Client Communication Archives

Agency Highway Interview: Creating A Client Management System

September 13, 2018 Jennifer Bourn

Earlier this year, I was research a new content collection tool called Content Snare. The software facilitates the collection of any type of content you need (like website content) and allows you to create custom templates, upload images and screenshots of the design, add instructions, and more. It completely mimics my internal process for gathering website content from clients and so far, I’m in love.

What’s funny is that just as I was researching the software, the founder James Rose reached out to connect about his brand new podcast, Agency Highway. It’s aimed at helping freelance designers, developers, and small agencies do better business. He had heard about my business and client management course Profitable Project Plan and wanted to talk shop and have a conversation for the podcast.

This is one of the best podcast interviews I have participated in because James and I are so in sync with our approach to client work that I swear, we probably could have kept talking for hours. But lucky for you, we reigned it in for a sweet 30-minute show that dives into client onboarding and client management, the early years of Bourn Creative, and the changes made in my business to create the life as a business owner I wanted.

How To Achieve Higher Profits While Working Less And Enjoying More Freedom

August 9, 2017 Jennifer Bourn

“I want to work less and make more money,” is a common desire among internet business owners, freelancers, and entrepreneurs, but often with so much work to do, it seems next to impossible.

If you focus on sales and marketing, you end up falling behind on client work, and if you focus on client work, you risk losing potential new business. Sometimes it’s a struggle just to get ahead of the work you have so you can take the evenings or weekend off… and maybe you’re even so busy that things are starting to slip through the cracks? I have been there, and almost 10 years ago, it all came to a head one night when I realized that I had a big problem in a very embarrassing and public way, and that it needed to be fixed as soon as possible or my business would begin to suffer greatly.

After celebrating Bourn Creative’s twelve year anniversary this July, I decided to share my story, the lessons, learned, and how I overcame exhaustion and stress to run the streamlined, freedom-based business Bourn Creative is today.

Selling A Million Dollars In Design Side Projects

May 18, 2017 Jennifer Bourn

Development is clear cut. It works or it doesn’t. The code is well-written or it’s a mess. Design on the other hand, is subjective, with the success of a project often based on the client’s ideas, perceptions, opinions, and personal experiences of what good design is.

Jennifer Bourn (that’s me) is founding partner and lead designer of Bourn Creative. While she spends her days designing high-end, complex, custom WordPress sites and brand suites, she has also sold well over a million dollars in just side projects and add-ons ranging from in price from $75-$3,000 — and the journey has been good, bad, and at times, down right ugly.

Jennifer recently teamed up with iThemes Training to deliver a free webinar called Selling a Million Dollars In Design about selling design services that skips the hype and sugar-coating, and gets right to the mistakes made, lessons learned, and business practices implemented over the 12 years Bourn Creative has been in business.

Brian Clark of Rainmaker Digital Interviews Jennifer Bourn for the Unemployable Podcast

January 26, 2017 Jennifer Bourn

Many people have asked me if I would ever take a job and go to work for someone else again. I always answered, “Maybe. I’m always open to possibility and at least a conversation.” Over the last few years, Brian and I have both been offered jobs — jobs normal people would jump at. But really, neither of us are interested in giving up the freedom we have as design agency owners.

While some years were rougher than we’d like, Bourn Creative turns twelve this summer, and we could be happier. We’re fortunate to have a full roster of amazing clients we enjoy working with. We get to work on projects that fulfill us professionally and have time to pursue passion projects and hobbies that fulfill us personally. We can work from anywhere in the world and travel as much as we want (around the kids’ school schedule of course). Business is good. Life is good.

After almost twelve years of making my own schedule and managing my own day, I’m basically unemployable. So when Brian Clark, founder of Copyblogger and CEO of Rainmaker Digital, reached out about being a guest on his Unemployable Podcast, I of course said yes.

Join.me: Share Your Screen For Free

March 9, 2015 Jennifer Bourn

Recently I was searching for a simple screen sharing option for a non-tech-savvy client — one that didn’t require them to have a gmail account, to download any software, or learn how to use a new piece of software.

So I jumped on Twitter, asked for recommendations, and my friend Diane Kinney responded with a recommendation for Join.me.

Join.me provides instant screen sharing, meeting tools, and unlimited audio

It is easy to get started and easy to manage. I was up and running testing my first screenshare session in less than five minutes.

According to their website: millions of people, from universities, startups and Fortune 500 companies, use Join.me every month to simply and more effectively share their ideas and work, making join.me the fastest growing collaboration product in the world — and I can see why. I love this tool and I can host or join a meeting from a desktop, an iPad, or any mobile device.

WordCamp San Francisco 2014: Champion Purpose Driven Design in Client Work

October 27, 2014 Jennifer Bourn

WordCamp San Francisco — the event, the talks, the people, the fun — was amazing.

I was honored to be selected as a speaker for the flagship WordCamp event and to give a talk alongside some of the most talented people I know and new people I was lucky to meet.

This year, WordCamp San Francisco did something a little different. Instead of each session featuring one speaker, giving a longer talk, they peppered in lightning talk sessions throughout the event, each featuring short 5 minute talks by three different speakers. I spoke in the design and business lightning talk session with Taylor Aldridge and Tracy Levesque.

My five minutes were dedicated to designers and encouraging designers to champion their design and be the expert they are hired to be.

In a world where web design can quickly turn to web decoration, designers are problem solvers who must not only lead clients through the creative process, but protect the integrity of the solutions they deliver. With an abundance of options readily available, it is imperative that designers step up and become the voices of, and champions for purpose driven design, where each element has a specific purpose and only the elements needed to compel action are included. No more, no less.

7 Ways To Alienate Your Designer & Go From Client to Contract

May 15, 2013 Jennifer Bourn

In a perfect world, working with your designer would be a perfect partnership of creativity, communication, and collaboration — at least that is what designers strive for. But that’s not always the case…

A designer begins every project excited about what they will create and about bringing the client’s vision to life — they wouldn’t have accepted the project is they weren’t. They are excited about solving problems, helping their clients succeed, and building a new relationship or strengthening an existing one. They value their client and look forward to becoming their long term creative partner.

Designers have so much pride in their work and so much invested in their clients’ success, that they will often bend over backward, throw in extra work, and go above and beyond your contract just to make sure the final result is as good as it can possibly be. Mainly because the success of your project puts their reputation on the line.

But occasionally, a switch gets flipped, and the dynamics of the relationship change. Something happens, or several things happen, that cause a designer to shift the way they view a client and a project.

It’s the critical point where a client stops being a client and starts being a contract that needs to be fulfilled — where a designer throws their hands in the air and gives up trying to make it totally awesome, and instead just wants it to be good and done.

5 Marketing Tips for Successful Follow Up

January 11, 2013 Jennifer Bourn

Studies show that about 40-50% of all inbound sales leads are never followed up on. That equals A LOT of conversations, potential business deals, opportunities to help left hanging, and too many lost possibilities, all due to follow up failure.

Yes you’re busy, but you should never be too busy to follow up with those you have connected with and met. You should never be too busy to keep a sales conversation going. And you should never be too busy to make good on a promise you made.

Follow up is important — it’s your opportunity to build on your first impression and create a lasting impression, to show the other person you do care and you can be counted on, and to add value to your growing relationship.

Here are 5 marketing tips to help you fix your follow up: