NAVY SEAL
It’s time for another acronym! I know the acronym “NAVY” is old; I’m not sure about the “SEAL” bit. But together they ‘work’ so I’m keeping them.
Today I found myself explaining to a team member about the NAVY acronym: Never Again Volunteer Yourself. You see; we are close to crunch-time as it is and during a preliminary showing to the client he kept volunteering “small” changes they neither asked for nor would miss if not brought up, by him.
Of course these “small” changes came around to bite him in the posterior. I just whistled ‘In the NAVY’ and did my best to handle the overflow, which was reaching me.
Handling clients is like handling toddlers: See no ice cream, beg not for ice cream. Don’t misunderstand me; I respect my clients immensely, it’s just that they would be out of their minds not to accept freebies thrown their way, and volunteering extra work beyond the brief is giving away freebies.
Sometimes you do, sometimes you do not.
Underpromise, overdeliver. It’s what I live by. But it can only be done if you strictly underpromise.
Let’s look at the letters.
NAVY
N for Never
Never, ever, volunteer extra work unless you expect a benefit, be it a better relationship with a client or something else at least semi-tangible. Also Never make it a habit of any sort. You’ll become the ‘go to’ guy for last-minute changes, freebies and miracle-working.
This sounds nice, but it only works until the first time you are swamped and can’t deliver. Expectations are a double-edged sword; they’ll love you for what they think they can expect from you, but once disappointed they’ll be twice as let down, and that sentiment lingers far longer.
It takes many miracles to become their favourite and only one disappointment to be branded a non-deliverer.
A for Again
Because you’ve done it. Admit it. I have.
V for Volunteer
Like I mentioned above; volunteering is giving away freebies. Do it sparingly, make sure they know it’s a freebie, or charge extra. Don’t squander your pearls. If it’s good enough to pay for, they’ll appreciate it more. If it’s not, it’s probably not worth adding in any case. Less is still more.
Y for Yourself
Never forget that you are not giving away an image, some code or some hosting-space. You are giving away time which is rightly yours or your loved ones’.
In other words: you are selling yourself cheap. People appreciate cheap, they don’t appreciate cheap stuff. You’ll be squandering not only your time but also your reputation. Pricing is a big part of product marketing and you are your product.
SEAL
OK, so how do you handle clients angling for freebies?
S for Smile
Don’t look pained, don’t get businesslike, don’t spoil the mood. You are still there selling the product you are providing so you want them liking you.
If you look pained or in any way negative, they’ll conclude you can’t do it and are trying to avoid a job you are not up to.
If you break out the calculator, they’ll conclude you are uncooperative and will chalk you up as ‘difficult’. Clients hate ‘difficult’ more than ‘expensive’.
I have often worked with the company that pitched the middle price, not the lowest. Why? Because working with the lowest bidder opens you up to a ‘difficult’ time. They are likely to cut corners or try to recoup their low bid by doing the absolute minimum. This in turn means more ‘hidden costs’ on my end; hours spent project managing or dealing with deficiencies in the delivered product.
E for Evasive action
I delved into this in my post ‘Your way to the bank’. The best way to say ‘no’ is by offering an alternative.
If you can’t offer an alternative which sounds like a better option (otherwise; why would they take it?) then simply state that this is not as small a job as they think and perhaps you should discuss it on a separate occasion. Then move on to the next subject without letting them get a word in.
This is business-code for ‘it’s going to cost extra’. If they are prepared to pay extra, they’ll schedule that other meeting. If not, they’ll drop the subject. If they don’t, well, Smile.
A for Anticipate
Before you go into any meeting, forearm yourself against the cajoling and trickery which is doing business. Know your budget in time and effort; know your product (especially when it’s a team effort; it looks mightily stupid if you say no to something someone else is already building or has already promised) and know how much you are prepared to give.
Do not stray beyond those boundaries. Avoid selling yourself into the poorhouse. It happens, I’ve seen it happen. A portfolio full of work but a negative end of year result.
L for Listen
Clients asking for freebies are sending you a message. It might just be ‘I’m a shrewd businessman’ but it could also be ‘I need to impress my boss’ or ‘I’m actually in the stages of becoming unhappy with your service.’
Listen, ask questions and figure out what is going on. For example: the client’s representative usually has a bigger project to manage of which your contribution is only a part. Other parts may be going badly. He, or she, may need something to show their boss. Offer an extra showing, offer to switch around your schedule so they have something tangible sooner, see what there is in your arsenal which is not extra but which could help keep your client happy.
If the client is getting unhappy, try to move milestones closer or figure out what else you could do. Giving away freebies in this case is a bribe, and bribes only work if they keep coming. And they will feel to the client like a bribe, or an apology. The client will still be unhappy with you, even if they are placated for now. So don’t go there. Fix what’s wrong.
Shrewd businessmen appreciate other shrewd businessmen. If this is the case, just be sharp, make a joke and see if you can schedule that extra meeting.
Happy web-building!
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