RSSApril 2nd, 2008
The Problem with “Busy”
Have you ever heard or said the following?
“Oh I’ve just been so busy that I have not gotten to . . .”
Then fill in the blank. We have all been on both ends of that sentence at some point. The problem with “busy” is that it is a cop out; an excuse in disguise. It’s as if the person is not only making an excuse, but feeling a sense of self-pity at the same time, without ever truly addressing the needs of the person with whom they are speaking. Translation . . .
“I clearly chose not to make it a priority. This is not as important as the other things I have going on.”
Sounds harsh, doesn’t it? Fact is, we all have the same 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week. We make time for what we consider to be important. Period. Being “too busy” for something is not so much a lack of time, just the inability to make it a priority.
My point is that being “busy” is no way to Win Friends and Influence People. Hopefully you can see how a statement like the one above can rub someone the wrong way, or make them feel unimportant. And that should never be the goal in any relationship.
When we let others down, how we communicate in that moment is crucial on a number of levels. It’s always better to face personal responsibility head-on and make a change. No one likes excuses.
Posted in Business - No Comments
February 20th, 2008
Ricardo Semler - Catalyst for the 21st Century
Countless people around the world have fought and lost their lives in the name of democracy. Countries have been founded entirely upon the very ideals of freedom and democracy. Yet people around the world happily work in corporate dictatorships to this day. Have you ever wondered why there is such a disconnect? Ricardo Semler has.
Ricardo Semler is one of the true business leaders and innovative thinkers of our time. He is a strong advocate of workplace democracy, and a true master of harnessing the wisdom of people to build a great company. Ask questions. Give up control. Trust the resourcefulness and intuition of people rather than asserting authority and following rules just for the sake of history. These are only some of the ideas Ricardo has brought to light in his company, called Semco.
At the age of 21, Ricardo took over the relatively small manufacturing company from his father. Semco had peaked at $4 million in revenues during his father’s tenure. Ricardo immediately began asking questions about how and why things were done a certain way, and completely shook things up over the next two decades. Not only did Semco average 40% growth per year in a very unstable Brazilian economy, but in 1993 Semco revenues grew to $212 million. And Semco still enjoys great success, while fiercely protecting a democratic work environment with less than 1% employee turnover. It is considered one of the best companies in the world to work for, with literally thousands of applicants at any one time.
Here are just a few of the radical ideas implemented at Semco that brought such incredible success to their business:
- All meetings are optional, and attendees can come and go as they please. If no one shows up, then it is obviously not enough of a priority to warrant a meeting.
- Employees set their own schedules, and can work from home, or even a variety of remote offices.
- When hiring for any managerial position, qualified candidates are interviewed by the people that would be working for them. All hires are made through a lengthy process that is open to all employees.
- Company policies and major decisions are made collectively and democratically. Everyone gets one vote, no matter what their position in the company
- Many employees set their own salaries, and the company books are available for all employees to see. Semco even teaches classes to those that want to learn how to read the books.
- Employees on all levels are encouraged to rotate jobs and move into different roles or business units as often as every 6 months.
Most importantly, there is a method to the madness at Semco. His belief in some very foundational principles have resulted in radical change for the better, and organizations around the world now study his philosophies. The revenues are not nearly as impressive as the overall health and well-being of Semco today.
The Semco story is documented in two books by Ricardo Semler. Both are the most inspirational, life-changing books I have ever read. What I love about his writing is that it’s not instructional — it’s a way of life. It’s a mindset that Semler masterfully writes about while telling the Semco story. He simply says, this is our story; now take these philosophies and apply them to your business in whatever ways make sense.
The first of the books is called Maverick! — The Success Story Behind the World’s Most Unusual Workplace. It was first published in 1993. The book contains great anecdotes and ideas, all revolving around the Semco story and history. It is a fabulous introduction.
Ricardo Semler’s second book (published in 2004), The Seven-Day Weekend, is the slightly better of the 2 in my opinion. I feel it is a little better organized, and digs much deeper into his mindset. It asks great questions, and adds even further insight about applying his philosophies to your own business and personal life. Get ready to read each paragraph in the book a couple times, because it takes a minute for some of it to really sink in. Powerful stuff.
