The Ideal New Media Consultant: Confident but Humble
August 10th, 2007 in Business & Process
by: Matthew Griffin
Confidence and humility are two very important characteristics of a good new media consultant. Your confidence gives your clients confidence about your services and your humility makes you approachable and enjoyable to do business with. Yet it can be an extremely difficult task to mirror one without destroying the other. Too much confidence and you are a condescending jerk. Too much humility and you are an indecisive snivelling little weasel.
What I like to do (especially in first meetings) is start out by listening intently to the client’s description of his vision for the project. No interruptions. I just let them go at. Then I respectfully ask a few questions to clarify whatever points are a little muddy.
Next, I launch into my schpeel. I’ve already developed a rapport with the client by listening and nodding. Now I reinforce that rapport by complementing a few features described by the client, even if the features are just remakes of things I do routinely. Now I have a connection.
Last, I assert my knowledge and authority in the new media field by throwing in a few ideas and explaining where the rough patches in the project might occur.
By the time we’re finished talking (most of the time) they are excited about their project and they see me as an invaluable friend and resource.- 0 Comments
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