These helpful tips work well to enhance your client communication and relationship.

Another tip: these same tips also work well with your boss and co-workers.

Clear communication

Listen first, ask questions next. Try to hear what they’re telling you. Turn off your phone and get away from a computer so you can focus on them. Try to learn what they want you to communicate to their customers.

Be a real person

The expectations of working with a client can be stressful and cause anxiety. Remember to be a professional, real person. Set job titles, hierarchy, and positions aside—you are just two people talking about how to visually communicate a message. That’s fun.

Don’t get too caught up in your industry jargon. Client’s prefer plain talk. 
BAD EXAMPLE—”With this marketing material, your stakeholder interaction should increase your brand recognition and conversion at retail.”
GOOD EXAMPLE “This poster will get your customers excited to shop at our store and buy your wonderful products.”

Be Professional

Always be professional and courteous with your client. Begin your emails/meetings/phone calls with hello, [Name]. Sign your emails with thank you, [your name]. Don’t send one sentence in an email from your phone. Use a salutation and full sentences in your emails and conversations.

Don’t talk about hot-button topics like politics, sports, religion, etc. Talk about the weather or your industry if you need small talk—that’s what most people do.

Be Passionate

Be enthusiastic, confident, and proud of the work you show your client. It does make a difference. If they can see you’re excited about the design work, they will be too. This attitude also helps to sell your work.

Be Ethical

Always do the right thing when dealing with your client. If you miss responding to an email, own it—no excuses. Tell them that you’re sorry and then correct the issue. If you are going to miss a deadline, contact them and ask them for more time. Ask for a specific number of days and assure them that it will be done at that time.

One person contact

As often as possible, have one person send all communication to the client. This simplifies and clarifies the process.

Respond promptly

Get back to them in 24 hours or less. Even if it’s to tell them that you’re working on it or researching their question and you’ll get back to them the next day.

Next steps

Always end an email, meeting, or phone call with the next steps. What will be done next? Who will do what? When will it be done? How will you send/communicate it to them?

Professional presentations

Always prepare a professional looking PDF or printed presentation to send/show design concepts to your client. Include your name, Western’s logo, and be sure to number multiple designs.

Be a good and reliable team member/co-worker

Always keep everyone involved with your project up to date and informed. Keep your design files in a commonly accessed area. Cloud storage is the best. OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. work well for everyone.

Show up for meeting when you’re asked to. Be prepared. Share your honest and fair ideas and opinions. Be positive.