Practical Applications
Through reading everything I can get my hands on by this incredible leader, I came away with 5 main ideas:
1. Give up Control
Building a company much larger than yourself or your ideals means giving up control, and trusting those around you. If you hire someone, then you should trust them enough to make good decisions and give them a say in everything that goes on.
2. The Power of Intuition
There is no technological innovation that is more intelligent than human intuition. All people should be encouraged to make decisions based on their own ingenuity and intuition. By-the-book thinking actually discourages intuition and free thinking, thus leaving companies stuck to their old business models and ineffective procedures.
3. What it Means to be a Catalyst
Ricardo Semler is a catalyst, and he makes that clear in the second of his books. He asks questions, most of them beginning with the word “why”. He is constantly re-thinking the way they do things in his attempt to continue building a healthy company. He believes wholeheartedly in the process, so he never makes a decision on his own accord. Best of all, he leads by example, and constantly lives out the philosophies by which his company thrives.
4. Growth is not Synonymous with Success
The biggest companies are simply not the most successful companies. Companies that grow too fast get over-extended and don’t do anything very well. There is something to be said for companies that learn to grow at the right pace. Mergers also prove that bigger is not better. Combining 2 large companies seldom results in greater success, especially for customers.
5. True Leadership
True leaders think of those that they lead first, rather than themselves. They trust the people they lead, and share openly and honestly with them to encourage two-way communication.
Additional Resources
Below is a collection of additional resources from Ricardo Semler, all of which are fantastic.
Why My Former Employees Still Work for Me - This is an article Ricardo wrote for the Harvard Business Review years back, that has some great insights. It’s a good introduction into his writing and story.
Managing without Managers - Another Harvard Business Review article he wrote about the Semco management style and why it works.
Leading by Omission - This is an unbelievable talk that Ricardo Semler did at the MIT Sloan School of Management in 2005. His 48-minute talk is available by video or audio, and I would highly recommend watching or listening to it.
The SEMCO Survival Manual - This is the only set of written policies for the entire Semco family of companies. Printed out, it is less than 5 pages, and the original version in Portuguese is complete with cartoon drawings and illustrations. Pure genius.
Want a Copy of Maverick?
I have tried to order cases of each of Ricardo’s books, but they are relatively hard to find, at least in the US. I was able to get numerous copies of Maverick! from a seller in the UK. Email me your story and why you feel like you need this book, and I will send out copies for the 2 best responses.
Posted in Reviews, Business - No Comments
January 15th, 2008
Making Mistakes
A defining characteristic of great organizations is the ability to handle mistakes well. Mistakes are a part of everyday life both personally and professionally; yet very few truly understand the value of taking responsibility, and the effect it has on others.
I believe it’s human nature to struggle with taking responsibility or admitting a mistake. But nothing worthwhile comes easy, right? Being mindful your inordinate ability as a human to make mistakes is the first step to handling them well.
In a technical business such as web development, mistakes, errors and bugs happen relatively often. It’s the nature of our business in a sense, because the web is still in it’s infancy. Great developers find them before the client or the user does, but there is only so much testing that can be done. Sometimes mistakes happen, and handling these situations with integrity and humility is of the utmost importance.
When confronted with a situation where you could be responsible for a mistake, it helps to ask yourself the following questions:
- What role did I or my team play in this situation?
- What are all of the potential ways I could be responsible for what happened?
- If this is not my fault, how can I prove it and work towards a resolution with the responsible party?
Asking these questions always forces me to look into the situation and find an answer, rather than take the lazy, hands-off approach that can be frustrating for others. If you ARE responsible for all or part of the problem, handling it well means following up on 3 crucial levels:
1. Take Responsibility
Simply explain what happened, and apologize. Make sure you NEVER use “but”, “if” or anyone else’s name. Taking responsibility is not an opportunity to make excuses. Even if the problem was only 10% your fault, most times it is more appropriate to take full responsibility for your mistake(s) so that both sides can hopefully move on without hard feelings.
