Client Communications Policy (Do This, NOT THAT)
Do you have a client communications policy? Do your clients know how you prefer to communicate?
Recently I wrote about the Terms and Conditions that freelancers and small agencies should have with all their clients. These include payment, service, and legal terms.
But communications covers more than what you would include in your terms and conditions.
Client Communications Policy (Why Bother?)
Communication styles vary. They are often a major source of tension in client relationships.
“I love the work but hate that the client calls me twice a day.”
“Four times this week, we got emails for rush jobs—needed by EOD! I might drop this client.”
“I never get complete briefings from this client. They’re always missing information, and I have to chase after them with many questions. It’s a crappy way to work.”
Sound familiar? These situations are breakdowns in communications. That’s why you want to have a Communications Policy.
Which Communications Policies Should be in Writing?
There is an overlap between communications policies and Terms & Conditions.
In writing, on your estimates, you definitely want to include these Terms & Conditions:
Number of revisions included in that estimate (this can vary by client and estimate)
The payment terms for the project, including deposits, progress payments, and final payments
Any incentives for quick payments (I wrote about money strategies for freelancers, borrowed from successful retailers here)
But many of your other policies should be verbal to the client. I suggest that you write them down for yourself, but not for clients. Writing them down for yourself will cause you to think about them and help you decide how you want to work.
Communicate Working Relationship Policies Verbally
The typical client communications issues that come up include:
Style of communications—any combination of email, text, phone, platforms such as Asana
Preferences for information sharing, which could include shared docs, PDFs, communications platforms
Preferences for client briefings
Expectation of time required for project deadlines
Why should these be verbal rather than written? It’s because they don’t apply to all clients.
Many of these issues won’t come up with each client, so why bring them up?
In writing, most of them sound negative. It’s like you’re laying down the law. You’re in the service business, remember?
Here’s what it looks like in writing:
We return emails within 24 hours
(Client: “Not sooner? What if I need an answer to a quick question?”)
We don’t accept verbal project briefings. Please submit your briefing in writing.
(Client: “But it’s a tiny project. I can tell you in 30 seconds.”)
Minimum time for any project is three business days.
(Client: “But I have this little rush job. Can’t you fit it in today?”)
Some things are best discussed rather than written down. How you resolve them may also change according to the circumstance.
How to Deal With Client Communications Conflicts
From a service perspective, the first thing you may want to ask yourself is whether your communications policies are reasonable.
To pick on email for a moment, is there a real reason you can’t answer it faster? Even if it’s to say, “I saw your email. I’ll get back to you later today.” That’s often all the client wants, an acknowledgment that you’ve seen it and will do something about it.
What about verbal project briefings? I’m a big believer in written briefings, but what if you have a client who wants to phone it in? Why not create a briefing template for them to complete?
Maybe they simply don’t know any better. A template could be beneficial to them. Presenting a briefing template gives you a chance to explain why this is more efficient for the client.
How about requests for rush jobs? Have you ever told the client that under normal circumstances, you can’t manage rush jobs? Do they know that it’s not how you work? They may be under the impression that it’s no big deal. After all, you can walk into a fast-food restaurant and get a meal in minutes.
That leads us to expectations…
What do Clients Expect of You?
Let’s talk about rush jobs again. Do you have a client that seems to think this is entirely normal? That they could send you a brief in the morning and expect something by the end of the day or first thing tomorrow?
The fact is, some agencies are set up to handle this. They have enough people on staff that they can switch priorities and put someone on a project right away. So, perhaps the client has worked with this type of agency in the past.
The answer is, you have to talk about it. You and the client have to understand each other’s expectations.
What solutions could you offer? You could sit down together to plan a project/content calendar. Put the jobs into a schedule and avoid the last-minute rushes. That could lead to monthly planning sessions, which you bill.
Or, if your agency is big enough, assign a project manager who could likely take care of many of these jobs themselves.
The goal is to have client expectations meet with your way of working.
Sometimes Your Willingness to Talk is Enough
You need the confidence to bring up these issues if you want to continue working with these clients.
Often clients are happy to discuss and learn better ways for you to work together.
But find a time when it’s appropriate to talk about this—probably not when you’re ready to blow up about the latest rush job request.
Are You Doing Something That Annoys Your Client?
Have you ever thought about that? Is there something they’d like you to change to make it easier for them to work with you?
Should some of your communications policies be revised? Think about that and see whether it’s time for a change.
Growth Often Drives Changes in Communications Policies
The growth of your business could mean it’s time to change your communications policies.
For example, in my case, I transitioned from being a freelance copywriter into building an agency of 30 people. I took most of my freelance clients with me to the agency.
When I was a solo freelancer, of course, I was the one they called or emailed. But once I started the agency, and it grew, we assigned project managers to clients. We wanted the clients to contact the PMs for day-to-day communication.
That was a transition we had to manage. We didn’t want clients to feel like they had been fobbed off to someone else. Of course, as agency principals, we were still available for calls and emails, but it was more efficient if the client dealt with the PM for day-to-day matters.
We introduced the PMs and reassured the clients that we were still looking after their business.
Remember, any time you make changes in how you communicate, you run the risk of disrupting a relationship. Pay attention when you decide to introduce a new way of working.
Your Intent Should be to Have Mutually Beneficial Communications
Ideally, you and the client are like two sides of the same coin, working together in harmony. That also means that you may have to adjust to client preferences.
For example, if you’re working with a large company, and they’re on a specific communications platform, you may have to join them there. In other words, for them, you adapt to the way they’re most comfortable working.
What if it’s Not a Fit?
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, the client proceeds in a way that doesn’t work for you. I think it’s worth a last discussion, and if you can’t agree on processes, then part ways.
I would have this talk only after they’ve paid all of your invoices.
Learn more about communicating with clients in my book, How to Start a Successful Creative Agency. It’s the essential business guide for graphic designers, copywriters, filmmakers, photographers, and programmers.
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Over 300 pages and 23 chapters, available at Amazon (Paper & Kindle), Kobo (ebook), Apple Books (ebook), and Gumroad (PDF).
The book is packed with useful information to help creatives start and grow their business.
Recommended to Other Creative Friends
“Hi Andy, just finished reading your book. Loved the sections on estimates, billable hours, and timesheets. Recommended to some other creative friends who are running their own biz. Thank you for writing the book :)”
Kasun Pathirage, Freelance B2B Writer, DM Twitter
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