This picture hangs in my office. It is there because I like it, but it is also a valuable customer diagnostic tool. Their reaction to the image tells me a lot about what type of customer they will be.
- Some clients look quickly at the image, and smile. When they do, I know they are fairly good with rough concepts. We will be able to show them rough sketches and drafts and get good feedback. They will be able to tell us very early if we are on the right track.
- Others will glance at the image several times, but never smile. That is a good indicator they are very literal. They will need to see things in a fairly finished format, with lots of details in order to give us feedback.
- A very small group will look at the image and then ask me about it. Those that do are usually my favorite clients. They don’t always love or understand everything we suggest, but they are willing to ask questions, giving us a chance to resolve issues early in a project.
Customers are different, and taking the time to think about your customers communication style can pay off huge dividends throughout a project. So how do you figure out your client’s communication style, and what’s yours? Can you read this!