Your Client's Priorities

Take the time before the project starts to ask them where this project falls in their priorities. It will impact the project immensely to have this communicated up front. Make sure you tell your client how their priority will affect the project's success in terms of time, money, and the actual product.

What happens for us, at least at Wildwood, is that each one of us manages several projects at one time. We pick code up and put it down. The faster the back-and-forth with our client, the faster, more efficiently the project goes. The code stays fresh in our minds. AND, when a client is engaged, interested, and enthusiastic, aren't you more engaged, interested, and enthusiastic?

If you bid a time amount on a project, assuming a 24-hour turn-around each way, more time passing can severely impact the schedule, and we would make a case that the amount the schedule is impacted is actually MORE than the actual time delay because of the "pick up/put down/get fresh with it again" process.

Whatever your expected communication turn-around time is should be communicated during the bidding/proposal/contract process. The priority of this project to the client should be an integral part of that conversation.

Your Production Schedule

So what about YOUR schedule? If you're busy, and they need to get "in line" in your production schedule, it's important, VERY important, to tell your client that you're busy, WITHOUT accidently communicating "I'm too busy for you." This is a difficult task. Maybe just be honest. TELL them they are important to you. Tell them that when it IS their turn, they will get the same attention the previous client received (and this should be a positive promise.)

If you give your client a project start date, but someone in front of them takes longer, it's important to let that client know, as soon as possible (even at the time you set their start date) that a delay has happened or could potentially happen.

If you have a professional client, they should understand this. If your client doesn't understand this, are you having trouble with them in other areas? Maybe you should read the coming piece on "Cutting the Ties that Bind" if all these ideas for communicating and making your project run smoothly just don't work. After all, there are those customers that are just not a proper fit for your firm. It's important for you, your energy, and your client that the project continue to be as good a fit as possible. After all, a website is best created when there's a close relationship between you and your client.

Having trouble getting a handle on your priorities/production schedule? Read "I Really Need Some Sleep", coming soon! We'll have some practical ideas around getting it all done.

Understanding where your project falls in your clients' priority list, and then managing your own production schedule appropriately can go a long way towards a successful development project.