Building Client Relationships in Design

Stuck in an endless loop of client changes? Lost track of what revision this constitutes? Yeah. Been there. Done that. The secret? It's not about saying no. It's about saying yes to the right things upfront. Every project that goes sideways starts the same way: Vague agreements. Fuzzy boundaries. Good intentions. Six weeks later you're bleeding money and everyone's frustrated. Here's my framework after 30 years of running two 8-figure businesses: The SOW is your salvation. Not some boilerplate template. A real document that covers: • Exact deliverables (not "design work" but "3 homepage concepts, 2 rounds of revisions") • Hours of operation ("We respond M-F, 9-5 PST. Weekend requests get Monday responses") • Revision rounds spelled out ("Round 1 includes up to 5 changes. Round 2 includes 3.") • Feedback cycles defined ("48-hour turnaround for client feedback or the project may be delayed or additional fees may be incurred") But here's what most people miss— Don't work on client notes immediately. Client sends 37 pieces of feedback at 11pm Friday? Producer sends conflicting notes from the CEO? Marketing wants one thing, sales wants another? Stop. Collect everything first. Resolve the conflicts. Get on the phone and discuss it with your client to get alignment. Separate the "have to haves" from the "nice to haves". Then present unified changes. "Based on all feedback received, here are the 8 changes we'll implement. This constitutes revision round 2 of 3." Watch how fast the random requests stop. No extra work that goes unappreciated. No more feelings of being taken advantage of. Communicate before the crisis, prevents the crisis from happening. "Just so you know, we're entering round 2. You have one more included. After that, it's $X per additional round." No surprises. No awkward money conversations. No resentment. Scope creep isn't a them problem. It's a you problem. And that's good news, because that means you are in control. They're not trying to take advantage. They just don't know where the boundaries are because you never drew them. Draw the lines early. Communicate them clearly. Everyone wins. What's your most painful scope creep story? What boundary would've prevented it? Small Business Builders #projectmanagement #clientmanagement #businessgrowth

🧭 How To Manage Challenging Stakeholders and Influence Without Authority (free eBook, 95 pages) (https://lnkd.in/e6RY6dQB), a practical guide on how to deal with difficult stakeholders, manage difficult situations and stay true to your product strategy. From HiPPOs (Highest Paid Person’s Opinion) to ZEbRAs (Zero Evidence But Really Arrogant). By Dean Peters. Key takeaways: ✅ Study your stakeholders as you study your users. ✅ Attach your decisions to a goal, metric, or a problem. ✅ Have research data ready to challenge assumptions. ✅ Explain your tradeoffs, decisions, customer insights, data. 🚫 Don’t hide your designs: show unfinished work early. ✅ Explain the stage of your work and feedback you need. ✅ For one-off requests, paint and explain the full picture. ✅ Create a space for small experiments to limit damage. ✅ Build trust for your process with regular key updates. 🚫 Don’t invite feedback on design, but on your progress. As designers, we often sit on our work, waiting for the perfect moment to show the grand final outcome. Yet one of the most helpful strategies I’ve found is to give full, uncensored transparency about the work we are doing. The decision making, the frameworks we use to make these decisions, how we test, how we gather insights and make sense of them. Every couple of weeks I would either write down or record a short 3–4 mins video for stakeholders. I explain the progress we’ve made over the weeks, how we’ve made decisions and what our next steps will be. I show the design work done and abandoned, informed by research, refined by designers, reviewed by engineers, finetuned by marketing, approved by other colleagues. I explain the current stage of the design and what kind of feedback we would love to receive. I don’t really invite early feedback on the visual appearance or flows, but I actively invite agreement on the general direction of the project — for that stakeholders. I ask if there is anything that is quite important for them, but that we might have overlooked in the process. It’s much more difficult to argue against real data and a real established process that has led to positive outcomes over the years. In fact, stakeholders rarely know how we work. They rarely know the implications and costs of last-minute changes. They rarely see the intricate dependencies of “minor adjustments” late in the process. Explain how your work ties in with their goals. Focus on the problem you are trying to solve and the value it delivers for them — not the solution you are suggesting. Support your stakeholders, and you might be surprised how quickly you might get the support that you need. Useful resources: The Delicate Art of Interviewing Stakeholders, by Dan Brown 🤎 https://lnkd.in/dW5Wb8CK Good Questions For Stakeholders, by Lisa Nguyen, Cori Widen https://lnkd.in/eNtM5bUU UX Research to Win Over Stubborn Stakeholders, by Lizzy Burnam 🐞 https://lnkd.in/eW3Yyg5k [continues below ↓] #ux #design

