First Draft Success: A Method for Meeting Client Expectations
It’s hard to get on the same ball with some clients. You have a consultation, perhaps exchange detailed material and you think the project will work out great. You and your client are on the same path and they will love that first draft, right? Then why, after you submit that first draft, do some clients say the material was not exactly what they wanted?
Well, it can be them. Or it can be you. Sometimes, it can be both. Somewhere along the way, the right look, feel or tone of the work can get lost in translation. Even a seasoned freelancer can become confused or frustrated when the client says that the project wasn’t what they expected and the deliverable “needs work.” (Or worse, “is no good.”)
I’ve been in this situation a few times as a copywriter. Sometimes a client will say that the copy needs work, which is understandable. Rarely do you get things “just perfect” the first time around. Some clients are cool even though they don’t like the first draft and will work with me to polish it up. Others want to write you off and start searching for a new freelancer, even if you offer to work with them on it. Regardless of what the client’s attitude is, here are a few ways to help prevent that first draft from being in left field.
Be honest.
When I’m selling my services, I always tell my clients that they may not find the first draft to be perfect, but it’s a jumping off point. Many clients cannot articulate what they want to say on a website, for example, so I tell them that they are hiring me to help them get it in writing–and work with them to fine-tune it. This helps to “pad” things a bit in the event they receive my copy and don’t like the way it reads. This way, they are more open to the fact that most projects take a few rounds of edits to get it right. I always tell them that I am there to work with them, so they don’t just receive the first draft and are stuck with it. Instead, I include a couple of rounds of revisions in my price–and I use that as a selling point so they feel confident that, even if the copy wasn’t exactly what they wanted, it will be because I am there to help them get it right.
One of my biggest pet peeves is the client who doesn’t like the copy and refuses to work with me. I haven’t had that happen as much since I started using all of these steps in my sales pitch. I don’t tell the client “you may hate the copy” because that could scare them off. I simply let him or her know that editing is a natural process and I will need their help to get things exactly the way they want them.
Get a clear idea of what your client wants.
And that’s the problem–most clients think you are the professional, so whatever you produce will be spot-on; but that’s not always the case. Before starting a project, it’s good to have a few questions in mind for your clients. What do they want out of the product, design or content? Who is the audience? Ask them about style, look, feel, or tone–these are huge in helping to make sure your work matches closely to their expectations. Don’t be afraid to grill, otherwise, they’ll call you requesting the deliverable, you’ll sign a contract–and then you won’t have any idea what exactly to do. You never want to go blindly or just do what you think looks good, no matter how artistically gifted you are. If you’re in business, you have to communicate and take into account providing customer service, which includes listening to your client–and if they have nothing to share, pulling the information out of them.
In my example of creating website content, I always ask clients to show me samples of wording they like–and ask them why they like it. I have them show me competitors websites to help me learn about the industry. Some clients like how a competitor does something, so this is a great way for me to see what they like and mimic it without copying it.
On some instances, I’ve shown clients clips of my work to show them the different options in tone they can use; otherwise, they may think all copy is the same. For example, do they want short, punchy headlines? Do they want the content with bullets? Do they want things written in first- or third-person tone? I go right to the nitty gritty, because the more information you have, the better you can produce what the client has hired you to do. Just because they cannot articulate themselves doesn’t mean it’s a free for all–you have to know how to get your clients to express what they want. (And most of you know, that’s more than asking, “What do you want?”)
If I am writing a the company “About Us” page for a website, I don’t just assume they want four or five paragraphs about the company’s history, its mission, and its philosophy. Some clients want to include an introductory statement with a biography of the company president. Some want a paragraph on their services. Others want corporate history broken into a separate page. See? These are all different ways to go…so it’s best to ask the client what the objective of the page is. Sometimes I’ll ask for a page-by-page or paragraph-by-paragraph break-down of what they want to say. The more information the better. I let them know that I’ll need their help, and that by giving me details the result will likely be more in tune with what they like.
Dig Deep.
And then comes the client who says, “I don’t know what I want to say, that’s why I’m calling you.” This select breed is typically the same kind that, after you work your tail off on the project, claims they “just don’t like” the content (or design) you create. It’s important to counter this response by digging for more details because the client doesn’t just pay you for your creative talent! In my case, even if that client doesn’t know what they want to say on each page, for example, they can certainly take the time to dig up a competitor’s website or show me some examples of what they do and do not like. I often ask this client to go back to the drawing board and come up with some more specific examples of the tone they like. I explain that if I go blindly, they run the risk of not liking the content, which can waste time and money. (You may formulate a questionnaire for this type of client, so they have time to think about what they want to say. I often encourage my clients to give me some bullets on the message they want to convey to help me focus my writing–I tell them they are paying me to do the writing, but I need that concept to build my words around it.)
Remember that even if your client says he or she wants one thing, he or she may change his or her mind. In that case, it’s not your fault when the deliverable does not match up to what you discussed originally. But you do want to make sure that you give it your best shot to get all the information needed, even if you have to ask to speak to someone else in the organization. (For example, maybe I would want to speak to the company president to derive content for the About Us page.)
Go easy on yourself.