2. Make it Right
Steve Jobs recently did a great job turning a mistake into a great publicity statement for his company. Apple’s environmental policy had came under harsh criticism for quite some time, and he responded with a public letter. This letter not only addressed the problem, but he made it right by revealing their new environmental plan to remove toxic chemicals from their products and recycle them at a higher rate.
What it takes to make a situation right varies, but don’t hesitate to go over and above the status quo to keep the person or client’s confidence. This might mean a discount, a refund, a public apology or simply a heartfelt letter/email.
3. Prevent it From Happening Again
Early last year, JetBlue had a customer service nightmare on their hands after a winter storm. Hundreds, if not thousands of customers were stranded in the Northeast, and subjected to awful delays and phone hold times. This was a defining moment for CEO David Neeleman and the 7-year-old company at the time. The letter he wrote to customers can be found here.
Not only did they accept full responsibility and attempt to make the situation right with their customers, but they took pro-active steps to prevent problems like that from happening again by introducing the customer bill of rights. Considering the situation, I felt that Neeleman’s response was well executed.
When mistakes are made, apologizing and making the situation right is not quite enough. Very clear steps must be taken internally to ensure that the mistake does not happen again.
Our Mistakes
This article was written solely because this is something I struggle with daily, as most people do. We’ve made some bad mistakes too. Here are a couple of them:
Early last year, many of our clients experienced about 12 hours of downtime from a hard drive crash on one of our servers. It was the first crisis we had ever experienced with regards to our servers, and we were not prepared. About a week of work was lost, and it took weeks to get everything back the way it was.
Not only did I call each and every client personally to apologize and outline the plan to get back up, but we made sure it would not happen again. Now each of our servers has a RAID real-time backup drive, and each site is backed up every 24 hours to a separate server across the country.
Another mistake we recently made had to do with one of our clients losing a number of form submission emails from their site. A combination of about 5 separate things contributed to the problem. Were we responsible for all those things? Nope. But if we did our job as a server host and monitored our mail queue, we could have prevented it. Currently we are writing a script to monitor mail queues more closely so the problem does not happen again.
Posted in Project83, Business, Apple - No Comments
December 4th, 2007
Why We Ask for a Budget
In a creative business like web development, pricing and budgets fall into a rather large “grey area”. We try to get away from that as much as possible at Project83, and be very upfront about general pricing guidelines. However, each project is unique, and with that comes a price that must be custom-fitted to the client’s needs. We are accountable to stick to that price in the future, so a great deal of thought and preparation has to go into it.
In an effort to create the ideal website, it is always among my first objectives to understand what the client is looking to spend. Is this our way of manipulating clients so we can charge as much as possible for as little work as possible? Absolutely not! But still, many clients protect this information, as if it does not become clear eventually anyways. So I am going to set the record straight about budgets using a simple illustration.
Let’s say you want to buy a ring for that special someone in your life. Once you have done the research and have a good idea of what you would like, you visit a jewelry store to see what they have to offer. Keep in mind that there are tens of thousands of jewelry stores to pick from, and each diamond in the world is unique. Along with the stone(s), there are thousands of settings to choose from. So it is safe to say no matter what ring you choose, it will be unique.
Within the first 2 minutes of talking with a salesperson, they will mention the B word. They will ask for your budget. They ask not to offend you, but simply because it is the best way for them to understand what you are able to purchase. If the budget is $5,000, they won’t waste your time trying to sell you a $15,000 ring. Conversely, they also won’t try to sell you a $2,000 ring when you can afford a much better quality product. You and the salesperson can instantly communicate on an honest level and find something that is just right.
So what if the client is unwilling to give the salesperson a budget? Then most likely, trying to sell them a $15,000 ring will cause them to leave, even though that store could have had the perfect ring. Or even worse, they could sell the client a $2,000 ring that you ended up displeased with after it was all said and done. In either case, not talking with the salesperson about the budget ends up hurting the client.
