Developers may be called upon to assist sales persons with initial
review with clients. Remember that sales drive our revenue! Please take
time out from your busy schedule to help keep us busy and well funded.
- Collect the information you need to make a strong estimate
- Be professional, polite and friendly. Don't be afraid to show some
personality, but maintain proper decorum.
- Openly discuss things that we might not have the resources to
address.
- Discuss our in house procedures and policies, refer to this
document!
- Discuss ways that clients can help lower project time.
- Explain why things take as much time as they do.
- Discuss the benefits of open source CMS systems.
- Sell yourself and your company, be confident and proud of our work
and methods!
- Avoid critiquing the client's current designs, branding, logo or
strategy unless invited to do so.
- Avoid detailed discussions about fees and rates, stick to hours and
scheduling.
- Don't make any promises you can't deliver on, if you are not sure of
our capabilities just discuss the project, then review with the team
at a later time.
- Sales call/project assessment checklist
Client orientation is the first scheduled call after an agreement has
been signed and documented. This 30 - 60 minute meeting is designed to
cover the basics of workflow. During this meeting we discuss how we can
best work together to create a timely, high quality website.
Sample Client Orientation
Email
- Note participant names and roles (I like to keep these within
eyeline in case I forget who I'm talking to!)
- Determine if there are any time zone discrepancies
- Setup a new basecamp project/ user accounts (LINK)
- Setup a new lighthouse project (Ops/HowTos/Creating a new
Lighthouse
Project)
- Add Client to the project board (LINK)
- Print and file documents (LINK)
- Review project proposal
- Review Project planner
- Introductions
- Discuss client orientation meeting purpose.
- Document Deadlines
- Review Hosting
- If multiple people are involved, appoint a team leader who will have
final say on all decision points.
- Give a visual tour of basecamp, solicit additional contacts to add
to project
- Review proposal, discuss scope
- Specifically talk about items that are out of scope, (e.g. seo,
advanced forms, home page slider etc), invite client to revisit
these at a later state
- If project planner is not in, request this document
- Introduce site map, navigation and home page content outline so they
can prepare these for design meeting.
- Schedule initial design meeting.
- Discuss how many hours have been purchased and billing cycles.
- Review project process (this document!)
This meeting is key to jump starting the design and development process.
If possible give yourself some extra buffer time should things go over,
it's critical to get as much detail as possible. After this meeting is
complete you should feel confident in your ability to understand the
clients taste and needs. Good documentation is critical, if you are not
confident in your ability to document while leading this meeting make a
recording.
- Review and have on hand the project proposal Professional Design,
Site Template, and Content Import items
- Review and have on hand the project planner
- Have on hand a good note-taking device/method (I recommend one note)
- If available, review and have on hand site map, home page content
and navigation outlines
- Prepare website inspirations 10-20 websites
- Discuss the Design Review Purpose
- project goals
- Primary Navigation
- Site Map
- Home Page Content
- Branding (logo/colors/slogans etc)
- Competitors
- Inspirational Websites
The wireframe is an important part of the design process. It allows the
developer to arrange the home page content visually. To experiment with
layouts and to confirm that the client and developer are like minded
before investing time into detail
- Choose the tool that you are most comfortable with, or is the best
tool for the job
- Stick to an appropriate width and height
- Include everything discussed in the home page content outline
- Include all the navigation items discussed previously
- Explain carefully what a wireframe is and is not
- Invite the client to participate in this process in a screen sharing
environment.