Comments on: Out of site, out of mind http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/ News, opinion, and fresh thinking for web developers and designers. The official podcast of sitepoint.com. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:39:24 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: dev_cw http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-14303 dev_cw Wed, 22 Feb 2006 13:36:19 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/#comment-14303 I could't agree more. However I am terrible at keeping up relations. Since I hate to be "bothered" with non-essencials I assume that my clients hate it as much as me. On the flip side I have a few clients that send ME cards and I am not only very happy to receive them but supprised that they remembered...and I definatly remember them. Lesson learned, I will start sending cards...don't want to be forgotten. I could’t agree more. However I am terrible at keeping up relations. Since I hate to be “bothered” with non-essencials I assume that my clients hate it as much as me. On the flip side I have a few clients that send ME cards and I am not only very happy to receive them but supprised that they remembered…and I definatly remember them.

Lesson learned, I will start sending cards…don’t want to be forgotten.

]]> By: EagleEyesDesign http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-14093 EagleEyesDesign Fri, 17 Feb 2006 18:38:03 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/#comment-14093 Andrew, Been meaning to THANK YOU for the Holiday card reminder two Decembers ago. My clients have been coming back for more business than I could have imagined AND they thank me for the card each time. I hand write the cards, mention info that is unique to them, such as gardening, so they know I remember who they really are. Handwriting is hard for my hands, (too much time spent typing), and it takes a day to complete a handful of cards. I get really nice boutique hand-made cards. Also thank you cards after a huge project is completed. But the results are worth the time. By all means, if anyone doesn't like keeping in touch, don't force yourself. That's what helps me stand out in the crowd! - Christina Andrew,
Been meaning to THANK YOU for the Holiday card reminder two Decembers ago. My clients have been coming back for more business than I could have imagined AND they thank me for the card each time. I hand write the cards, mention info that is unique to them, such as gardening, so they know I remember who they really are. Handwriting is hard for my hands, (too much time spent typing), and it takes a day to complete a handful of cards. I get really nice boutique hand-made cards. Also thank you cards after a huge project is completed. But the results are worth the time.

By all means, if anyone doesn’t like keeping in touch, don’t force yourself. That’s what helps me stand out in the crowd!

- Christina

]]> By: davestarr http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-14089 davestarr Fri, 17 Feb 2006 17:08:29 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/#comment-14089 Surprising how many somewhat "peeved in tone" responses this generated. If one wants to spend time arguing about blame or nit-picking legalities, fine, but the thrust of Andrew's writing is business building. Take the item for what it is, a real story about how people lose business needlessly. I've hurt myself significantly several times in the past year by letting a former client drift ... I'm currently making corrections to this bad habit. Also, as another object lesson ... two years ago I contracted and paid for a guy's work in designing me a logo. I was happy, he was happy (although he complained to me how slow his web and graphics design work was...). Well I _haven't_ lost his contact info ... but in these past two years he's never even said hello .. so when I next want some more graphic design or web work done, do you think he'll be my first choice? Frankly I like doing business with people who stay in touch. Don't make former clients and potential clients be responsible for your contact info .. unless you have more work than you can handle... Surprising how many somewhat “peeved in tone” responses this generated. If one wants to spend time arguing about blame or nit-picking legalities, fine, but the thrust of Andrew’s writing is business building.

Take the item for what it is, a real story about how people lose business needlessly. I’ve hurt myself significantly several times in the past year by letting a former client drift … I’m currently making corrections to this bad habit.

Also, as another object lesson … two years ago I contracted and paid for a guy’s work in designing me a logo. I was happy, he was happy (although he complained to me how slow his web and graphics design work was…).

Well I _haven’t_ lost his contact info … but in these past two years he’s never even said hello .. so when I next want some more graphic design or web work done, do you think he’ll be my first choice? Frankly I like doing business with people who stay in touch. Don’t make former clients and potential clients be responsible for your contact info .. unless you have more work than you can handle…

]]> By: aneitlich http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-14087 aneitlich Fri, 17 Feb 2006 16:02:46 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/#comment-14087 peach, just to clarify, this was a different type of professional, and we needed no contract. Andrew peach,

just to clarify, this was a different type of professional, and we needed no contract.

Andrew

]]> By: RSymonds http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-14082 RSymonds Fri, 17 Feb 2006 15:08:34 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/#comment-14082 <blockquote>I don’t agree with you. I don’t think it’s fair to blame the guy you worked with because you lost his contact details.</blockquote> The point has nothing to do with blame. The point is that doing basic, simple, inexpensive things like keeping in touch with your past clients--even informally--can result in business. Therefore, keeping in touch should be a fundamental business habit.

I don’t agree with you. I don’t think it’s fair to blame the guy you worked with because you lost his contact details.

The point has nothing to do with blame. The point is that doing basic, simple, inexpensive things like keeping in touch with your past clients–even informally–can result in business. Therefore, keeping in touch should be a fundamental business habit.

]]> By: webnology http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-14076 webnology Fri, 17 Feb 2006 14:04:58 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/#comment-14076 Andrew wants to make a point here, and has covered it up in a story. Learn from the concept. He agrees... 'I lost his initial info...' Still it's good stuff to learn from. M Andrew wants to make a point here, and has covered it up in a story. Learn from the concept. He agrees… ‘I lost his initial info…’ Still it’s good stuff to learn from.

M

]]> By: peach http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-14073 peach Fri, 17 Feb 2006 13:08:31 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/#comment-14073 Don't you have a documentation duty in the US, wich enforces you to keep a copy of all your work contracts for X years? Don’t you have a documentation duty in the US, wich enforces you to keep a copy of all your work contracts for X years?

]]> By: charmedlover http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-14072 charmedlover Fri, 17 Feb 2006 12:38:51 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/#comment-14072 I started the holiday card thing after reading a few post here and Brendon's stuff. It actually works very well from what I can say first hand. Just enough to remind them about you, and it's fairly cheap. I started the holiday card thing after reading a few post here and Brendon’s stuff. It actually works very well from what I can say first hand. Just enough to remind them about you, and it’s fairly cheap.

]]> By: leelee39 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-14069 leelee39 Fri, 17 Feb 2006 12:12:05 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/#comment-14069 <blockquote>"I don’t agree with you. I don’t think it’s fair to blame the guy you worked with because you lost his contact details."</blockquote> The point is, the one that is losing out on the work is the one that should've been keeping past clients updated. Andrew hasn't lost a thing, but the "professional" most certainly has.

“I don’t agree with you. I don’t think it’s fair to blame the guy you worked with because you lost his contact details.”

The point is, the one that is losing out on the work is the one that should’ve been keeping past clients updated. Andrew hasn’t lost a thing, but the “professional” most certainly has.

]]> By: SJH http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-14068 SJH Fri, 17 Feb 2006 12:08:04 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/02/17/out-of-site-out-of-mind/#comment-14068 I don't agree with you. I don't think it's fair to blame the guy you worked with because <em>you</em> lost his contact details. Granted, staying in touch with clients is a professional approach to maintaining good relations with them and perhaps picking up the odd bit of work, but I don't think he is entirely at fault here. Sam I don’t agree with you. I don’t think it’s fair to blame the guy you worked with because you lost his contact details.

Granted, staying in touch with clients is a professional approach to maintaining good relations with them and perhaps picking up the odd bit of work, but I don’t think he is entirely at fault here.

Sam

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