I started my career as a designer. Sometimes, it was frustrating when a client kept changing directions. Or adding one change after another. I know that feeling wasn't one-sided. It affected us both. The pressure is real when you're responsible for deliverables. It's tough to recognise the challenges others face. It's rarely just one party's fault—it's a shared issue. At the core, it's about communication. Here’s how we solve it now: - Define the scope clearly - Conduct a kick-off meeting for alignment - Establish communication channels and frequency - Educate clients about the process and expectations - Focus on desired outcomes and goals, not just tasks - Use project management tools for effective planning - Involve clients at every step for their insights - Communicate often and seek feedback early - Use prototyping tools to facilitate collaboration - Set limits on revisions and changes upfront - Clarify the effort needed for extra requests Ultimately, design is neither for the designer nor the client. It's crafted for the audience. It must resonate deeply, driving the audience's actions and fulfilling strategic marketing objectives. Designers, have you been in a tough situation recently? Would love to hear some stories. 🔁 Repost this to support designers.

You can build processes and automate everything and still lose the client’s approval. You can still miss the thing that actually makes clients stay, “the human presence behind the promise.” I’ve learned this the hard way and then I learned it the practical way. When I hand off every client conversation to a manager, small misalignments can happen. When I take the same call myself, not to micromanage, the relationship starts from a place of confidence. This is not about ego or proving you’re indispensable, it is about setting the first impression for everything that follows. The first touch is where trust is earned. Critical conversations like initial briefings, scope negotiations and the post-proposal follow-up are moments that define the working rhythm. These are the moments where tone, clarity & conviction matter most & where a founder's presence reduces friction. That said, delegation is essential for scale. What I do is to personally own the first call, the high-stakes negotiations & the first major milestone review. Document the decisions and hand them to the team with explicit boundaries, let the team run day-to-day client care, remain available for escalation, but avoid stepping in unless the issue truly needs you. This preserves your time while ensuring the client always feels they are working with the right people. That’s how you make sure your team runs efficiently. #graphicdesign #entrepreneurship

I might lose a few friends in the media world for saying this, but building your brand on discounts alone is a trap. And no, this isn’t theory. This comes straight from the highs, lows, and hard lessons of managing multiple client accounts and growing an agency from the ground up over the past four years. Discounts might attract clients, but they won’t make them loyal. Let’s break it down: What keeps clients coming back to you, instead of someone else offering a cheaper deal? 1️⃣ Exceptional Quality: Deliver work so well, clients can’t stop talking about it. 2️⃣ Consistency: Hit deadlines. Keep promises. Every. Single. Time. 3️⃣ Emotional Connection: Build relationships that go beyond contracts. Make clients feel like partners, not just buyers. Now, here’s the problem with relying on discounts: They start to define your service, instead of enhancing it. I’ve seen agencies fall into the “discount trap”: → Offering endless freebies to “sweeten the deal.” → Dropping rates to compete with low-cost providers. → Attracting clients who see them as cheap — not valuable. And the result? A race to the bottom. A brand that struggles to stand out. Here’s what actually works: Build something clients value beyond the price tag: ✨ Work that delivers real results. ✨ Communication that makes them feel heard and respected. ✨ A partnership they see as essential to their success. Because clients who chase discounts will leave the second someone offers it cheaper. So stop chasing quick wins. Focus on creating a service people are proud to pay full price for. When clients stick around because they trust you, not because you’re the cheapest, that’s when you’ve built something truly special.

