Congratulations! You’ve just got a new client for an exciting project that is going to be fun and profitable. You carefully discuss the work with her and she sends in a down payment.

BANG! You are off and running!

The following week, you are happily working on this exciting project and your phone rings. It is your great new client…wanting to make a slight change to the project. Hmmm…

Being the wonderful and oh-so-easy-to-work with consultant that you are, you agree, hang up the phone, and get back to work.

A couple of days later, the phone rings. It’s your {AHEM} great new client again with a “few more ideas for changes.”

“Well, okay,” you agree, somewhat reluctantly, and hang up the phone. Now, you have to go back and revise some of your work to date and your original estimate no longer covers the scope of work. Your new and exciting project just officially became a stressful time suck that won’t be such a great moneymaker.

Yes, it’s the Dread Work Scope Creep. {B-horror film sound effects kick in here with a woman’s scream at seeing the monster}

Does this sound familiar? If you - like many consultants - aren’t managing the change process properly, the result will be:

-stress
-long hours
-inadequate compensation
-missed deadlines
-an unhappy client
-an unhappy YOU

Well, there is hope. The Marketing Maven offers some tips to help you manage those “little” changes that your clients ask for that are never really that little:

Create a Contract: Ever heard the expression contracts keep friends? Well, it’s true. Your written agreement should describe what you doing for this specific project, what each party is responsible for (deliverables), and how much it will cost. Also, make sure to include a line that explains costs for additional services, revisions, meetings, and so on that are requested by the client and are outside the scope of the agreed-upon project. Both parties should sign this BEFORE the onset of the project.

Communicate Changes: When your client calls asking for changes, make a note of the conversation. Then, write them down and e-mail or fax them to your client. Make sure you are clear about how this affects the project budget and/or deadlines. If it is a new client, you may want to consider a follow-up call to ensure they understand how their request will impact the project.

Don’t Overcommit: Don’t say “yes” just because you are afraid to say “no.” It is perfectly acceptable to tell your client “it won’t work.” Make sure to follow up with a valid explanation and tell them what you are willing to do. If your client doesn’t respect you, your abilities, and your time constraints, they are not a client you want to keep (see Types of Clients You DON’T Need).

By managing your work change process effectively, you will avoid the Dreaded Work Scope Creep {Horror flick scream again}. This will help ensure your projects and client relationships are profitable, pleasant, and manageable.

Hugs, Wendy Maynard
Your friendly marketing maven

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It’s Saturday night and your friendly marketing maven is holed up in her toasty house writing, writing, writing. Her trusty sidekick, Piper is close at hand. Yes, this girl lives an exciting life….

Seriously though, I am very excited. I am working on a book that focuses on marketing tips and techniques for entreprenuers, consultants, and creatives. The working title is Remarkability: The Marketing Maven’s Guide to Attracting Attention.” It will include lots of power-packed information to help your business succeed!

I’ll be posting regular updates about my progress on this blog. And, now…back at it.

Hugs, Wendy Maynard
Your friendly marketing maven

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In June, I wrote Three Seconds to Impact! to emphasize creative promotion as a way to catch your harried audience’s attention fast. So, if you are looking for a clever way to advertise your business, check out the work of Street Artist Julian Beever. His chalk art is drawn in such a way that looked at from the correct angle, the images give the viewer a three-dimensional perspective. Talk about eye catching!

Careful - don’t fall into that hole!

Hugs, Wendy Maynard,
Your friendly marketing maven

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Earlier this month I wrote about the power of thank-you (See Never Underestimate the Power of Thank-You. I am a big proponent of handwritten cards. However, I rarely send e-cards. A huge reason is that I think most of the choices I’ve seen online are trite and banal.

Well, the marketing maven is excited today. Why? Because I have just discovered a new source for online cards. If you are looking for a hip, retro, or kinda trendy way to say “thank you” with an online card, check out Hipster Cards. Definitely some fun choices.

Have a great day!

Hugs, Wendy Maynard
Your friendly marketing maven

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Can iPod get any smaller? Check out the spoof commercial initiated by NY Times columnist David Pogue and created by Scott Kelby, Editor-in-Chief of Photoshop User Magazine, Mac Design Magazine; Nikon Capture User magazine, and President of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. He introduces the iPod Flea, an mp3 player that can hold one song. Look for Flea accessories including the Flea Collar and Flea Infestation. Judging by the number of websites and blogs posting links to the spoof video and using iPod’s name, Apple couldn’t have created a better viral marketing campaign to reinforce its branding.

Hugs, Wendy Maynard
Your friendly marketing maven

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As technology advances, there are more and more multimedia tools available to help you promote your business online. Unfortunately, many business owners do not harness the full power of their website. They build it and think people will magically find their website and return to it (Read my entry: Build It and They MAY Come Back).

I find many companies allow their website to stagnate, festering in its own little virtual swamp. It sits there day after day after day, never changing…a poor little toad, never to become a prince.

To prevent your website from facing this pathetic future, it’s time for you to shift your attitude. The beauty of a website is that it can easily be morphed and have new elements added to it. Start thinking of it as a dynamic tool that can evolve over time to serve your company’s marketing needs on an ongoing basis.

Your website has amazing possibilities! It can work to bring in new business and function as an ongoing educational resource to people. And so, if online traffic is important to you, I encourage you to build a website that will grow and change over time.

Okay, so now you are probably wondering…”Do I have a warty-toad website? Ew! Yucky!” So, here are some questions to help you figure out if it is time for your website to get a transformation:

1. Is your website achieving your desired marketing goals?

2. Are you pleased with your current website?

3. Does your site get a steady flow of visitors?

4. Do you know how much traffic visits your site and which pages people visit the most?

5. Is your website designed for maximum search engine optimization?

6. Do visitors return to your site repeatedly?

7. Was your website developed in the last two years?

8. Is your website complimented by your customers?

9. Is your site easy to navigate?

10. Does your website have compelling, sales-oriented content?

If you answer “no” to any of these questions, it’s time to start thinking about taking steps toward redesigning your website. You can work with a professional web designer to create a website map that can phase in different elements over time. Before you begin, sit down with your internal team to determine the functions that are important to you. Examples can include: The ability to change your own content; e-commerce; a blog; an events calendar; online portfolio; and so on. These will help you determine the type of site to build and a budget.

ACTION ITEM: Review your website and work through the above questions. If there are things you would like to change, make notes. Jot down the addresses of other websites you like and the functions and design elements you like about them. Start a list of features you would like to have included in your site. Then, when you meet with your web developer, you will be able to effectively plan your new site.

Hugs, Wendy Maynard
Your friendly marketing maven

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Are you trying to figure out how to set a price? Joel Spolsky has written an entertaining article called Camels and Rubber Duckies that discusses the theory and application of pricing theories. In particular, it applies to software or other online applications. However, it includes a lot of information on segmentation and pricing psychology.

Once you read his article, you still may not know what your price point should be, but you’ll be better informed and thoroughly amused.

Enjoy!

Hugs, Wendy Maynard
Your friendly marketing maven

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