A website is like a diamond, in that a number of characteristics make it unique. The service Project83 offers is absolutely unique, which makes it difficult to compare with another company solely based on price. Diamonds have the 4 C’s, cut, color, clarity and carat weight. Project83 has size, service, design and features (not as sexy as 4 C’s, I know). Knowing the budget is the best way to come up with the perfect combination of each in order to make everyone happy.
Failure to communicate clearly about this kind of thing can result in losing a project, or either side not really getting what they bargained for. That’s why any web company that has been doing this for a while is smart enough to work with you on an honest level with regards to budget.
If your budget is $10,000, then chances are our proposal will be within that general range. Why? Because if you go to the jewelry store ready to spend $10,000, then you don’t want to leave with a product that costs half that. You want the very most for your dollar! And it is our job to give you the very most bang for your buck, in the form of a great quality website. Sometimes we can fit all the specifications and be significantly cheaper, but it seldom happens.
Despite popular belief, knowing your budget does not change our pricing whatsoever. It simply gives us an idea of what kind of product would suit the you in the end.
Understanding money and budgets is simply part of the process when working with ANY web development company. Our promise it to be fair and upfront about pricing, but we will not do a proposal without understanding your expectations. It is only fair, and it is designed to help you. Then you can rest assured that the end result will be worth what you care to spend, and hopefully a great deal more, for years to come.
Posted in Project83, Business - 7 Comments
November 21st, 2007
The Importance of Getting Better
For those of you that are passionate about your work, and love what you do every day, this post is for you. I get really excited during the holidays for a number of reasons. Personal things aside, one of those reasons is that I get to spend some of my downtime reflecting on work and hopefully learning some new things along the way.
The purpose of this article is to reiterate the importance of continuing education. No matter how “busy” you think you are, part of becoming great at something means making time to get better at it.
Google led the way in this regard years ago, when it started requiring employees to spend 20% of their time working on projects unrelated to their job. Employees get to work on stuff they chose, and learn a great deal in the process. And the result? Many of Google’s current products stemmed from ideas created by employees during their “20% time”.
Here are 3 ways you should be continuing your own education on a daily basis:
1. Reading Books and Industry Magazines
I am not a natural born reader, but I have learned to absolutely love it. Each day I attempt to spend at least 30 minutes reading something that can provide insight into my work. Even if you only have five minutes of downtime, see if you can pick up a book or trade magazine and learn something.
My first suggestion is to purchase an Amazon Prime membership. This allows you do get books at a great price, get free 2-day shipping and make the purchase in one click so you can get back to work. They have a 30 day trial, and I highly recommend checking it out.
I am currently making my way through 3 things at the moment. First off, I am reading a book called Maverick by Ricardo Semler. It has nothing to do with web development, but everything to do with building a great company. In short, it is a phenomenal story about how his company broke all the rules and became to this day one of the most successful companies in the world.
Another book I have just started is Web Analytics an Hour a Day by Avinash Kaushik. I definitely don’t have an hour a day to look at analytics, but maybe this book will provide some insight into the subject that I need to know. I definitely need to get better at it.
Lastly, I have been making my way through the latest issue of Internet Retailer, which is my favorite resource about the web and oh-so-exciting world of e-commerce. The cover story this month about shopping comparison sites and data feeds has sparked a great idea for our team that we will pursue in 2008.
2. Reading Blogs
If you are reading this article, you most likely don’t need to be told what a great resource blogs are for continuing education. I would simply encourage you to actively be reading a lot of blogs, like 50-60 of them. A good way to find some of the industry-specific blogs out there or other popular blogs is to browse technorati.com.
Reading blogs regularly depends on a great feed reader. We were all sad to see Newshutch shut down recently, so Google Reader is our feed reader of choice currently.
3. Look to Improve the Process
I have mentioned this before, but try not to ever go through a task without attempting to do it better, or find a new way to do it. Learning new things is definitely uncomfortable, but it’s the only way to get better. It is a MUST.