We recently wrapped up usability testing for a client project. In the fast-paced environment of agency culture, the real challenge isn’t just gathering insights—it’s turning them into actionable outcomes, quickly and efficiently. Here’s how we ensured that no data was lost, priorities were clear, and progress was transparent for all stakeholders: 1️⃣ Organized Documentation: We broke the barriers— and documented on Excel sheet to categorize all observations into usability issues, enhancement ideas, and general comments. Each issue was tagged with severity (critical, high, medium, low) and frequency to highlight trends and prioritize fixes. 2️⃣ Action-Oriented Workflow: For high-severity and high-frequency issues, immediate fixes were planned to minimize potential impact. Ownership was assigned to specific team members, with timelines to ensure quick resolutions, in line with our fast-moving development cycle. 3️⃣ Client Transparency: A summarized report was shared with the client, showing the issues identified, the actions taken, and the progress made. This kept everyone aligned and built confidence in our iterative design process. Previously, I’ve never felt the level of confidence that comes from having such detailed and well-organized documentation. This documentation not only gave us clarity and streamlined our internal processes but also empowered us to communicate progress effectively to the client, reinforcing trust and showcasing the value of our iterative approach. It’s a reminder that thorough documentation isn’t just about organizing data—it’s about enabling smarter, faster decision-making. In agency culture, speed matters—but so does precision. How does your team balance the two during usability testing?

I Lost 10 Clients by Treating Them Like Transactions. Four months ago, I had a realization: Our approach to clients needed a serious change. We were treating each project as a transaction. Get the job done, get paid, and move on. But deep down, I knew this wasn't sustainable. Clients aren’t just projects to complete and forget about. So, I sat down with my team and decided to dig deep: Where were we going wrong? What was missing? Turns out, a lot. We weren’t building relationships. If we wanted clients to come back to us without even asking… We had to stop seeing them as one-off deals. So we changed everything. We focused on understanding each client’s long-term goals. We personalized our communication, not just templates. We checked in even when there wasn’t a project on the line. We went beyond delivery we became their partner. It wasn’t easy at first. We didn’t see the results in a week or even a month. But slowly… Clients started returning. Referrals started flowing in. Loyalty built itself without much effort. Trust deepened. And then it clicked. The more we cared, the more our clients did too. It took 90 days to see a complete shift From quick projects to long-term partnerships, From one-time payments to recurring revenue, From chasing clients to having them knock on our door. This is a reminder: Every client is a relationship. When you treat them well, they’ll come back, again and again. Not because you asked them to, but because they want to. If you're stuck in a transactional mindset, it’s time to rethink. It’s not just about the work; it’s about the relationship behind the work. P.S. Social media makes it look easy, but building client loyalty takes time, effort, and a lot of genuine care. The return isn’t immediate, but it’s always worth it. How are you building relationships with your clients these days? #relationship #marketing #facebook #facebookadsexpert #funnelexpert #leadgenerationexpert

The #1 mistake I see in client relationships? (It took me years to learn this) Confusing contact with connection. Most professionals think staying “top of mind” means constant contact. So they: ❌ Send generic check-ins. ❌ Ask for meetings without clear value. ❌ Share the same articles everyone else does. Then wonder why response rates keep dropping. 20+ years in client relationships has taught me: The best way to stay memorable? Show up as someone who genuinely cares about them  (and their success). Instead of asking: ❌ “How do I stay visible?” Ask: ✅ “How do I show I care?” Here are my favorite 6 ways to show you care: 1. Spot Opportunities They Might Miss ↳ Share competitor moves and market shifts before  they hear it elsewhere. 2. Be Their Connector ↳ Introduce them to people who can help them grow. 3. Offer Insights They Can Use Immediately ↳ Send relevant research they can apply right now. 4. Celebrate Their Successes ↳ Spotlight their wins like they’re your own. 5. Invite Them Into Your World ↳ Include them in events and conversations that matter. 6. Check In With a Personal Touch ↳ Reach out with no agenda, just genuine care. Here’s the truth: Most people only show up when they want something. Top performers show up because they genuinely care. Because they know when someone’s ready to buy, they don’t research who’s available. They call those who’ve already proven they care. Agree? Disagree? I’d love to hear your take on it in the comments below. ♻️ Valuable? Repost to help someone in your network. 📌 Follow Mo Bunnell for client-growth strategies that don’t feel like selling. Want the full cheat sheet? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e3qRVJRf 

