Let me set you up for a very short horror story. It was a dark and gloomy morning, I just presented the results and the first words out of the client’s mouth were: “Well, we were actually thinking…“
In many areas, iterations are a core component of the value provided by the subject matter expert.
Iterations add value by refining ideas, adapting to changes, and improving the quality of the work based on continuous input from the client.
I’ve been asked again and again “How do I make clients see how dedicated I am” and the answer is simple: offer them more chances to polish the result or other tangible signs of your willingness to chase their vision.
Pro tip: lean on this value driver on projects with a strict deadline. That way, the client will more likely understand the balance between your responsiveness and adhering to the project timeline. If the timeline is vague, be aware that you must get additional means to prevent too many requests.
Here are a few things you can offer to drive the value of your service up by focusing on iterations
1. Provide more rounds of feedback than is expected
2. Have a simple 🙂 😐 🙁 score at the end of each round, and say only 🙂 rounds count toward X
3. Guarantee timeliness despite the X number of iterations
When the client is in a hurry, but also not completely sure what they want, timely iterations are a major driver of value.