For example, I have committed to coding a layout over thanksgiving using the new blueprintcss framework. I’ve never used it before, and frankly, I am perfectly happy with the code I wrote for our layouts. But what if this is better? What if it can teach me one thing about CSS? Then it’s well worth it. Make it a point to think outside the box and find ways to constantly improve your process.
Not only are these 3 things crucial to becoming great at something, but they will make you a lot happier and more confident. Doing these things is usually fun, and it is a great break from the daily grind. Schedule at least 10-20% of your time from here out to work on getting better, and I think you will see an immediate difference.
Have a great (and educational) Thanksgiving!!
Posted in Business - No Comments
November 8th, 2007
6 Keys to a Winning Workflow
For any manager, establishing a workflow that maximizes productivity and keeps current tasks in order is everything. Over the last couple of years, I’ve spent a lot of time reading and researching techniques others use to establish an effective workflow, or method of getting things done. While there is no “one size fits all” method, I believe everyone can learn from new ideas and do what seems to work for them.
I typically commit to practicing a new productivity technique for at least 2 weeks, to force myself to give it a shot. New ways of working are always uncomfortable at first, but it’s absolutely worth it if you find something that works for you.
Need motivation? Finding a winning workflow can result in less stress, more free time and will also give you the opportunity to communicate better with those that you work with. That should be enough reason for anyone to try something new.
1. Processing To-Dos
I believe the idea of processing is the most important element of the David Allen GTD methodology, for those that are familiar with it. Processing centers around one central idea: if you think of a task to do, you have to find the quickest way possible to get it out of your head and onto a medium that will remember the task for you. Then get back to what you were doing.
I use a number of tools in order to free my mind from having to remember any tasks. When I’m working, I use iGTD to add new tasks. When I’m at a meeting or outside of the office, I process using a simple sheet of paper or Jott myself a message.
One key to processing is known as the 2-minute rule. This rule states that if it takes 2 minutes or less to accomplish, just stop everything and get it done. In the end, it saves time to knock it out rather than have it sit on your list.
2. Have a To-Do List Before the Day Begins
This idea allows you to end the work day on a positive note, and make way for a quick start the moment you come back to work. Before calling it quits, simply write down a schedule of tasks you want to accomplish the next day. I use a post-it note for my tasks. They should be in the order you want to get them done, so you can run right down the list.
When done correctly, you should be able to hit the ground running the next day, already knowing what’s on your plate to accomplish. This also has an extraordinary mental impact on motivation throughout the day, as you persevere and do everything possible to finish the list.
I completely understand that there are good days and bad ones. Sometimes you can get everything done, and sometimes maybe you only get 2 things done. But either way, write a fresh list for the next work day at the end of the current day. It’s a great habit!
3. Start with a Big Project
In The 4-Hour Workweek, from Tim Ferriss, he talks about the concept of setting out to finish 2 big projects each day. The most important part is to START the day with one of them. By start, I mean before checking email, before signing on to a chat client or before making any phone calls. The moment you start work, you don’t do ANYTHING until that first big project is done.
Starting the day by knocking out a big project immediately fills you with a sense of urgency to finish it so you can move on. Once finished, it turns into a great sense of accomplishment, and momentum moving towards other tasks. If the rest of your day takes a turn in another direction and you don’t have the opportunity to cross anything else off the list, at least you knocked out that first big project. That’s a big deal, and should be considered as an essential part of an effective workflow.
4. Less Email
Let me go ahead and preemptively address the people that feel they are the exception to the less email rule. Because you are not. Anyone that says, “my job depends on email”, or “I need to be available if something happens”, is consciously choosing to be less productive.
Every time you look at your email, that’s at least 5-10 minutes you lose on the task you were working on. Looking at email takes you out of your current thought process, and it takes while to get back in. Distractions like email that impede progress on your to-do list are the enemy of productivity. You have to find ways to isolate yourself in blocks of time in order to finish tasks as quickly as possible.
I try to only check and respond to emails twice per day, and that’s it. I even schedule email checks in my to-do list so that I know exactly when I can get to it. It is much easier to deal with all emails at once, rather than a few minutes at a time when your mail client makes a noise.