You don’t need better clients. You need 5 contract lines that hold the line. But do you know the problem always starts with a "yes." • Yes to a small revision. • Yes to a quick call. • Yes to "just one more thing." And just like that, you’re not running a software business anymore. You’re running around in circles. I see this a lot with new dev agencies. Talented founders. Good at the work. But no systems. No structure. No line in the sand. Their contracts? Vague. Their offers? Open-ended. Their projects? Delayed, bloated, and underpaid. And the reason’s simple: They said yes too often. • Yes to low-budget clients. • Yes to unlimited revisions. • Yes to timelines that made no sense. And most agencies have no boundaries. Projects drag. Clients take control. They stay busy but broke. But do you know what changes this? • Defined rules. • Added limits. • Clear contracts. That's how your work has weight. That's how clients respect the process. That's how the profits stop bleeding. But if you don’t set the rules, the client will. And their rules? They’ll always cost you more time than you think. Now if you want to run your business with peace, then draw lines in your contracts. Here's a few ways I recommend this: 1) Limit your revisions You have to set a clear number of included revisions. For e.g., "Two rounds of revisions are included. Additional changes billed at $X/hour or per change." Also, define what counts as a revision, so there’s no confusion. 2) Prevent extra work Make sure to be clear on what’s included in the project scope - and what’s not. And add a process for handling extra requests such as:  "Any work outside the agreed scope will require a new quote and timeline." 3) Set communication boundaries Define your working hours and expected response times in the contract. Make sure to limit the number of "urgent" calls or meetings per week/month. 4) Payment milestones & delays Break payments into milestones tied to deliverables, not just dates. And add late fee clauses for overdue payments, and pause work if payments are delayed beyond a set period. 5) Timeline management Write what happens if the client delays feedback or approvals. For e.g., "Project timeline will be extended by the number of days feedback is delayed". This protects your schedule from endless pauses. The end goal is to draw the line. Write the terms. And make your "yes" worth something. --- ✍ Question: Do you set boundaries in your projects?

Ever feel stuck trying to pick the "right" design problem to solve? You’re not alone. Most designers rush to solutions before they even know if they’re solving the right thing. Here’s how I find the best design problems- and how you can too: • 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀. Watch how people actually use your product. Don’t just listen to what they say- see what they do. Dive deep into how they do things right now. You’ll spot hidden pain points and strange shortcuts surveys miss. • 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 “𝘄𝗵𝘆”. Don’t settle for the first answer. Dig deeper. The best problems hide beneath surface complaints. Asking “why” helps you identify the real barriers. • 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Write it simply. No jargon, no features. Just what’s broken and for whom. If anyone can understand your problem statement, you’re on the right track. • 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲-𝗼𝗳𝗳𝘀. A good design problem isn’t just a bug- it’s a pattern. If the same struggle shows up in different places or users, you’ve found something worth fixing. • 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳. Sometimes the client’s request is just part of the story. Step back. Is there a deeper, bigger problem you can solve? The best designers create solutions people didn’t even know they needed. Solving small, obvious problems is easy. Spotting the invisible problems- the ones that change the whole experience- is what makes you stand out. When you focus on finding the right problems, not just any problem, that’s when you start to create a real impact. Follow for more practical design insights you can use everyday.