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  1. #1
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    Apr 2010
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    to meet a potential client

    how should we start our talk? i'm not a pro. she lives just within our city and she wants me to create her a wordpress blog. what do we need to talk about, this is my first client any help please

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
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    UK
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    What she wants to display on each page, colours, styles, sizes and prices. All i can think of off the top of my head.

  3. #3
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    Try to give her what "she" wants and make her "happy" !

  4. #4
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    Jun 2005
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    First things first. You must know what is the problem to propose a solution. What are her objectives for the blog? Which metrics to measure? Who is the target audience (age,sex,instruction)? If applicable, who are the competitors, what is the market size? Expected time to complete the work? Budget? ... These are the questions to be discussed in the meeting.
    Last edited by dotHostel; 03-26-2011 at 07:54 PM.
    You will only find out how good a provider is when the going gets tough

  5. #5
    don't forget to mention that she has to give you the pics she wants and content of the website.

    happened to me that an hotel asked me a website without any photo or text, just the name and the address, LOL!

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by dotHostel View Post
    First things first. You must know what is the problem to propose a solution. What are her objectives for the blog? Which metrics to measure? Who is the target audience (age,sex,instruction)? If applicable, who are the competitors, what is the market size? Expected time to complete the work? Budget? ... These are the questions to be discussed in the meeting.
    Excellent advice.

    A bit off topic, but is this something you can't do over the phone? I know this is your first potential job and you want to make a good impression, but in the future as you grow, you should really value your time more.

  7. #7
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    Mar 2008
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    Milwaukee, WI
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    Quote Originally Posted by dotHostel View Post
    First things first. You must know what is the problem to propose a solution. What are her objectives for the blog? Which metrics to measure? Who is the target audience (age,sex,instruction)? If applicable, who are the competitors, what is the market size? Expected time to complete the work? Budget? ... These are the questions to be discussed in the meeting.
    This post pretty much sums up the majority of what you need to know. In a face to face setting, your confidence and ability to sell your services is going to be important as well. You've got to know what you're doing, or at least be able to sell that you do. When I sit down with clients, they often times want to know specifics of a project (time it will take you, technical aspects, ect...). Be prepared for these. If you honestly don't know the answer to something and don't want to dig yourself into a hole, be honest with the client and let them know you will research it and get back to them with the answer as soon as possible.

    Good luck! The first one is always the hardest!

  8. #8
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    Mar 2008
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    Milwaukee, WI
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    Quote Originally Posted by WickedFactor View Post
    A bit off topic, but is this something you can't do over the phone? I know this is your first potential job and you want to make a good impression, but in the future as you grow, you should really value your time more.
    While I agree that valuing your time is important, there's definitely a niche for the local web designer who is willing to actually meet face to face with a client to discuss their design needs. I've had a fair amount of success offering free consults in which I go out and meet the client to discuss their design needs. Many of these people value the opportunity to actually meet with a web designer after being given the run around via email/phone by other designers. Sure, there's been a few of these consults after which I wish I could have had the 30 minutes of my life back. But in other cases, I've walked away from the meeting with a signed contract and sizable check in hand. A lot of it boils down to presentation and preparation, as well as how good of a sales person you are. And everyone's business plan is a little different, so face to face meetings may not fit into everyone's business model. But based off of my experiences, I wouldn't necessarily discourage them.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    593
    Quote Originally Posted by WickedFactor View Post
    Excellent advice.

    A bit off topic, but is this something you can't do over the phone? I know this is your first potential job and you want to make a good impression, but in the future as you grow, you should really value your time more.
    I'm not understanding your logic. How does meeting with someone waste time? Web development and hosting may be all online stuff, but it doesn't mean that people don't want to be engaged with a physical person instead of a phone call.

    Ill be driving 3 hours to meet my next client. Maybe it will be a waste of time as well.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Toronto, Canada
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    agreed there Speckl,

    listen our best managed hosting customers involved more than 1 face to face meeting, and i have had lots of meeting that amount to ZERO!! but lots that amount to good things and revenue!
    Rebel Networks
    Geek Powered Hosting - The Cloud Made Simple
    SuperHero 24 |7 | 365 Support
    Please Visit us @ www.rebelnetworks.com

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
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    235
    thanks to your replies. i'll be meeting her about 3 hours from now.
    i've created a list especially what dotHostel said.

