We've spoken about red flags when booking clients but you know what people don't talk about? How can you reader, as a client of a service provider, be an amazing person to work with? A lot of the factors that go into the success of a project with come down to the designer's communication, boundaries, and experience. However, following these steps throughout the timeline can improve the outcome of the project and create a long lasting and impactful relationship with any service provider you work with. Let's jump into the first way you can be a fantastic client.

01 Do your research

It can be very tempting when you're finally ready to book a designer to just Google and reach out to a bunch of people. But this can hinder your project from the very beginning. Before you're even ready to work with a designer, ask yourself, what are you looking for? The best way to research who you eventually want to work with is to view lots of designer's portfolios. This will help you see whose work you gravitate towards. Once you have a few designers that have work you love, look throughout their website for process and service information. You want to make sure they offer what you need. Strategy is always an important inclusion so look for that. And if you're looking for a website, you'll want someone who offers design and development so that you're not finding someone else to hire at the end of your timeline. Some designers list their pricing so make sure to keep an eye out for that as well. This will help you prepare for the investment. Finally, check out their social media to dive even deeper, seeing what they care about and what education they may be sharing. All of this will build a connection to 1-5 designers that could be an amazing fit for your needs, reducing how many people you need to reach out to and how many discovery calls you'll potentially have when making your decision.

02 Reach out early

A lot of designers book 2-3 months out for projects. Plus, you as the client will need to prepare as well (more on that later). Being rushed never feels good when you need time to do your best work. Be ready to reach out as soon as you are ready and have the budget necessary to work with a designer. And that doesn't mean having the entire project investment at the ready. Very few designers require payment in full. Most offer payment plans (like how we offer equal, monthly payments over the timeline) so you have time to earn that money from contracts you're working on as time passes during the project timeline. But have all your ducks in a row and then reach out early to get the process started.

03 Be available

It can be tough to work on a project in your busiest season. You're overwhelmed potentially and need more rest. But piling on communicating with your designer on a regular basis can be too much. When booking your designer, book the timeline during a less busy season for yourself. Not only is it a great use of your time, but when you launch, you will be more ready for the increased attention on your business. Also, if you know you will need to be gone for a period of time during your timeline, like an unplugged vacation, let the designer know before you book. That can help them pad the timeline or schedule things in a way that mitigates delays.

04 Don't ghost

This one may seem obvious but we're all human beings running businesses and being ghosted feels awful. If you reach out to multiple designers, the kind thing to do is to let the ones know that you don't choose that you went in another direction and appreciate their time. It seems small (and maybe even a little scary) but this kindness means a lot to service providers so we know for sure that potential project is not happening. Also, say something changes in your business before booking with your chosen designer and you need to wait on the project. A ghosted designer is very unlikely to welcome you back when you are ready. Explain simply that you need more time but would love to work with them. It helps them know to maybe check in in a few months with you and keeps the relationship open and honest.So, lead with kindness and you'll be a fantastic client whenever you're ready!

05 Be prepared

When you work with any service provider, there's going to be work done on your end to prepare for the project. For a designer, it'll typically be answering in-depth questions about your business, gathering the images for your website, and writing the copy for your website (unless you've hired a copywriter). This work can take some time, making that gap from booking to the project start date all the more helpful and valuable. Before you even book, you can start preparing by getting your portfolio together. If you have one, this always takes a lot of time because you're gathering assets for multiple projects you've done. Or if you have a shop, creating a spreadsheet with your product information and photos can be a big help because no matter who you hire, you will need to give that to the designer so they can help setup your products. Whatever this looks like for you, make sure to set aside time to get your work done.

06 Be open to the process

Each designer has their own way of working. They use different tools, communication, and boundaries. It's important to be flexible to the process to get the most out of it. When it comes to tools, be open with your designer if you don't understand how to use a feature you need to know. Your designer is the one that chose that tool so they should be open to answering any of your questions. Next is communication and boundaries. If your designer doesn't offer texting as a method of communication, respect that. If there's a way you communicate most effectively, you are free and encouraged to let your designer know. You'll most likely work together to communicate in ways that works for you both. But also, make sure you have a level of understanding when a designer sets a boundary. They have probably been burned in the past by another client who pushed too hard and it ruined the relationship they were trying to build. So expect and contribute openness on both sides.

07 Give helpful feedback

Giving feedback is one of the most important parts of a project. A lot of designers just trust their clients will get it but it can be intimidating to say how you feel during a project. Here's what I share with my clients to help them give the best possible feedback.

Effective feedback

• Be honest. If you don’t like something, tell us.
• Be specific. Point out what, exactly, is not working for you, and WHY it’s not working. That last part is very important.
• Ask why. If you aren’t sure what we were thinking, we’d love to better explain our reasoning. Everything we’ve done for the project has a purpose.
• Refer to your goals. Revisit your strategy to support thoughtful feedback.
• Relate to your audience. Your audience should be top of mind for every decision or critique that you provide. What do THEY need? What will THEY enjoy?

Not effective feedback

• Involve everyone you know in the creative process. We work best when you alone serve as the expert on your business and its audience. Art made by committee is rarely successful.
• Take things personally. If something feels off or missing, we need to figure out WHY and move closer to our mutual target.
• Prescribe fixes. Instead, explain the problem and we’ll discuss potential fixes, based on our research, experience, and skills.

08 Be ready to leave a testimonial

This is especially true if you have an amazing experience, but be ready to leave a testimonial for your designer. Not only should you include what you loved about working with them, but privately sharing what could be improved to your designer could help them so much with their next clients. We always ask for all the information from our clients so we can continue to grow but also know what we're doing right. A lot of designers have to chase down clients to hear how the project went, so from the start be prepared to share yours!

09 Refer your designer

If you had an amazing experience with your designer, tell people! Share the results you got. Refer the designer to friends (again, maybe before their even asking about designers so they can do their research) and you can even ask if your designer has a referral program. Many designers offer additional work or a fee when your referrals book them. It's a win-win for everyone. Even if your designer doesn't have a program, they wull notice if you send a lot of work their way and reward you in some way. Remember, this is about building a long lasting relationship to improve both of your businesses.

10 Return for future work

When you're ready to elevate your business again or add on to the work your designer did, reach out again! We love working with past clients because we already are familiar with your business, brand, and goals. You'll already be familiar with their process as well, making the whole project run smoothly.

Disclaimer

I want to be honest here.You could do all these things and still work with a designer that you lack a connection with or is simply not a prepared, effective designer. I've learned over the years as I've grown as a person and business owner that it's not always the client that sinks a project. It can be my incomplete process, ineffective communication, or not setting boundaries. But December Oak and many other designers have put in the years and time it takes to make a project seamless and get you results. And these 10 ways to be the best client will only help in that process so keep them in mind the next time you hire.

Ready to work together?

Have you done the research and prepared to hire a designer and now you're feeling ready? Reach out to us! We're ready to discuss your project.