You’re not a mind reader. In most cases, you will have to edit your work so it more closely meets the client’s needs and expectations. There is nothing wrong with that, especially if they give you little to go on. But definitely make an effort to gauge what your client wants, likes and desires so you’re not going blindly.
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I like to use – as a client and a freelancer – really short iterations even before reaching the first draft.
This way, if set up properly, the client doesn’t expect a “complete” version, it’s easy to switch things around and, if the client drops off, the time and money investment isn’t too painful.
I think one of the most important things you can do in this regard is try to manage the client’s expectations as much as you can. I always start off a relationship with a new client by telling them we will need to work more closely together on our first few projects than we will down the road once we become comfortable with one another. I never want a client to expect the first draft of something I send to them will be perfect, because in my business it never will be. My client will always know more about the ultimate client’s business goals and company politics than I do, because I don’t interact directly with that ultimate client. If they are expecting first draft perfection their expectations are far, far too high, and it’s best to let them know up front that’s not going to happen or else both of us will be frustrated and disappointed.
The added benefit of saying we won’t need to work quite so closely on things down the road is I’m indirectly telling them I’m interested in a long-term working relationship. Most of my clients are repeat customers and have been for many years, so it seems to be working out for me.
And I thought things like this only happens to me
In my last big project, I explained beforehand what the first draft would look like, and the client was both impressed with my work and disappointed that it wasn’t more “finished”. Make sense to you? Me neither.
After having a couple of first drafts rejected, I’ve gotten into the habit of emailing new clients after the first few days of work. In the email, I tell them I’m sending them a partial first draft and just want to be sure that the tone/style/information is what they are looking for. This allows me and the client to clear any misunderstandings up quickly, before I put a lot of time and energy into a long product that turns out to be nothing like what the client wants.
Thanks for the excellent post Kristen. Setting expectations up front is indeed the key to success. I really like your idea of getting clients to show you wording they like. I’ve always asked them to show me competitive sites or sites they like in general, but getting specific on wording as you suggest should make it easier to nail the correct voice and tone early on. I will definitely give this a try on my next assignment.
Thank you for this wonderful article.
I’ve had to learn this the hard way.
It is very disheartening for a client to pull out after the first draft.
Now I realize that it wasn’t my artwork so much as a lack of communication.
When you realize that you may only have an hour of your clients time, it pays to keep them on track and dig for the core of the message.
It is nice to hear about tips that will improve my communication skills.
I think the point about not being a mind reader is a good one. But there are times when clients, bless ‘em all, just don’t know quite what they want.
Which means that you have to put on your Intuition Hat and start guessing. Having input — such as what they like/don’t like in copy, design, photography, what-have-you — can be helpful.
And be forewarned: You may have to make several requests for such input.
Great post! For myself I just make sure I ask a lot of questions and educate them when necessary. I think educating them also shows that you’re a professional and that you’re worth the cost.
I’m lucky to have clients who, for the most part, understand that a draft is a draft. But it’s not a technically a FIRST draft, which is why I have reservations about the title of this post. I never send my first draft. It’s usually a second or third when I present it to the client. I always revise, edit, and proofread.
What I find difficult is when clients ask me to revise work that they’ve merely scanned and not really thought about — and they can’t tell me exactly what they don’t like about it. Yes, they hired me to help them, but that doesn’t make me a mind-reader. I try to make it clear to clients that they also need to invest some of their time in order to make it a successful project.
Your tips in the section “Get a clear idea of what your client wants” are very helpful. Thanks!
@Debra: Sending them a partial draft is a good idea. How do you account for revisions, given that they haven’t seen the entire draft?
Happens to the best of us. But wireframes can be a huge benefit to this (at least in the web world). And suggesting the client find ways to get examples before you get started. If Im starting a website, I usually say choose out some of your favorites or design directions you want to go in. Or I will choose a bunch of sites in different directions based on what we talked about and as which look or feel they like better. Thats just my take on it and it seems to work better because they get visuals before it gets started. Saves your time and theirs.
When clients don’t know what they want you might want to ask them even more questions, and establish a conversation a bit outside the job, to get to know them a little better and understand what is the context they might fit in.
You want to go outside and then come back in. I wouldn’t call it mind reading exactly but sometimes you can almost guess by the kind of information they consume.
I remember back in the old days when you had dot matrix printers and the first laser printers. Design companies would send proofs out on the crappy dot matrix (I had an Apple StyleWriter II – it was so noisy) and then final drafts on the laser printer. This had the effect of looking so much better that clients thought that the worked had been polished between the stages. Sometimes a bit of theatre like that can help clients see the difference between a draft for comments and a final draft for approval. For example, I know one chap who puts a big red “DRAFT” on every page as a watermark. Something like this might work.
I think that the most difficult part of meeting client expectations is trying to read between the lines. You’re right. You need to be honest about what you know and what you don’t. If in doubt, it’s always good to have a record of your conversations, emails or even a contract in place just in case disputes will arise when your clients are not satisfied with the finish work. As a freelancer, you need to protect your own interest as well and make sure to get paid for your efforts, no matter how big or small.
great article! i always make sure that the client and i are on the same page on everything before starting development, sometimes this means 2 extra emails or phone calls but in the end asking questions is completely worth it… no one wants to develop/design/write something two times for the price of one!