We love you all so much. And if you’re new to us, here’s our intro.
[Intro Music]
Don: Hello.
Kris: Hi everybody.
Don: Hello there. Okay. Today we have got a cracker of a question to answer, but first we wanted to let you know about something exciting that’s coming up for designers on the 14th, 15th and 16th of February. This year, 2024, it’s the designer boss summit and we are speakers.
We love it. We’ve been speakers a couple of times at this summit and we absolutely love it.
Kris: It’s an awesome summit for designers.
Don: So good. It’s so rich. And this time we’re talking about the most important thing you need to stop your clients from being buggers. You know, the naughties.
Kris: naughty clients.
Don: Yes, it’s the client portal. Honestly, it is one of the key tools for you to have in your toolkit. We’ll have a link for you to sign up in the show notes. So make sure you sign up using our link. We’d really appreciate it. So you’ll have the opportunity to upgrade your free ticket. So did we mention it’s free? It’s free. It’s free. And you’ll have an opportunity to upgrade your free ticket to the designer boss bundle and get a whole host of amazing goodies from the various speakers, including us. So, it’s valued at over two thousand dollars. Yeah. Yeah. So, our offering inside the bundle is our Nicely Said Scripts Kit.
It is a phenomenal. Tool as well to have a new toolkit, which is sold for 100 in our shop. It’s so good. The scripts themselves, there are 41 scripts inside. It’s not just about a script. They’re actually beautiful business boundaries.
Kris: Business tips.
Don: They are perfect if you are a people pleaser and you’re scared or there’s a little bit of fear around saying no or setting a really healthy boundary with a client, we have got the exact ways that we set boundaries with our clients that land with love and respect and grace, where a client’s response is usually, sure, no problem.
You know, we want that kind of relationship, that really beautiful open communication with our clients.
Kris: Yeah, they’re all the tricky things. It’s not just standard communication we’re talking about in the scripts. It’s the tricky things, it’s the curve balls that they throw at you. So that’s what we’re addressing. We’ve got 41 tricky client situations and how to respond.
Don: Yeah. And all of the different areas of your business, really. From client wrangling to, project management, the whole thing. It’s all in there.
Kris: So you’ll get that if you upgrade your ticket. And it’s not a huge amount of money either. So, just go and have a look. You’ll get an offer, you’ll get an opportunity. It’s really affordable.
It’s really affordable. Especially with what you’re And that’s just our offering. There are, I think, 20 plus other, businesses who are offering other design business resources as well in that bundle. So, it seriously is worth way more than $2000.
Don: It’s so good. The speaker lineup is phenomenal. We feel really privileged to be amongst them and we cannot wait. So it’s coming up on the 14th, 15th and 16th of February. So don’t forget, use our link and grab yourself your free seat. And if you upgrade, you’ll get your hands on our nicely said scripts kit.
Kris: Yeah, and just for transparency, the reason why we are asking you to please use our link is because we are affiliates and we get a commission on the sales and we really, really appreciate that if you purchase through us.
Don: Yeah, we love it. Thank you so much.
Kris: Okay. So onto the question for today. It’s a really cracking question. It’s a question that I know that a lot of designers are going to resonate with. So the question that’s been submitted is, “I have been working on a project where the deadline has been dragged out and my client keeps asking for last minute changes. I know I’m supposed to restrict this, but I’m scared this client will bad mouth me and not pay the final invoice. I would really love to get your advice on what to do.”
Don: Yeah. Great question. And I just want to highlight something inside the question where you said where you’re scared that the client will badmouth you. That gives us a little bit of intel and tells us that this might not be an ideal client.
This might be a bit of a nasty client. And if you are feeling that way, it’s so important to have, you know, the right systems in place to, to really protect yourself from that. So that said, we hear your worry loud and clear, you know. Client chaos, even with the really beautiful clients and, and not so tricky clients, it can feel really overwhelming, especially when the deadlines stretch and the last minute quick.Can you just change this? Can you just change that? It sort of becomes their new normal.
Kris: Yeah, they get used to it.
Don: They get used to being able to have you on tap and it’s like, Oh, you won’t mind. I just need you to add this word or you won’t mind. I just need you to fix that thing or change that or take that out. And it becomes, you know, really easy for them to ask.
Kris: Yeah. And this client is obviously dragging it out, dragging it out, and you probably need to get paid. You’re probably feeling really stressed about getting that payment. You probably need that payment, that money in your bank account.
Don: Yeah,
Kris: And do all the things that you need to do. So it is really, really stressful.
Don: Yeah, absolutely. And fearing that negative feedback is an awful feeling to have and it’s, and it’s really understandable as well.
Kris: Oftentimes with clients that seem unreasonable or seem like they might not be very pleasant or they seem like they might be not very nice. Often it’s our lack of management that is the real root core of the problem. So we’re going to talk retrospectively here or we’re going to kind of go back in time and talk about what we wish you did have in place that might have helped solve this problem. But it’s not too late. There’s still things that can be implemented now.
