Welcome to another episode of Silence in Golden where Troy and Simon give away invaluable tips for your business.
This week Troy talks about how as freelancers and entrepreneurs, we shouldn't be afraid of doing the ‘hard yards'. Simon gives his top 3 tips on avoiding scope creep and we catch up on Google, Font Awesome and MonsterInsights news. Let's do this!
Watch the Video
Stuff That Happened
MonsterInsights Version 7
MonsterInsights 7.0 is now available with new and improved reporting and performance.
Simon is a firm believer that good documentation can head off support tickets before they come in, saving your valuable resources for better things. And, in a shameless plug, Troy recommends Video User Manuals – so you don't have to teach clients technical stuff yourself!
Google Analytics can be difficult to follow, but MonsterInsights pulls the data in and displays it in a more meaningful (and sexy) way. Troy reminds us though that you need to be using the data for the client, not just looking at it.
Google Adds AMP Stories Format
Google have jumped on the ‘story' craze and have added a new storytelling format.
Simon's take on this is that Google keep trying to get into peoples social lives… but are they really any good at it? With their track record of Google Plus (or “Google Minus” as Troy calls it) and Google Wave, maybe they should they stick to what they do best.
Font Awesome 5
Font Awesome Version 5 is out now and Troy loves it. With new vector icons, social logos and great design, the offerings here are a real game changer in adding to the professionalism and consistency of your web design.
Be sure to check out their kickstarter video too -it's gold!
This Pisses Me Off
This week Troy gets on his soap box and expresses his extreme dislike for a certain type of attitude/behaviour in people who don't f#*king commit to the mission.
Troy's been fortunate enough to have had conversations with hundreds of freelancers and entrepreneurs over the last 5 or 6 years, but the pattern he commonly sees is the lack of commitment to success. So many people expect great results as soon as they start, then if they think it's not working, they stop.
“It doesn't work that way,” says Troy. “It just takes time!”
When people don't commit to the success of the vision, are not prepared to put in the hard yards, and want everything now, that's what really pisses him off! If you want to ‘own your corner of the room', it's a 2 year play.
To summarise Troy's rant, here are some nice quotes…
Simon: “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together' African Proverb
Troy: “Don't give up. Just commit to success.” Troy Dean Proverb
Let's Get Unstuck
Viewer and Go-Getter Trish Cupra asks, “When is it good to be generous and go the extra mile for a client and when is it counter-productive?”
Troy explains that if you can add value to a customer experience and still stay profitable, then it's worth going the extra mile. He uses Video User Manuals (again!) as an example of this. The customer won't ask for it, but you give it as a value add and tell them it won't cost you an extra cent. This over-delivers on value with not much effort at all. But if it means you have to
The Gold Nugget
What is Scope Creep?
Scope creep is the little things – extra tweaks, updates and additions that the client asks for during the project. They are so easy to say yes to, but the additional cost of all these changes creeps up out of your control, wasting your time, energy and resources. A poor example of this is when Troy asks Simon to do a dance on the livestream, but the dance wasn't in the agreed upon episode outline.
Why Scope Creep Happens
It's human nature. “Scope creep happens on all products, in all industries” says Simon, “It's about being prepared to handle it when it shows up.”
Combating Scope Creep
Viewer Tip: Shaan uses Toggl to track all his working hours.. He says, “2018, it's time to get ruthless!”
Simon points out that although a lot of revenue can be made from scope creep in industries like construction, it's different for the website field. A lot of what we do is intangible, which makes drawing a line a lot harder.
Simon's Top Tips for Combating Scope Creep:
- Establish expectations upfront – make a video to explain the process, what's included, what's not, and what to expect if you want changes or extras.
- Make sure you have a clear idea of what you are including and what you . aren't upfront.
- Set up different meeting points with the client eg. Prototyoping stage so they can check out the features visually and better understand the concept and functionality. Think of it like a clickable wireframe. Check out the WPE Youtube Channel for our program on using Elementor and writing better proposals.
Troy's Unhelpful Top Tip for Combating Scope Creep:
Client Question: “It only takes 5 minutes to add a social media button, why can't you just do it?”
Your Response: “Well if it only takes you 5 minutes. why don't you do it yourself?!”
Troys More Helpful tip: He suggests you use these 2 documents upfront with the client –
- Proposal document -which includes an outline of things like the investment, timeline etc
- Statement of work – the statement of work includes all the deliverables. “If it's not in the statement of work, you will be charged an additional amount of xxx.”
Simon's Share:
This week Simon has generously shared Renegade Empire's Trello board template for managing a client's project. Check out his Trello Client DashboardThanks Simon!
Tool of the Week
Simon loves Loom!
To keep all his clients on the same page, he sends them a recap video each week. Loom allows him to make a professional video with an easily accessible link. He can then choose to keep the video (you can even set up folders in Loom for this) or delete it.
He includes details of what the team have been working on that week, including analytics insights.
He like that it lets you do this quickly, easily and for free! Best of all, it includes an option for discreetly sharing your face in the video, as well as the screen which he believes is important for personalising and maintaining a strong ongoing relationship.
Wrap Up
Exciting times ahead at Agency Mavericks. Be sure to register for one of our live training webinars over the next 2 weeks right here:
BUILD A WILDLY SUCCESSFUL WORDPRESS CONSULTING BUSINESS
First webinar starts Thursday March 1st 3pm PST.
Be sure to register to receive the bonus Agency Mavericks Blueprint infographic!
For more strategies around dealing with Scope Creep, check out:
Blog – 7 Common Pitfalls Leading to Scope Creep
Podcast – Managing Client Feedback and Scope Creep with Andre Gagnon
Until next time, be sure to spread the word and spread the love for Silence is Golden. Subscribe, like, comment and share!
