Category: Clients

I got goodies!

Have you seen those celebrities showing gifts given to them by merchants – in their Insta stories?

I also felt the same, when a client sent me his protein shake, hot chocolate and tea as a token of gratitude for our working engagement together.

Mazaa aa gaya 🙂

However, beyond that, there were some cool customer relationship things that I learnt:

  1. Nothing was wrapped in plastic. Everything in perfectly-sized cardboard boxes with their name and branding.
  2. Every pack had a small satin bag containing 2-3 discount cards as well as dhoop batti with a wonderful aroma. Talk customer care.
  3. They cater to the premium segment and have based the entire packaging around that. While someone may argue that it is not worth the price, however, price is not only the product. Price is an experience. And they took wonderful care of understanding who their customer is.

On that note, protein shakes are being consumed by yours truly after workout and hot chocolate will be used for baking cake. And since it is pre-ready masala tea (containing milk powder as well) – which my Mom doesn’t like, so offered it to a friend who also loves such premium products.

Win-win 🙂

How I work with clients

  1. I ask a lot of questions. Nothing would be clear to their audience if it is not clear to me.
  2. Work in advance – schedule entire content in advance. Prevents last-minute unwanted stress.
  3. Give more than I am paid for. I charge high prices, but always make sure they are getting more than what I had committed to. Win-win for both 🙂

Letting go of a client

Letting go of 1.5 year old client at the end of this month.

We have grown together. In our business. And work. And maybe as human beings as well as our professional relationships.

However, as we grow, we change priorities.

For me, I need answers to work related questions to create content on personal branding. For him, he has just raised funding and maybe (rightly) does not have time. It is, thus, inappropriate for me to continue with inauthentic content.

The best part, which I also believe is the most mature part: He respected my decision instead of trying to stop me.

Btw, the reason for leaving that I have communicated to him is me not having time out of my day job. In reality, it is his lack of time for his own content that is making me make this decision.

Over the past few months, I have had several conversations with him about sharing his content, along with citing examples from other creators. However, since things aren’t changing much, it is better for us to part ways.

Still, he remains one of the most trusting and easiest clients I’ve ever worked with.

Bless him, with a better content writer, and the best business 🙂

I was shivering, tbh

Last week, I wrote an email to a year-old client, asking for revision in prices.

However, I was shivering 🙂

I’m a content writer, I happen to write the most effective emails, and I am on very good terms with the client.
However, I was still shivering because subconsciously we have been taught that money is evil, and asking for what you truly deserve is filthy.

I finally googled 2-3 formats of price raise, and sent him the email.

“Noted with thanks” was the response.

That’s it!
That’s it?

That’s the beauty of working with clients who care – that they really care for you as well 🙂

It turns out, the only person standing in our way is us.

The best people I work with…

A part of the work I do has these processes:

  • Go through the rough draft the client sent
  • Create a clickworthy post out of it
  • It gets posted on social media.

Mostly, the post is about adding value. Sometimes, that value added comes with some backlash from people (that is one of the secrets of getting viral…more about that later btw :D)

Now, there are two types of people I work with:

  1. Whenever the backlash from people points at the author (aka yours truly), my clients straight away state that they are the author. I love that so so soooo much! Standing as a guard to protect their people. Awesome folks they are 🙂
  2. They highlight a tiny spelling mistake for two consecutive weekly meetings. My writing for them hardly generates any virality. Because what they are always talking about is how will the people that know him, will respond.

I just love the type 1 clients. Never argue with them for money. They pay whatever I ask. Never interfere. Rather I request them to interfere.

Find clients like those, and keep upping your game. You will be left with awe, work you love, and most importantly, self respect.

My client ain’t responding!

Last Sunday, my client and I worked on a particular task to be done by him.

Today’s Friday, I didn’t get a response from him so far.

Should I be mad? (No, I don’t do that anymore.)
Should I remind? (Who am I? A primary class teacher who ruins the curiosity of a kid?)
Should I stop doing the work because he didn’t respond? (No, he didn’t hire me to do stuff when everything was going fine, I was hired to figure out stuff even when things weren’t fine.)

So, I went ahead with doing his stuff. Even if it was at 60% output, it was way better than 0% output.

And today he messaged that he delayed because of a due diligence audit.

See – such serious reason and I would have reasoned him to simply avoiding our work.

This not only applies to our professional life, rather also to our personal lives. We are creating mental constructs based on our assumptions of feeling worthless, while the reality is someone is trapped in other physical constructs.

Strange, no? Not really. We get to choose our thoughts baby!

Dealt with bad clients?

“I have dealt with so many bad clients.”
“Not all clients provide creative freedom.”
“I have the mind of steel now, while dealing with bad clients.”

Time and again, I see people documenting their bad experiences with their clients.

However, here is the truth:
They weren’t bad. They were just being themselves.

Maybe they were not trusted with money so they thought it is okay to pass on that belief.
Maybe their work never trusted so they did the same to you.
Or maybe maybe maybe you made the mistake in choosing the wrong professional relationship.

If we are aware, we always know in pre signing up conversations, how the other person is going to turn out to be.
If we truly look back at all our “bad” experiences, in our heart, we knew that before signing them up.

People rarely change.
They just reveal themselves.
It is up to us when we choose to see and when we choose to be blinded.

Indirect matters

You cannot measure the revenue a customer will bring basis your product.

It also depends on:
– how you treat them
– do you really mean that kindness
– how much you care about customer satisfaction at the core
– what do you do to raise that bar
– how do you listen to customer queries and complaints

The existing customer, will then decide how many people would he decide to turn into your permanent ones.

Applies to all areas of life. Your social media. Your friends. How you treat them. How you treat yourself. Who are you friends with.

The tiniest things that we do, even how careful or ruthless we are while applying toothpaste on our brush, determines how successful we become – financially and in every other area .

Client lessons

  1. Of course growth is painful in the long term. But go ask anyone with a huge following and they’ll say 99% of the people that started with them quit in the middle because of less growth. Persistence is power.
  2. Show them the effort. What looks effortless to you should look like effort to them. Realised this truth quite late, however, thankfully realised it.
  3. If you are talking about a new project, bring the talk of commercials in the first or max second conversation. No one will value you if you don’t.
  4. You are not paid for your core competency. You are paid for your awesomeness in delivery, your accountability, your love for work, and how you give more value to the client in lieu of their money.
  5. Quote what you feel is the right amount for you, don’t lower your standards. And when that is crystallised, always give more than what you are paid for. There is a saying in Hindi: “Daata ke haath sada bhare rehte hain,” meaning, that the giver is always fulfilled.

Hope they help you, as much as they do to me.

I almost forgot…

I almost forgot to write today’s blog post.

And now, while sleeping, reminded of that.

So, what is it about today?

Hmm, I’m thinking of charging for consulting as well over the call. Okay, the client is going to pay me beautifully when the work starts, however why do I behave like a fool and offer 2.5 hours of free consulting?

Nishtha, grow up!

No one will value you if you don’t do that to yourself.

That said, the last leg of brainstorming with the client is left, will seek guidance from God in meditation early morning tomorrow, if it is right to charge or be modest if the contract is already yours.

Chalo, good night peops!