Be Clear with your Project Briefs & Avoid Communication Overload

It has been over three years now since I started my journey of self-employment. From working full-time and receiving my monthly pay packet – on time, every month – I moved into a world of uncertainty but excitement, with no guarantees of success. Fortunately, I have managed to make my business work, and whilst it is in a relatively healthy position at this point in time, I can’t say it has been without it’s difficulties.

Along the way, I have encountered a number of hurdles, gained invaluable experience, and have learned some incredible life lessons. In this series of articles, I continue to share some tips and general nuggets that I have picked up from this adventure – many of which a budding web developer or sole trader might find handy ahead of taking the leap!

« Points 11 & 12: Be Honest With Project Deadlines & Plan Your Days Effectively

13: Be Clear with your Project Briefs

When you are taking on a project, try and write as much as you can down via email and present it to the user for their agreement before you commence a job. This includes the hosting arrangements, providing information on the credentials you need from them in order to proceed, clarifying the amount of pages you are going to create, and of course – making sure to include your price. 

It is important to put things in black and white like this because you will find that the boundaries will often change. Personally, I simply charge based on the amount of hours it takes, and if any surplus edits don’t affect the timescale of the project, then I have no problem with any change of direction that the client spontaneously wants.

Don’t be afraid to refer to your initial brief and let them know that the latest of their requirements was never referred to, so as a result – you’ll need to charge a little more.

However, if they are asking you to add more pages, then you should be looking at upping the price on the pure basis that it will take you more time. Don’t be afraid to refer to your initial brief and let them know that the latest of their requirements was never referred to, so as a result – you’ll need to charge a little more. No one will usually bat an eyelid at this.

If, like I do, you feel uncomfortable about charging the client more for doing time-consuming menial but vital tasks that you failed to put in the initial brief (ie: image re-sizing, correct formatting of Word documents, renaming files etc) make sure you document them, and let the client know what you have done – as it will make sure they realise they have received value for money. Similarly, don’t forget to list these extra jobs in your next project, as it will help provide the client with a complete picture of everything you will be doing to make their website brilliant.

14: Avoid Communication Overload

Occasionally I have had conversations with people that span three or maybe four different forms of communication. WhatsApp, Facebook, email and phone – often this can lead to a lot of confusion, therefore always make sure that anything they ask for is documented on a single platform – so you always know that anything agreed to will 100% be written down in your emails. That way you won’t have to trawl through a zillion forms of messaging to detangle the end goal that you’re trying to work towards.

You might find communication management tools like Slack a great way to control communication flow. Whilst it might not be appropriate to everyone, it is important that you are in control of the platforms that you use to chat to people – if you feel uncomfortable with them texting you, then refer them to your chosen method. It is important that there is a bit of give and take in the balance of communication, and ultimately, you’re guiding them in a particular direction – not to be difficult – but to give yourself the clarity to finish the jobs with as much professionalism and speed as possible!

Points 15 & 16: Make sure they provide all content and “Learn” from every job »