Magical pony

Last week I got a rather obscure but very endearing compliment from one of my best clients. She’s the kind of client that you dream of working with, both in how she values what you do, and how her personality and working style match mine so well that has caused us to become friends through our working relationship.

You are, as I have stated multiple times in the past, a magical pony.

This compliment is one of several that I’ve had from her and I love it so much that I might start referring to myself as “the magical pony”.

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The “awesome client” discount

It’s hard to get a good feel for who your clients are before you take them on, so sometimes you end up with clients that require a bit more hand-holding and a few more revisions than is ideal.

As such, your fees need to reflect the possibility that each project might take longer than expected because of this unknown. So when you have an awesome client and you don’t have to spend that extra time on the project (and in fact, can finish even quicker than normal), it’s nice to be able to give that money back in the form of an “awesome client discount”.

Smartest person in the room

If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.

Always strive to learn, and better yourself. Surround yourself with smart, intelligent, stimulating people that you revere and admire.

Should you give out your phone number?

When I first incorporated my business, I decided that I should really put my business phone number on my website, because people need to get in touch with me if I’m going to get any business, right?

I had secured a Google Voice number solely for business a while before, but hadn’t really put it to much use until this point. It still rings through to my personal cell phone, but gives me the option to disable it at any time (like when I’m on vacation, or sleeping) and to screen calls, record conversations etc.

My decision to put my phone number on my website wasn’t very well thought out though. I prefer to communicate via email for a few reasons:

The kind of clients that dreams are made of

Yesterday, I returned home to a little surprise in the mail. One of my long-standing clients for whom I don’t do a lot of work in grand scheme of things, had sent me a gift in the mail.

It really struck a chord with me, because I realised that I’d had a few clients now who have sent me gifts, which if you think about it is a bit unusual. I’m the contractor and they’re the client. They pay me to do work for them. I’m the one that should be thanking them for their business.

And yet, I’m getting gifts sent to me.

The gift wasn’t grand, but it was beautiful and thoughtful. She had selected some luxury caramels from what I gather is a local boutique confectioner and had them sent to me. I must say that it is the most attractive box of caramels I’ve ever seen and again and it was so thoughtful and strikingly alluring that I’ll never forget it.

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Customer service: the right way

I’m in the process of relaunching The WP Butler and when I do, I plan on codifying my customer service charter, based on an article I recently read by a company called Fog Creek, identifying the things they do to make their customers insanely happy with their products. These had already been many of my guiding principles, but it’s good to note them down and make them “policy”, as I will be doing soon.

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