But first of all, there is a fear there and that is understandable and that could just be kind of playing up in your mind. You might be making it bigger than it is. Maybe the client actually isn’t going to give you negative feedback or bad mouth you at all Like it might be just like the story you’re telling in your head. They’re not gonna like me. They’re gonna be unhappy if I implement a boundary now if I set a limit They’re gonna be cranky and they’re not gonna like me anymore and then they’re gonna go and tell all their friends and colleagues that I’m no good.
Don: Yeah, you know, you are not alone in this. We have designers come and say similar things to us all the time. They’ll say things like, clients are not respecting their boundaries and their time management. Clients are pushing the boundaries of their responsibilities.
Kris: What am I responsible for as a designer and what are they responsible for?
Don: Yeah. Yeah. And they push back, push, push, push clients asking for endless revisions, which is what’s happening to you. The clients who are wishy-washy clients, not understanding how long the creative process can really be. And so they’re demanding, they’re demanding things unrealistically.
Kris: That last minute changes is such a big one. And it makes you feel really undervalued because you probably haven’t allocated that in the proposal. You haven’t allocated it. You haven’t got enough money in the budget of the project to allow for all these last minute changes.
Don: this scope creep,
Kris: Like, when does it end? And it absolutely does need to end and any reasonable person, any reasonable client will understand that there’s a limit as long as it’s communicated in the most effective and easy to understand way.
Don: As long as they understand from the outset, you know, we’re setting up expectations, right? So, okay, let’s get on top of this beautiful designer. Client wrangling, in all its variations, requires a strategic and considered business tool. So, our tool of choice is a client portal. We would not do business without it.
Kris: Yeah, I think that a lot of these problems, especially with the last minute change, last minute change, that is a big problem that is pretty easily solved by using a client portal.
Don: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So let’s dive into the why it’s so important. If you are not doing this now, you should be, if you do not have a client portal, get your hands on one, because introducing a client portal into your business will have so much value.
Kris: We have one that you can use right now, this red hot minute. You can go to designandprosper.co/free and you can sign up to get a link to our client portal template We don’t really mind which platform that you use, as long as you use one. We use Trello, so it is a Trello client portal template. We find it’s really easy to use and clients don’t find it intimidating or overwhelming and you can make it look really beautiful and that’s what we love about it.
But it’s going to be a game changer for restricting those annoying last minute changes or those I need another request, I need another change, I need another change. It’ll be very clearly stated in the portal what they’re up to. It’ll be very clearly stated, exactly what the expectations are, how many revision limits there are, and what they’re up to.
Don: Yeah. It sets clear boundaries and shows the client what to expect. It’s all about those expectations that we were saying.
You set those expectations in your design proposal. In your cost proposal, there would have been, hopefully, there would have been a contract outlining how many revisions, rthe timeframes, all of the crucial things that will make sure that you deliver on time and to budget. So what we’re wanting to do is make sure we honour that and maintain the scope of work, not just for you, but for your client as well.
Kris: That’s it. There are so many layers here to why this client is being difficult. So if the communication from the very beginning, so even from the initial brief, you had explained exactly how many revisions they would get, what the design process was, you’d be taking them on a journey of the design process, then that’s reiterated in the proposal.
Don: Yeah.
Kris: They know clearly in the proposal and in the contract how many revisions they’re going to get. Then they might get a welcome guide. Well, they should get a welcome guide that explains this again exactly how many revisions they’re going to get. It’s going to have a timeline. It’s going to have the deadlines.All these things prevent the timeline from blowing out.
Don: The welcome guide is all of those beautiful boundaries in a really respectful document where it’s exciting. It’s exciting for them to access the welcome guide. But all of those boundaries are there and set in a beautiful way. So it lands really gently, but with real grace and respect. So they know, okay, this is what, what I can expect. And clients love to know what to expect. They love to know what’s coming up next. They love to know. What you’re doing. So each step of the way. So when you get, we, we really are big believers of version control and you can do that inside your Trello board or your client portal.
Like Kris said, we don’t mind whatever platform you want to use. We use Trello, but basically there’ll be no more last version in my email somewhere ever again, because you will have version control. It will be very clear how many versions. or updates or modifications you allowed for in your proposal and you can say one of two, two of two.
Now we’re entering into this will be additional to the original brief or additional to the original cost. So it’s really clear. Clients are like, okay, I’m on my last one. You know, it’s right there. It’s in writing. It’s right there on my board.
Kris: And even if that isn’t explicit enough, you know, it’s right there, this is version 2 of 2, you can say it in your message to them when you upload the version as well. You can say, hey, beautiful client, this is version 2 of 2. This means that any changes moving forward will be additional costs. And you can determine how you’re going to build those as well in advance. You can come to an agreement about how that’s going to work as well. So it’s just about having everything super, super clear.
So going back, looking big picture, you want to be addressing these kind of expectations from the minute that you start briefing the client through to onboarding them through the contract and the proposal through to the welcome guide. But then if you haven’t done any of those, like if you’re like, you know, I’m floundering over here, like I’m just like in this sea of client mess and I’ve been doing everything through email and they’ve been sending me some text messages and they’ve been, you know, DMing me and Instagram with some other information.
