I recently had an experience that I'd like to share. I received an email contact from a referred client who seemed okay with my price, but seemed hesitant and asked some questions about the approval process for a logo. I could tell that this client had not had a good go of it with a previous designer(s).

Instead of just laying out my process and leaving it at that, I took a step back and saw this client as someone who was providing me an opportunity to educate them on what this was all about. I wrote a fairly lengthy response providing 1) some understanding about the way they were feeling (this being a long-distance project); 2) the importance of a good relationship between designer and client (they HAVE to be able to communicate effectively); 3) an example of my process (a client questionnaire that I send to any first time client) and 4) some options of where to go, who to talk to and what to say if they chose to move forward without me.

I think it was the last two that really did the trick. The client was impressed by the depth of the questions on the questionnaire, as are many of my clients. But the fact that I took my self-interest out of the equation and concentrated on helping the client achieve their goal of getting a logo they liked from a designer they got along with really made a difference.

It made a difference for me as well. I felt very good about being able to help someone, whether I ended up getting their business or not. I did end up with the job and things went spectacularly smoothly. The client trusted me implicitly and wasn't hesitant about asking for my advice and opinions.  I feel I've built a little different relationship with this client than with others, one that I am confident will lead to future business and referrals.