Comments for Don Wallace's Thoughts http://www.donwallace.com Commentary and opinions from a former software development fanatic, now building a business in an entirely new field. Based in Lebanon, Ohio, just outside Cincinnati. Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:44:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Clients: What is the First Thing You Discuss With A Freelancer? (It’s Not What You Think.) by Don Wallace http://www.donwallace.com/clients-what-is-the-first-thing-you-discuss-with-a-freelancer-or-dont-be-a-schmuck/#comment-5116 Don Wallace Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:44:05 +0000 http://www.donwallace.com/?p=77#comment-5116 Hi, Joseph - YES. When an initial contact between a prospect and a vendor is functioning well, there is always a sort of "dance" that takes place on project terms - which includes price. It's possible to feel out price levels while being diplomatic and without sounding crass. Your point about each party qualifying the other fits right into this piece. An excessive and premature client initiated concern about price is (in addition to being an irritant that distracts from the job) a flashing red light to experienced freelancers: full payment may be difficult to obtain when the job is completed. Thanks for the comment and the compliment, I appreciate it. Hi, Joseph – YES. When an initial contact between a prospect and a vendor is functioning well, there is always a sort of “dance” that takes place on project terms – which includes price. It’s possible to feel out price levels while being diplomatic and without sounding crass.

Your point about each party qualifying the other fits right into this piece. An excessive and premature client initiated concern about price is (in addition to being an irritant that distracts from the job) a flashing red light to experienced freelancers: full payment may be difficult to obtain when the job is completed.

Thanks for the comment and the compliment, I appreciate it.

]]> Comment on Clients: What is the First Thing You Discuss With A Freelancer? (It’s Not What You Think.) by Joseph Barisonzi http://www.donwallace.com/clients-what-is-the-first-thing-you-discuss-with-a-freelancer-or-dont-be-a-schmuck/#comment-5115 Joseph Barisonzi Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:12:45 +0000 http://www.donwallace.com/?p=77#comment-5115 Great post about the importance of focusing on developing an understanding the scope a project prior to discussion of the pricing. Don't overlook the importance of "qualifying" the freelancer or qualifying the client early on as well. Clearly the ability to do the work is one variable. Ability to pay for it is another. Great post about the importance of focusing on developing an understanding the scope a project prior to discussion of the pricing. Don’t overlook the importance of “qualifying” the freelancer or qualifying the client early on as well. Clearly the ability to do the work is one variable. Ability to pay for it is another.

]]> Comment on The Unintended Consequences of Silencing Your Critics by Joseph Barisonzi http://www.donwallace.com/the-unintended-consequences-of-silencing-your-critics/#comment-5090 Joseph Barisonzi Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:19:00 +0000 http://dwblog.nfshost.com/?p=21#comment-5090 Thank's for sharing this story Don! The internet can certainly be an unforgiving place for businesses that misstep! It is so easy to see the multiple sides to this story. The customer with a bad experience. The business frustrated with a bad review. Internet activist who punish a business for responding under bad counsel. The parents off kids in the school who defend the organization. And all the business needed to do was to provide a great response to the original bad review! Not a lawsuit, not defensiveness -- just a reaffirmation of the commitment to the kids and their parents. I would have recommended throwing in an apology the parent had a bad experience, saying they would review the situation, and invite the parent to contact the director for a conversation. Too often business do fall victim to unfair posts on various different review sites. It feels awful. And when the review starts showing up in search engine results it is very easy to respond in a "less-than-helpful" way. Hopefully the experience of Blue Ash will be a lesson for other businesses. Thanks for highlighting it! Thank’s for sharing this story Don! The internet can certainly be an unforgiving place for businesses that misstep!

It is so easy to see the multiple sides to this story. The customer with a bad experience. The business frustrated with a bad review. Internet activist who punish a business for responding under bad counsel. The parents off kids in the school who defend the organization.

And all the business needed to do was to provide a great response to the original bad review! Not a lawsuit, not defensiveness — just a reaffirmation of the commitment to the kids and their parents. I would have recommended throwing in an apology the parent had a bad experience, saying they would review the situation, and invite the parent to contact the director for a conversation.

Too often business do fall victim to unfair posts on various different review sites. It feels awful. And when the review starts showing up in search engine results it is very easy to respond in a “less-than-helpful” way. Hopefully the experience of Blue Ash will be a lesson for other businesses. Thanks for highlighting it!

]]> Comment on Copy That Doesn’t Suck: Writing for the Software or IT Consultant’s Web Site by Starr Horne http://www.donwallace.com/copy-for-the-software-or-it-consultants-web-site/#comment-5135 Starr Horne Sat, 24 May 2008 16:31:00 +0000 http://www.donwallace.com/?p=107#comment-5135 Wow Don, What a great article. I'm going to have to read it a few more times just to make sure it's all sunk in. It's just amazing how many company web sites I've visited that left me with NO IDEA what the company does! Wow Don,

What a great article. I’m going to have to read it a few more times just to make sure it’s all sunk in.

It’s just amazing how many company web sites I’ve visited that left me with NO IDEA what the company does!

]]> Comment on Copy That Doesn’t Suck: Writing for the Software or IT Consultant’s Web Site by Scott Kane http://www.donwallace.com/copy-for-the-software-or-it-consultants-web-site/#comment-5134 Scott Kane Fri, 23 May 2008 18:17:00 +0000 http://www.donwallace.com/?p=107#comment-5134 Thanks, Don. A Nice summary and a message to few developers get. One of the hardest things for them to do is actually write how their customer speaks, too. I think a lot of us actually do speak the way we write and that's a problem that's not exclusive to this industry (academia faces the same issue). So in some respects we need to also change how we speak ourselves in order to change how we write conversationally - beyond just avoiding "industry buzz words". Thanks, Don. A Nice summary and a message to few developers get. One of the hardest things for them to do is actually write how their customer speaks, too. I think a lot of us actually do speak the way we write and that’s a problem that’s not exclusive to this industry (academia faces the same issue). So in some respects we need to also change how we speak ourselves in order to change how we write conversationally – beyond just avoiding “industry buzz words”.

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