I’m just don’t know what to do. It’s not too late. To pull this project into line and get a portal set up. And then you, you introduce the client to this portal and say, this is a new system I’m implementing. I’m so excited about it. You talk to them about the benefits for them, how it’s going to make sure that everything’s super clear and efficient, and we’re going to keep on track.
We’re going to keep the project on track and that they’ll be able to see exactly what everything’s up to. Introduce this now. It’s not too late.
Don: It’s not too late. The other big benefit for a client is that you’ll keep it financially on track. The cost of your work is not going to blow out. So it’s a big benefit. If they want you to stay on track to the cost that you proposed, then, We can’t let this project blow out in time, can’t let it blow out in variations, all of those things. So that’s a huge motivator for clients. They want to stick to that price, you know. So it’s really is a matter of communication, like Kris said. That’s key. That’s the most important thing that you need to do.
nitially, clients will probably go rogue, you know, they’ll probably still have their feedback scattered throughout all of the platforms if that’s what they’ve been used to.
Kris: They’ll resist.
Don: They’ll resist it. So our recommendation to do that is to pull their feedback into the client portal yourself and respond from within there. And with Trello, you can respond from email, but it will pop the response in the Trello board for them. So, it’s a matter of you taking the lead. When you start something new, that a client or existing clients have never used before, they might go rogue, that’s okay.
Just pull them back, pull them back and lead by example. Make sure you are always operating within that space. Make it easy. Make sure that they see, oh, okay, my designer is responding within these hours, so you’re really, you’re really making sure that boundary is clear, that you’re in your business hours, and you’re responding via your portal, which is also really, really important that they see.
This is where I’m going to have access to my designer. This is the timeframe where I have access to my designer. These are where my variations are. This is the latest version of this work is inside the portal. It’s all there. It becomes so clear that your clients will love it. It might take a little bit of time, might take a little bit of nurture and a little bit of training, but they will come to really love it.
And brand new clients won’t know any different. They will love it.
Kris: yeah. So when you’re in the messy middle, like you are right now, I would actually retrofit this whole portal with everything that’s happened so far. I would set up all the proofs that have happened, and you might be up to proof six. And that may not be what you had in your agreement. So in your contract, making assumptions here, we’re assuming that you didn’t have anything in the contract about revisions, but you might have, you might have had, you know, it allows for two sets of minor revisions, or something to that effect. If you are at version six, it’s not too late to say, as you can see, we’re at version six. The estimate actually allowed for two. I’ve given you the grace of a few extra revisions. But moving forward, there will be no more free revisions. I will need to bill for the remaining revisions that happen. Because we need to pull this project into line.
Don: Love that.
Kris: So remember, communication is key, you know.
Don: Explain to your beautiful client that it, the portal is not a barrier, but it’s that beautiful streamlined tool that we’re talking about. and it ensures the quality, it protects both your time and their time, it protects their investment, it makes sure that the cost doesn’t blow out.
All of those things that we’ve been talking about, does all of those things. So remember, you know, setting clear expectations and utilizing a portal really effectively, you can avoid any deadline dramas, any invoice issues, any communication issues.
Kris: Yeah, all the anxiety to do with this project because you, you obviously are feeling anxious. And do you know what? A lot of clients are anxious too. They’re anxious dealing with whatever they’ve got going on in their business. And also they’re anxious dealing with the designer because they’re not sure if they’re going to get what they want.
So all this, setting of clear expectations is going to help reduce anxiety, make everybody feel seen and heard like you’re working together as a team. And it’s a really respectful process as well.
Don: Yeah.
Kris: It’s all about communication and that’s what the portal does. It allows for ease of communication. So. Like Don said before, even if they’re reaching out and they’re going rogue and they’re like sending you a DM, just come back to the portal.
Keep coming back to the portal and say, Hey, I got your DM. But you’re responding within the portal. I got your DM and here’s the response. You’re setting the standard. You’re the leader. You’re managing the project. You keep coming back to the system. Don’t be swayed by what they’re doing. Even though you want to offer a really good customer service.
Don: Absolutely.
Kris: This is the way to offer good customer service.
Don: Yes, absolutely. Because you know what? It’s your business, your way. If you allow them to dictate the rules around engagement, the rules of the way that they want to work, it’ll be you doing your business their way. So, take control. It’s all you, beautiful designers. So take a deep breath.
Kris: Yes. Everybody right now, take a deep breath.
Don: Embrace the portal and reclaim that control of your design projects and your design business, you know, your business, your way. So be brave.
Kris: Yeah, be brave. You’ve got this.
Don: You can download our portal, our free portal. It’s as Kris said, it’s on our website. It’s designandprosper.co/free. Grab yourself the portal. Whatever platform you use, that’s fine. Butthe actual foundation of what should be in a portal is in there. So grab that.
Kris: Alright everybody.
Don: See ya.
Kris: Be brave! Bye.
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