Clients and Customers: Avoid Premature Promises

I’ve heard the following statement from practically every client: not every one but most of them.

Client:
“You know, if we like your writing, we have”
1) this other site that needs doing, 2) we’ll refer you, or 3) there’s this other project that needs work.”

Website writer-strategist:
I appreciate this gesture but the job isn’t finished until the client is satisfied so there’s no need to make this quasi-promise, which I know is anxiety-generated, with a little negotiation thrown in as a form of hoped-for quality assurance.

In my case, I have a 10-step process that I review with clients and it has progressive sign-offs so that they’re involved every step of the way and understands where the project is going – and why. Because there’s going to be a lot discussions about approaches and types of content.

Reading recommendations placed on LinkedIn, calling up references and asking sometimes blunt questions (to address your underlying concerns) is always a good idea.