I’m not the only one that realizes the detrimental effect of email. Intel recently made waves in the business world with “Zero Email Fridays”. That’s right, no email at all for Intel employees on Friday. I personally think they are on to something.
5. Less Meetings
This is a fabulous principle that I learned from Jason Fried, of 37signals. There are tons of great ideas about meetings, and how to make them more effective. I don’t have time to get into them all, but the idea is to minimize this kind of communication, because it is a drain on personal productivity.
I’m not asking you to be rude or cold about meetings, because they are necessary sometimes. Just be smart about them. Make sure there is a great reason to meet someone face-to-face. Otherwise, a phone call will do just fine.
One thing that has been effective for me is to try and schedule all meetings and personal appointments on the same day each week, one after the other. That way, if I am dragged out of the office and away from my to-do list, I can accomplish all that I need to for the week in one trip.
6. End with something Fun
One critical thing that I have learned recently about an effective workflow is to end the to-do list with something you want to do. Human nature makes us capable of accomplishing about everything we WANT to accomplish on a to-do list in a given day. So I’ll bet if the last thing on the list is something you don’t want to do, then you somehow won’t have time to get to it that day. Conversely, if you really want to finish the last item, somehow we find a way to get it done.
Whatever your workflow look like, try to do it consistently each day. Try to improve on it and experiment new things, and you might surprise yourself!
Posted in Business - 3 Comments
August 8th, 2007
Become 100% More Productive with iGTD
Those of us that work long hours in order to accomplish their to-do list each day are always looking for ways to save just 5 more minutes. One methodology that had a profound impact on my workflow a couple of years ago was the book, Getting things Done by David Allen. Disciples of David just call it GTD for short, and it’s become quite a phenomenon. There are now seminars, blogs and now even software dedicated to putting the GTD methodology into practice.
As of late, one piece of desktop software called iGTD was released by a guy named Bartek Bargiel. It’s the most useful application I have, without a doubt. I have found it to be quick, easy to use and it is constantly being updated with new features. Best of all, it is currently offered for FREE (you can donate), although a commercial “Pro” version is in the works. If you don’t have a Mac to install the software, shame on you, time to get one.
Today I wanted to share 3 features of iGTD that help speed up my workflow and de-clutter:
Add Tasks Quickly from Anywhere
The time when I am most often coming up with new tasks and/or updates is when I check email. iGTD knows this, and helps me add items from Mail with one keystroke. When reading a message that requires action on your part, simply press F5. iGTD will open, add a new task with the subject line of the email as the default title, then will put the text of the email in the “task notes” so you don’t have to refer back. Simply press one key and iGTD does the rest.
Not only can you add items from Mail, but you can add items at any time with one keystroke. Simply press F7 (this key can be customized in preferences) to bring up the “Quick Add” window. You can add your task, then get on with what you were doing without missing a beat. iGTD currently integrates with more than 25 applications on your Mac, so you can make use of it in a number of additional ways as well.
Dates
iGTD supports most any kind of date you wish to associate with a task. I personally use due dates a great deal when setting my schedule. You can also set a start date to a task, so that it does not show up as an active “to-do” until that date. Most importantly, you can setup recurring tasks. Let’s say you want to pay bills on the 1st of every month, you can set iGTD up to recur that task each month. When you finish the task, simply check it off until it appears next month.
Flagging
One crucial thing to maintaining a productive workflow is planning. Each night before finishing with work, I go through EVERY project and make my to-do list for the next day. iGTD allows me to mark the tasks I want to accomplish by “flagging” them. The next morning I can instantly start my day by going down the list of flagged items without having to think twice.
The beauty of this application is that different people probably have 100 different uses for it. This is just how it’s changed my workflow, and I look forward to learning more about the features to come in this great app. Download it today and get started!
