How to Manage Client Feedback
When a client objects, don't take it personally. Consider it an opportunity to assess what concerns them and what they’re focused on. Aside from a yes, there’s no better opening than an objection.
Dealing with objections is a crucial skill for every consultant. When dealing with pushback from clients, it's important to listen, understand, empathize, and adapt.
1. Ask questions
When a client objects, they’re communicating what matters to them. Dig in. To understand your client's concerns, be sure to ask open-ended questions.
If you're trying to win their business, objecting may be part of their vetting process. They want to know that you're the right partner for them. For instance, they may say that your quote is too high. Ask what their reference points are and come back with numbers. Chances are, it's more cost-effective to build on the Squarespace platform than it is to hire a team of designers and developers to spin up a site from scratch.
When clients oppose specific executions, be curious. If a client is focused on the homepage, ask them about the elements on the page, other pages on the site, and homepages they like. Have them relive the strategy you agreed on at the outset. Get to the root of the objection.
Keep in mind that some objections are easy fixes while others require more time and effort. Regardless, building rapport and understanding with your client will keep the project moving.
2. Empathize
Criticism can be hard to take, even if you don't bring your ego to work. Sometimes, pushback may make you want to push back. Just remember, you and your client are on the same side. If your client tries to make a move, meet them where they are and help them navigate. They may come to the conclusion that you're right, but they'll have to see it for themselves.
Some clients have a great design sensibility, but they hired you because you're the expert. They may not understand the graphic, typographic, or content choices you make. Additionally, people instinctively resist change. If the site you build is much more cohesive than their current site, they may feel uncomfortable and try to revert.
Be patient with them and remember the client has had a lot of challenges on their plate. Take a few of their changes and implement them on a duplicated page, then walk them through the pros and cons of each. Oftentimes, they'll see why you made the choices you did. They'll appreciate you working with them and trust you more for it.
3. Focus on the problem
It's entirely possible that, after talking with your client and seeing their POV, you're still at an impasse. There's no sense in digging in your heels and creating friction in your business relationship. At this point, it may be wise to step back, get perspective on the problem, and let your client do the same.
Interpreting feedback is sometimes challenging. You can take it literally, but also need to look beneath the surface. Most client concerns involve price, fit, competitors, and focus. If they're asking you to redo the homepage for the tenth time, it may have nothing to do with the homepage.
Ask yourself: what is the client really trying to say? Are they right? Are they objecting to design or something else? Is there an even better solution that hasn't been explored?
4. Adapt
Once you know where their objection is coming from, it’s time to adapt. There are many ways to solve a problem. If you don't believe in your client's solution, stand your ground. If the objection is based on an inaccurate assumption or concern, you'll need to educate them, address the client's concern, and deliver on the agreed-upon strategy.
Clients don't hire consultants because they're satisfied with what they have. They hired you because they want something better or different. As such, it's easy to discount a client's POV because they aren't design experts. They are, however, experts on their business. More often than not, working with your client will yield a better product than working alone in a silo.
Common objections and responses
Now that we've outlined a basic approach to overcoming objections, let's talk about specific objections you'll encounter and simple ways to handle them.
You're too expensive
When you hear this, it may actually be a good sign that the client is seriously considering working with you. The best way to handle is to acknowledge the cost and explain why. A well-designed site takes time and requires you to immerse yourself in your client's business to understand where they are and where they want to be in order to bridge the gap.
Focus on what a better-performing site will mean for their business. They'll see that inaction will cost them much more than this design investment.
Will my site look like a template?
If your client is afraid the site will look like a template, it's a great opportunity to explain what a Squarespace template is.
Templates are starting points, designed by Squarespace's award-winning design team. If clients want, they can swap out assets and keep the site close to the template. However, they also have the ability to customize every element on the page. It just takes a fraction of the time to develop a site and a fraction of the resources required to maintain it.
Learn more about Squarespace templates.
Does the commerce functionality compare to Shopify?
Squarespace has an expansive set of commerce features. In addition to beautifully designed and optimized templates, Squarespace sites can process payments through Stripe and PayPal. They can also integrate in-person sales with Square support for Squarespace Point of Sale.
Squarespace Extensions allow you to integrate finance, inventory, shipping, and marketing functionality into your site.
Read more about Squarespace Commerce.
Does Squarespace own my site?
Sometimes clients wonder if Squarespace owns their site. The simple answer is that you own everything you create; the platform simply owns the design templates they publish.
Educate your clients about the Squarespace Platform.
Why should I build on Squarespace if it doesn't have the functionality I need?
It's helpful to remind clients that they aren't limited to a site's native functionality. When a client needs additional functionality, a Squarespace site is a great starting point that can be extended with Squarespace Extensions.
Squarespace Extensions can help with shipping, finance, inventory, and marketing. There's a good chance that what your client needs can be done on the Squarespace Platform efficiently.
Explore Squarespace Extensions.
Objections are a natural part of the design process. More often than not, they're opportunities that bring you and your client closer. When a client objects, be open. Get to the core of the issue, adapt if needed, and get results.
We can't wait to see what you build next!
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