What gave Randy the courage to go to America with just a backpack and a laptop? Why did clients shift from inquiring about project progress daily to providing Randy with a highly autonomous workflow? By starting with building trust, you can significantly streamline your project work experience with your clients.
A rocky start
Frequently, a splendid narrative unfolds from a trying origin. Six years prior, during randy’s initial engagement with the client, the project was not entirely unprecedented. The client had previously endured an unsatisfactory partnership with another service provider, which consequently shaped their stringent demeanor. Especially under the circumstances of remote work, the client mandated the submission of detailed daily reports, encompassing Randy’s routine activities and contemplation on client-related challenges. On instances when Randy’s schedule was overwhelming and he neglected to furnish the report, the client would pursue the matter with gravity, occasionally even withholding payment for the day’s efforts.
However, in order to advance the project more effectively, Randy chose to conduct a needs analysis with his team. This platform collected and shared travel information, showing travelers the activities available at their destinations and helping them make more informed travel plans. Randy’s initial step was to understand the clients’ needs and the aspects they expected to enhance; Only by addressing these needs could Randy better assist clients in increasing their profits. In the subsequent months, Randy and his team convinced the client to completely overhaul the entire project, successfully completing the upgrade, which significantly improved the project’s stability and incorporated many new features to optimize the customer experience. The client recognized progress in every aspect, and as Randy’s understanding of the client’s business deepened, so did their confidence in entrusting him with additional work.
Steady progress
Just as Randy had established a preliminary trust with the client and the project was thriving, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic dealt a massive blow to the global tourism industry. The most apparent change was that clients tightened their budgets, and for the most part, Randy independently completed the tasks for the client. Despite this, Randy did not slacken his efforts, offering suggestions from the client’s perspective and contemplating how to generate greater business value for the project, helping the client weather the downturn in the tourism industry. As the project’s key software developer, Randy was not hindered by technology; he moved away from the fixation on using only the most advanced framework designs because these aspects were difficult for clients and users to perceive directly. Instead, Randy shifted his focus to interface design. When Randy proposed a code refactoring and update for the entire project, he also refreshed the user interface design, making the project appear more modern. A user interface design that matched user profiles improved the user experience, leading to increased sales and higher profits. At the same time, it helped the project receive positive feedback from users.
Thanks to the measures Randy took, the client survived the pandemic and gradually expanded its business as the situation improved, even inviting Randy to attend a conference in the United States at the end of 2023.
Mutual benefit, mutual trust
Thus, as at the beginning of the article, Randy embarked on a flight to America with just a backpack and a laptop. During his first visit to the client, Randy received a grand welcome, meeting not only the client’s boss but almost the entire team. In the meeting, Randy shared his understanding of the project’s technology and framework, the process of building the project from scratch, and his expectations for its future. The client team also briefed Randy on market and sales conditions, helping him gain a deeper insight into the client’s business model. More importantly, this trip to the United States provided Randy with the opportunity for face-to-face interaction with the client. Over six years, Randy has now gained the client’s trust, able to independently judge work priorities, with his suggestions taken seriously. Randy can freely utilize his technical skills to solve real business problems and recommend more cost-effective solutions to the client.