Posted in Reviews, Business - No Comments
July 25th, 2007
Cutting Down on Customer Service
In reading Timothy Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Workweek
Spending more time building your business, and less time answering customer emails and phone calls can all be summed up in one word: Simplicity. The following is a small excerpt from The 4-Hour Workweek
Henry Ford once said, referring to his Model-T, the bestselling car of all time, “The customer can have any color he wants as long as it’s black.” He understood something that businesspeople seem to have forgotten: Serving the customer (”customer service”) is not becoming a personal concierge and catering to their every whim and want. Customer service is providing an excellent product at an acceptable price and solving legitimate problems (lost packages, replacements, refunds, etc.) in the fastest manner possible. That’s it.
The more options you offer the customer, the more indecision you create and the fewer orders you receive—it is a disservice all around. Furthermore, the more options you offer the customer, the more manufacturing and customer service burden you create for yourself.
Tim makes a great point here and goes on to share a couple other great illustrations regarding the same principle. Serving the customer has always been the backbone of our business, and it will continue to be. BUT, that does not mean there are not significant steps we can take to simplify customer decisions.
Is there any way you could simplify your product or service? If it cannot be simplified, then how could you simplify the process behind that product or service. Tim suggests that you could offer ONE shipping method instead of multiple ones including overnight that can create headaches. Or eliminate phone orders, even eliminate international shipments.
“What if I lose customers by simplifying the process?”
The customers that you do lose, if any, will be the high-maintenance ones that cause headaches for your customer service department or staff anyways. That also works out in your favor.
I believe life is just too short to get bogged down with customer service, so do everything YOU can to simplify your product/process, and everyone ends up better off.
Posted in Business - No Comments
June 28th, 2007
Identifying Your Ideal Project
In the previous post we discussed characteristics of the ideal client for your business, and how they can lead to less stress and a more enjoyable work environment. Being able to identify great projects versus bad ones upfront is equally as important. We will explore 3 questions today that can help any consulting business choose projects that are both challenging and rewarding for everyone involved.
The first time I thought about this was at South By Southwest in March of 2006. The opening keynote was a GREAT dialogue between Jason Fried of 37signals and Jim Coudal of Coudal Partners. Jim Coudal touched on these questions as things they considered before taking on a project. If they could answer “YES” to each one, then the project was potentially worth their time and effort. These questions have made a profound impact on our business and strategy ever since.
1. Can We Do Great Work?
Being capable of great work on a particular project is only half of the battle. If you can bring knowledge, expertise and talent to a project in order to make it great, that’s definitely a start.
The other half is about whether you can get excited about the doing the work. Let’s face it—a quality product has a great deal of time, effort and passion behind it. Are you dedicated to bringing passion and excitement every day to a project for 2, 3, 6 months or however long it may be? If not, you have to then ask yourself if that is fair to the client.
2. Can We Make Money?
While it’s not talked about as much, making money is part of running a successful business, and it’s what gives our team the opportunity to do what we love for a living. It has to be a major consideration in taking on a project. Don’t let money ever become an excuse to give less effort later in the process. Be smart enough to charge an amount that you are more than pleased with upfront.
Giving “bargains” in exchange for what the client calls “exposure” will hardly ever work in your favor, so be careful. Exposure does not pay the bills, and it is seldom worth coming down on price. Doing cheap work for friends/family, and also non-profit organizations can be a scary thing. You will often find that those projects tend to drag out longer than expected and involve more high-maintenance clients. We give a small discount to non-profits and friends/family across the board as a rule so that we don’t ever end up unhappy later on because of money.
It’s a great practice to charge an amount that allows you to make money, no matter who the client is. That guarantees the client’s investment in the project, as well as your dedication to see it through to the end. It ends up working out best for both sides.
3. Can We Learn Something?
Any great company is always looking for opportunities to get better and learn from experience. Under no circumstances should a project allow you to simply go through the motions without learning or improving something. Every time we do an eCommerce site, we get better with shopping carts and checkout processes. Every time we install our content management system Springboard we optimize the code or make it easier to use in some way. Ideal projects will present challenging problems and opportunities for you to get better, so don’t be afraid to seek them out.
