In case you missed the first article in the series, visit WordCamp Slide 001: Know Thyself to start at the beginning. This is actually Slide 2 from WordCamp Orlando 2014: Being Profitable in WP (SpeakerDeck link).
My first WordPress job was as Support Manager for a theme shop and 99% of my customer interaction was on the forums. The number of calls I got on could easily be counted on one hand. Then I started moonlighting and started my business and the whole client interaction game started to change.
I didn’t want to get on Skype as one of the first interactions because I was afraid they’d ask me a question I didn’t know the answer to. Before too long, I learned a new phrase, which you can feel free to steal:
“I don’t know, but I’ll find out and get back with you.”
Simple, I know!
It took me far longer than most to realize this point, I’m sure, because I’m a blockhead, but a call after a couple of email exchanges to ensure the contact has decent communication skills and isn’t completely crazy quickly can build rapport. Rapport is like currency in this industry.
Rapport = leverage
Need more time to complete something? Do you think you’ll get more time with more or less rapport? We’ve got a kid in school. Sometimes he gets sick. Sometimes he’s sick and get my wife sick. When that happens, no so much gets done at my desk. Rapport “buys” me clients who say, “Family comes first, go take care of them.”
A football story
I’m from Ohio, not born, but raised. Then we moved to Tampa when I turned 16 (yes, on my birthday), where I’ve been raised and aged. Some of you might be aware that we become supreme mortal enemies with the state to our north (as Buckeyes) in the last week of October each year. It’s called “The Game” and features THE Ohio State University and the University of Michigan.
At the time of this presentation last weekend, that game was the weekend before. Around 10am, I sent an email to one of my very first, and thus longest running, clients, who happened to go to UM law school. We’ve had a good banter for years about our respective schools. My subject read: “Go Bucks!” and only put “‘good luck'” in the body. In quotes. Airquotes, as far as I was concerned.
About an hour later, I get a reply, but the subject read, “Re: Go Blue!” and “Dear Jesse, You had a typo in your subject field. I’ve fixed it for you.”
BOOM!
I LOVE MY CLIENTS who are on this level with me. I’m getting excited just writing this! I mean, what stuffy corporate job lets you do this? I’ve shared a hotel room at a conference with one client to save coin, too. Some clients were friends first, but the vast majority of them were clients who became fast friends.
How well do you know your clients? Got any stories to share?