  12. #12
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    Feb 2011
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    Quote Originally Posted by koilos View Post
    don't forget to mention that she has to give you the pics she wants and content of the website.

    happened to me that an hotel asked me a website without any photo or text, just the name and the address, LOL!
    Very Important! I had a similar experience and it went on for months with repeated attempts to get content. It all ended badly, so putting a time limit on receivables is a good idea. you don't want to end up with someone expecting a website in 7 days when they don't send you anything for 6 (or more).
    www.websitemagick.com "Add a little Magick to your Website"
    IwebNews.net

  13. #13
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    Apr 2010
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    how much should a designer actually ask for developing a theme?

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Posts
    596
    (Sorry about my English)

    There is stuff you learn with experience and it costs a lot. So here, save some $$$

    Let the customer know and must agree BEFORE hiring you...

    - How long is going to take AFTER receiving 100% of the content. You may start working, but the customer can't expect to have the website finished without giving you the complete content.

    - If you started the design and stopped because of lack of the planned info, usually the work done by then is like 85% of the Website.., the rest is just putting the info, so, is not possible to be paid 40-50% then do 90% of the work and then wait the rest of the payment whenever the customer has the chance which can take weeks.... No, so, after, say, 8 days, if the customer is unable to give the rest of the content(EVEN a paragraph) FOR WHATEVER reason, he must agree to pay the rest of the payment and he may give you the info whenever he wants and you'll finish then.

    So RECOMMEND the customer to deliver the content.
    Tell him no one likes to pay for something that is not finished but if is not your fault then is very clear that any work you do has to be paid.
    REMIND him that a website with little content usually doesn't look as nearly as good when is complete and is very possible he's not going to like it BUT still he must either pay or deliver the content, if he wants to cancel he may but there is no refund because he KEPT you from doing the work he asked you in the first place.

    - Are there going to be review meetings? how many do you think the project may need?.
    Some customers LOVE to see and discuss and review and replan and etc. their projects whenever possible..., NO, you can't leave this to customer's will. My simple projects usually have 2 meetings: The first one is to sign up, pay, check details, get some content, etc. etc. The second one is to tell them how to enter the CMS and manage their Site...., all the design reviews were done by email and phone.

    If they want me to visit them I tell them is going to be an additional fee each visit, because my prices are really cheap, they don't cover unlimited hours and gas for chatting with them.

    So, IF you are charging really well you may cover the review OnSite meetings

    - No previews reviewing,(well, there are exceptions), Some customers like to call you the next day to check how is it going or if they can see some of the work... NO, EVEN if you have some work done and you show them on a temp URL or something..., they are not going to like it(duh, is not complete, there's nothing to see)... or they are going to get uncomfortable for how it goes so far, they're going to start asking "is this going to be like this?, is that going to be like that?, etc.".

    So, unless you have at least a finished portion, they must know before signing up that you will not show them any work whenever they call or ask for it but you specify when.
    Last edited by jagarco; 03-28-2011 at 09:38 AM.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Posts
    596
    Also...


    - If is not hosted with you, offer them to (you)check first if the CMS or whatever Script can be installed on their account, BEFORE doing any work or payments. An they still need to understand that the Host may have server settings that may conflict their site but there's no way of knowing this until is being done.

    - Try to put the website for reviews and such on a place that is not on their main domain, it can be under their domain but not directly, and just AFTER the last payment you'll move it to the main location. Otherwise, the website will be On Line(delivered) and they may not have the same urge or interest in paying you, they will, but most certainty they'll take their time. Is not the same as when if they pay then the Site gets OnLine

    - If is not hosted with you, tell them you'll take care of putting it online and working and all as a PLUS, it is not something you can guarantee, the host is a third party and you can't respond for them, and your work which is create a Website can't depend on a third party, if any complication arise because of THEIR host(FTP not working, etc.) you'll help them in solving it IF possible, if the Host just doesn't cooperate you can handle them your work on a file(s), your work is done and complete, and they may contact you when they get their host service working properly
    Last edited by jagarco; 03-28-2011 at 10:07 AM.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    Good advice, May save a lot of misunderstandings down the road.
    www.websitemagick.com "Add a little Magick to your Website"
    IwebNews.net

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