I hesitate saying this publicly, but I have bid on projects where I was not completely sure HOW we were going to do what was requested. As long as I knew we could find a way to do great work and learn something along the way, I still submitted the bid. And never once have I come to regret it. Learning experience for me is something that happens every hour of the day, and that makes for really exciting work.
I want to end this two-article series with a disclaimer. I am not telling you to be picky or say no to any project/client that is not “ideal”. Each situation is unique. I am just asking you to consider these things upfront, rather than when it is too late. These are simply questions and guidelines that will hopefully lead to work that’s fun and truly fulfilling. As an added bonus, it’s guaranteed to grow your business exponentially along the way.
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June 18th, 2007
Identifying Your Ideal Client
Everyone wants to have a job where they can wake up each morning and get excited about work. The great thing about being an entrepreneur is that YOU are in complete control of doing work that is not only worth getting excited about, but it’s something you can be proud of.
In any business, the key to great work starts with people. Not only do you want great people on your team, but you want to work for great clients that share some of the same vision and ideals as you. Learning how to identify and seek out your ideal client is the key to making your job easier, less stressful, and it also brings out your very best work.
One person that gave me great insight and perspective on this very subject is John Jantsch, and his book Duct Tape Marketing
1. Do they want what I have?
In our business, we offer web design that’s completely focused on being user-friendly first, then looks great and represents the brand well second. We value things like web standards and clean markup so that users can enjoy their browsing experience and clients can achieve their desired results.
If a company comes to us wanting a new site with a big splash page and lots of flash animations, it is probably not the best fit for either party. Even if the money is great, it’s not worth pulling my hair out trying to convince this client of doing things the way we think they should be done. Jantsch says that “people rarely act to their own benefit unless they want to”, and he is right. Working with clients that don’t want what you have is simply a waste of your time, and it can be incredibly frustrating.
2. Do they value what I do?
I believe this question is the most important of the three that Jantsch asks. Our ideal client understands the time and effort that goes into each project we work on. Believe it or not, building a site does not take 2-4 months because we work slowly. Anyone that values our process can understand why it takes that long and is willing to work within whatever timeframe they are given.
Every so often we get an inquiry for a website that has to be done on a ridiculous schedule, like 1-2 weeks. These people might be very nice human beings, but they have absolutely no value for the service we provide. Taking on a project like this involves unnecessary stress and an end result that no one is proud of. Life is simply too short to work with people that don’t value your service, and those projects are never fun to be a part of.
3. Are they willing to pay a premium for what I do?
Web development is a very creative business, and companies can charge a premium because each company’s services are unique. I feel that our team brings a great deal of talent and expertise to each project, and we charge a fee that is absolutely fair considering the time and effort involved. If potential clients are not able to work with your fee, it is simply not worth bargaining.
Since many companies offer unique services, there’s no reason to feel like you have to compete with others. You will find in ANY business that ideal clients are willing to pay what you charge without questions. Those that try to bargain or haggle over every nickel and dime for your service will be more high-maintenance and will take advantage of you. Charge what is fair to all clients and the process is much easier for everyone involved.
So this may be great advice, but how do you deal with “non-ideal” clients that you already have? Jantsch suggests that, “you should consider firing about 20 percent of your past customers simply on the basis that they no longer fit into the picture of your current business.” This figure is, of course, unique to your particular situation. If neither party is getting what they should from the relationship, then it is best to move in a different direction. Try to recommend another provider and help them transition so that you can both move forward.
Just think: there are only 24 hours in a day, and your time is worth a great deal. Spending time with ideal clients is more fun and profitable for everyone involved, and it ensures that you continue loving your job.
After a great deal of thought and consideration with my own business in mind, I believe Jantsch is absolutely right with these three questions. It really gave me some much-needed perspective. I understand it may be more difficult for those that are starting out and just trying to pay the bills. But you should always consider this advice, and work towards client relationships that can maximize the benefits for you AND them.
Long term this will enable you or your company to do great work, have less stress and definitely wake up psyched to do it over and over again each day!
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