Newsletter of the East Bay Chapter of STC
November/December 2002

Staying Busy in a Slumping Economy—Keeping a Client (Happy)

Don Huntington

My belief that a real technical writer can write on any topic was challenged last year when I acquired as a client an entrepreneur whose area of expertise was (of all things!) janitorial services.

I met Mitch when a mutual acquaintance told him that I would be able to help him write a short article outlining his accomplishments for a bio to be submitted to a club he was joining.

Mitch was delighted with the quality of the resulting article and put me to work on another project—a manual describing all aspects of how people can get into the esoteric business of cleaning computers for companies and institutions.

This was followed by a number of other projects throughout which I maintained an excellent relationship with Mitch. I developed a number of principles that guide and support my service. I would use them with any client:

Stay organized
Be ready for anything
Provide wise guidance
Work without boundaries
Be a servant

Stay Organized

A professional writer always keeps work organized.

I never meet with Mitch without a list of tasks. I always begin by saying something like, “We have six items to get through.”…then I go through each item efficiently and effectively, never taking a minute longer on any item than necessary. Mitch leaves our meetings with me feeling that his time has been spent well.

Be Ready for Anything

A professional writer can write in any venue.

I cultivated an opportunity to write an article for Mitch for the local newspaper. I had never written an article like this but worked intelligently to create exactly the article that Mitch—as well as the editor of the newspaper—would like.

Provide Wise Guidance

A professional writer is a communications specialist.

Owl Mitch wanted to write a letter of complaint against a company that had stiffed him of payment for services. I enveloped his complaint inside an article about Mechanics Lien laws, which became an important part of Mitch’s book about small businesses. I had never before heard of Mechanics Lien laws, but the Web has more information on this topic than any lawyer could carry around in his/her head.

Work without Boundaries

A professional writer is a resource manager.

When Mitch needed some graphics work done, I immediately told him of a person I knew who did great work at reasonable prices, did the spec on the graphics, contacted the artist, edited the submission, and received and submitted the artist’s invoice.

There isn’t any communications task that I wouldn’t undertake for Mitch.

Be a Servant

A professional writer is a provider of valuable services.

Mitch’s business is small (though growing). His budget for my services is limited. I always work within reasonable limits—never pushing the extreme of his funds while always leaving him the impression that he is getting good value for his money. I have repeatedly reassured Mitch with the words, “I will do everything I can to provide you with solutions and never do anything to create any additional problems.”

It takes commitment and intelligence to keep clients—and to keep them happy—in this slumping economy. The above five points provide no recipe for success (our work is much too complex to ever be pinned down in such a way). However, they are ingredients, I believe, that can be mixed into almost any successful client/writer relationship.

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