If you work as a designer, it can be difficult to keep your customers happy. Many will have very set ideas when it comes to their business and it will be difficult for them to put their trust into someone who isn’t a part of it. Here are some tips for maintaining a good relationship with your clients and showing them that they’re able to rely on you to produce high quality work:

• Spend a long time on the research process. Find out what appeals to your clients by discussing brands with them which they like. From this, you can begin creating prototypes to present to them and gauge their reaction.
• Be enthusiastic about their company. Ask questions and take an active interest in what they want to achieve with their design work. They’ll be happier to put their trust in you if they feel like their needs are being met and you’re fully invested in the process.
• Whilst you don’t want to overpower them with design jargon, do make it clear that you know what you’re talking about. Present your ideas confidently and professionally.
• Explain the thought process behind your design ideas. If you can make the design tell a story, your clients will engage with it and are more likely to get behind it. This will also show that you have put lots of thought into the process.
• Manage clients’ expectations. Tell them how long design processes will take and make it clear when you expect feedback from them in return. An organised process overseen by an authoritative yet accommodating expert will make a customer feel at ease.
• Don’t take criticism to heart. People often won’t recognise the amount of time and effort design work can take. Use comments constructively to make alterations.