Client Relations
“The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don’t.”
- Douglas Adams
In the beginning of AE, there were clients. This was how we made money that ultimately built Skunkworks, helped us fund cutting-edge BCI research, and funded Hackathons in beautiful foreign lands.
There are still clients. Lots of amazing clients rely upon us to build their MVPs, raise their next round of capital, and develop world-class enterprise software solutions. We aim to increase their agency, treat every project like it’s our own startup, and along the way, learn to be better developers, data scientists, and founders ourselves.
How exactly do we delight clients and increase agency?
We Manage Expectations
When agencies overpromise, they frustrate clients and themselves when expectations are left unmet. This leads to negative experiences for everyone involved. This is why we underpromise (promise less than we believe we can accomplish) and over-deliver (deliver more than promised).
Many of our clients are non-technical (that’s why they hire us!). Sometimes they truly do not realize that certain tasks are immensely challenging, even if they seem similar to easier tasks. Developers joke about this, but it’s serious business. And even if you do solve the impossible challenge in record time, if the client never realized it was so difficult, they won’t have the opportunity to shower you and AE with praise!
As a developer, remember that all humans have a tendency to underestimate when delivering a timeline to a client. (This is why points aren’t simply measurements of time!) If you’re a PM, remember that devs are humans who underestimate. Giving yourself a buffer upfront and releasing early is much better than promising the client a release date and missing it!
So what do we do about this?
We Overcommunicate
Communicate more than needed. Communicate more than you think you need to. Then communicate even more. Clear, transparent, frequent lines of communication are crucial to ensure the client really understands what you’re telling them. Never assume the client knows what you know. Provide context. Ask if they understand. Clarify if they do not.
While you’re overcommunicating with clients, overcommunicate with teammates and project leads too! The project lead can help you, the client, and human agency everywhere if and only if they are informed. Never hide stuff - we’re all on the same team, working together to kick arse on the project. Here are some best practices on Slack:
- Message people individually for urgent needs. Ask three people and they all might think someone else will respond. Ask one and you increase their ownership instantly!
- Use Slack channels for anything that would benefit from increased visibility and documentation (even if not everyone needs to respond). Think about a new team member walking in the door who might want some context!
- Pin important Slack messages for future reference (documentation, staging credentials, really funny parody lyrics…just wanted to see if you were still paying attention)
We Treat Your Project Like It’s Our Own
Clients present their own set of challenges. Maybe they’re stressed about their next raise, their next idea, their next pitch meeting, or whether their broken coffee maker might lead to deranged hordes of bleary-eyed employees tearing them limb-from-limb. Our client guarantee is simple:
We'll treat your startup like it's our own. We'll treat your project like it's our startup with a founder-level mentality doing whatever it takes to make it spectacularly successful.
Regardless of what comes our way, we are always professionals. We aim to be our best professional selves at all times, and help our clients do the same. It’s our job to be calm, understanding, and rational. If they’re upset, explain the situation clearly, but make sure they feel heard and understood. Don’t yell, don’t fight. Be the bigger person.
You’ve Got a Friend in Me
Ok, fine, you don’t need to be friends with the client. But things will be easier if you are. When a tough conversation is required or *gasp* you make a mistake, clients are much more forgiving and understanding…if they like you. Projects are more pleasant for everyone and more likely to continue if we all just get along. Try not to double the length of meetings with small talk, but a little light conversation builds rapport. Engage. Share. Be like an obese polar bear - break the ice.
We Hustle & We’re “Usefully Lazy”
Working at AE, even if we follow Agile principles, is a marathon, not a sprint. We don’t want you to burn out. But sometimes, stuff is critical for clients. Wise developers become experts at realizing when stuff really matters and when it doesn’t. Sometimes a small amount of effort is plenty to build the feature, close the ticket, and move on to the next item. That’s useful laziness. Other times, the extra mile really does give a lovely light. Identifying the first case, the second case, and the cases in-between is a good recipe for excellent projects, happy clients, and staying fresh.
Little things go a long way with clients, especially early in the relationship. First impressions matter. Small, impressive frontend work early builds trust and shows progress. That earns you trust, freedom, and ultimately, more time.
Now go make some cool stuff and increase human agency!