What To Do When Clients Say X But They Really Want Y

Photo by fuyoh!.

The following is a short story from my web design freelancing experience that took place in the earlier days of the Internet around the year 2001.

A customer that we’ll call Jack said he wanted a web site with tabs along the top of the screen like Amazon. The problem is that his site did not lend itself well to this model because it was very small and was meant to drive people to call him for his services. It wasn’t that I couldn’t create a site that resembled Amazon, it was more that his true needs were for an easily navigable web site.

He associated Amazon with easy navigation, good style and a professional look. So what he was really looking for deep down was not a specific type of navigation bar, but these three simple things: a website that was professional, easy to navigate and stylish. After I understood his true needs and explained to him that I could arrange for those needs to be met without an Amazon-copycat design, he was delighted. The client ended up doubling my quoted rate because he was so happy with the results!

So what should you do to eliminate the problem of the customer who says one thing but means another? Continue Reading