![]() That way, when I invite them to the board, they feel like they’ve landed into their own hub, and not some generic faceless app. When I have a repeat client whose brand I’ve designed before, I use their branded images as backgrounds. All my boards are branded with my own imagery, so it feels like an extension of my website. Trello Gold enables you to use custom board backgrounds (and you can earn Trello Gold by inviting new users). This is one of my favorite transformation due to my use of Trello, since as a designer, I enjoy making objects and experiences beautiful. ![]() Wouldn’t you like to stick in your client’s memory as the super-organized and professional one, who first introduced them to the world of proper project management? 6. By designing your client process intentionally, and creating a system to easily keep track of it you will raise your services above and beyond any of your competitors. The majority of our colleagues still uses email for project management, as I did until recently. You may not even be the first designer / developer / writer / marketer / VA / coach they’ve worked with. It’s likely that you’re not the first expert your clients have hired. We’re constantly looking for ways to differentiate ourselves from our peers through our core services, our branding, our copy… Your client experience can also be a way to stand out from other service providers. It works both ways – when my clients are preparing website content, if they’re diligent in checking off the tasks that correspond to pages, I can get an idea of how far along they are (and whether they’re doing anything at all). If they want to check up on the project, they can see what I’m currently working on, and the progress I’m making as I’m checking off the tasks that are already completed. You know that sometimes when you have a lot of work to do without client’s direct input they won’t hear from you for days and sometimes this makes them a little restless? That way, I know whether we’re on track, and the client knows by when I expect their content, feedback and payment, without me having to spell it out. ![]() Now, I mark the deadlines for each task at the beginning of the project in my shared project board, both for my own activities and the client’s activities. I used to use my general “Client projects” Trello board for that, but not anymore! I’m sure you already have a system for keeping track of deadlines as you’re juggling multiple projects at any given moment. ![]() The only additional tab I leave open as I work is the corresponding Trello board, and this enables me to focus on my work and complete it faster. Now, I keep all the information I need to work in Trello and on my hard drive, and there’s no need to check email until I’m ready to read and process email. How many times have you jumped “real quick” into your inbox to retrieve a piece of information you need to work on a project, only to get lost in the newsletters, chatting with friends, and so on? With Trello, it’s clear where the communication should be happening (hint: in the comments section of the card that corresponds to the task), and all files are easy to find – both now AND later. How do you keep track of emails to reply to, and those you’re awaiting a reply from?Īnd even when you figure that all out, what about those emails from clients who ask you to re-send them their files again, because they can’t find them in their busy inbox?.Do you attach files directly, or upload to Dropbox and send a link to it?.Do you keep all project correspondence in a single Gmail thread, or do you start a new conversation with a relevant subject for all deliverables and phases of the project?.When running a project through email, there are so many questions: Here are seven great ways that Trello has transformed my client relationships, and how it makes running client projects a breeze. I’ve converted at least twenty other people to Trello, and they loved it so much, they started using it for their own business, school, and personal projects. I’ve been a happy Trello user for years: I use it for my editorial calendar, for keeping track of my business operations, for passion projects, as well as various team projects I run. Then one day I read Natasha’s post, that lit a fire under my butt, and over the course of the next two days I had created my Trello project board templates, as well as a PDF user guide, and started using this system on my very next client project. I’ve felt like a noob doing project communication over email, but making the jump was scary. I’ve been resisting bringing my clients into a project management system for years.
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