Mind Reading 101 After You Land A Project

Who ever figured that freelancing would be so much work? Well, it is and it's fun but there are a few pitfalls too even after you land your first or your one hundredth project , though by the time you reach one hundred projects you are probably going to know it well. I started this subject because I have dealt with more than one client who needed mindreading skills or more appropriately who needed someone to understand what  they meant, not what they said, and that is where Mindreading 101 comes in.

My goal here, if I had one would be to see fewer feedbacks with the provider saying; "buyer did not know what he wanted" and the buyer saying; "provider lacked skill and knowledge in field".  Even if the first is true, often you can change that into a rewarding experience for you both  and have excellent feedback for you both.

It has been said time and again that you should show interest in your clients. Remember how in your cover letter you did your best to convince that client that you were the best one for the project and you understood his needs and cared about them? Well, sooner or later that claim is likely to be tested.

Some clients are incredibly knowledgeable. They will give you every single detail you need to know in an organized fashion and it will be well within your means as a skilled professional to deliver it. What they need is a job done in a timely fashion and to their specifications. We all know how to deal with those clients.

Let's just say that a buyer has outlined a job that they would like to have done during the interview that is right up your alley, you have accepted it, and it seemed fairly straight-forward too. It is material you know about and you have done time and again in the past.

Soon after hiring, this new client who may or may not have shown he/she is not too well versed in the ins and outs of how this type of project is achieved, sends you the material or the idea they want made real and perhaps specifies software or CMS or something else that should be used.
Now let's further suppose that what they send in the outline, specifications, or idea plan is out of the question due to software limitations, their choice of display format, or any other reason you can think of. You have agreed to do the project, and if you are like most of us, you WANT to do it to their ultimate satisfaction.  What's your response to this client? How do you turn this from a potential disaster or disappointment into a winning situation for you both?

I almost hear voices chiming: "Write him/her and explain what can be done and whats out of the question." It's a great answer but there's more you can do to use this situation to your advantage and your client's.
First off, since they asked for something impossible to achieve, you can be fairly sure this is not their area of expertise. It's time to use your expertise then.

You do write them, you do explain what can be done within the limitations of the venue, software, whatever. You also give them alternatives and explain how it could be done in "this way" or using "this software" or that venue within the stated time-frame and budget.  Your goal here is to make it as simple as possible for a person who doesn't possess your expertise to select an option that will satisfy their needs and be achievable within their budget, or their time-frame. You explore the options that seem to fit the client's vaguely stated or unstated needs. You ask for input in a respectful manner as to whether they feel that x option might be acceptable to deliver the product they requested or perhaps z option would be better or do they have another preference?

Moreover, and it's important for the geeks among us especially, explain it in plain simple language that doesn't talk down to the client. It's important to use as few tech specific terms and insider catch-phrases as possible if the client doesn't seem to know much about software design or whatever it is they wish to have from you.

We are in a service industry it is totally our job to attempt to not only deliver that product, but anticipate client needs and not talk down to them while doing it. It's Mind Reading 101 if you will.
If you are hired to check out groceries for 40 hours a week and you have a steady paycheck then you don't need to worry about what that shopper "might" want or what they seem to think that product can do that it can't.

On the other hand, you as a freelancer should endeavor to do what the client wants and if you know your area well you understand what they want, and it's not always what they are saying, because terminology is a terrible thing in some hands.

You have to allow the client to feel safe not knowing an area because he is in good hands, and convey respect for him, while getting the project done with sometimes strange or impossible requests.  For your own sake remember that the client doesn't make these requests to make your life difficult, that is vital.  Try to understand they make them because sometimes they don't have any notion of the limitations of a given item, field, software, you fill in the blank, but they have an idea or a goal. Now it is up to us to help them achieve it.

Sooner or later, even if you are very lucky, and very thorough in job interviews, you will run across that type of client. Don't treat them as if they were dumb because they don't know (whatever). Instead, communicate with them as if they were a person who hired you because you know what to do. If you do that, you can turn what might be a long and painful job that might end badly, into a long term relationship. You can develop trust and the the client knows you care about the end results and his satisfaction. He will feel it is ok if he doesn't understand Unified Field Theory (or whatever) because  he hired someone that does, and you will help him to achieve his goals within budget and deadlines if humanly possible.

Carry through on the promise you made when you designed that cover letter and told them you were interested in their satisfaction, and it will lead to great feedback and often to long term job benefits.

Not every project can or should be dealt with in this manner, it all depends on the needs and capabilities of your client. However, this can be useful more often than the new provider might believe right now.

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