5 Fun Ways to Delight Your Design Clients
It's no secret that I'm a little obsessed with giving my clients a seamless and fun experience when we work together.
Learning about my clients, developing our relationship, and becoming a key part of their team and business is such an enjoyable part of my job.
If you are building your own design studio and working one-on-one with clients, I would venture to guess that you feel similarly!
There's a lot that clients naturally expect from you as their designer. So surprising them here and there and finding special ways to show them that you care and value them is a great way to continue to nourish that relationship.
Here are 5 fun ways to delight your design clients (and how I work them into my own client experience):
Handwrite a Welcome Card
There are so many ways to personalize your digital communication with your clients (emails, project management systems, etc.), but nothing truly replaces the personal touch of a handwritten note.
Upon booking their branding project with me, I send clients a handwritten card with a coffee shop gift card inside. I express my excitement about our upcoming collaboration and thank them for trusting me with their brand and letting me into their world. Then, I invite them to treat themselves to a few cups of coffee as they start digging into their brand strategy workbook in preparation for our time together.
This small gesture shows my client that I am thoughtful and intentional, and don't hesitate to go above and beyond. They know that I'm thinking about them and the prep work they're doing before we have our kickoff call. It helps set the tone for a positive, warm, and joy-filled branding experience!
So, I do recommend considering doing something for your clients that welcomes them when they first book a project with you, but a handwritten note itself (with or without a gift!) is a really nice touch that will surprise and delight your clients right at the get-go.
Send a Gift
Everyone likes happy mail! Sending a gift to your clients (especially after big projects are wrapped up) is a great way to help your clients celebrate the work you've done together and thank them for the collaboration.
For my branding clients, I send a package with items that have their new logo and branding on them - a set of mugs, coasters, canvas bags, and stickers. I've even had a custom rubber stamp made for clients (with an ink pad in one of their branding colors!). There are so many options... and talk about delighted! Clients LOVE receiving this gift in the mail! Business owners who do mostly digital marketing don't often get to hold a physical product with their logo on it, so it feels extra special. I've even had clients ask me how they can order more (especially mugs)!
Currently, I order and send gifts through Printed Mint. I love that you can customize the packaging so it's branded to your business AND you can include a personal note with the package too. I've also heard great things about StationeryHQ!
Holiday Gifts
I also send holiday gifts to my clients who booked a large number of projects with me throughout the year. It's my way of thanking them for their loyalty and continued support of my business, and lets them know how much I'm looking forward to future collaborations in the new year!
When I first started my business, I shopped and put together holiday boxes on my own. Over the last few years (mainly after kids came into the picture and the holiday season became busier for us), I shifted to working with a local small business that helps me create customized gift boxes for each client. She even takes care of shipping and delivery for me, and lets me send her my handwritten cards to include with the boxes!
There are lots of gifting companies out there that you can work with and there might even be a local small business you could support! But if you're curious about who I use (I know you are!)... I highly recommend checking out Winnie Lu. Patricia is incredible and also happens to be a client of mine! I love supporting her and my clients love the gift boxes she puts together for me.
Do what you say you're going to do
This one sounds so obvious. But I can't tell you the number of times clients have told me about a past experience with a different designer who they felt didn't listen to them, was unorganized, ghosted them, etc. So trust me when I say that you will delight your clients by simply laying out your project plan and what they can expect, and always following through on your promises.
And don't make promises you can't keep! With timelines, deliverables, anything. When in doubt, under-promise, and over-deliver.
Create extra deliverables during your project
As important as it is to be clear about final deliverables at the beginning of your project, adding little value-adds for clients is a great way to surprise your clients during the branding process (or when they open their final deliverables!).
These can be relatively simple and easy extras to create. Think about including brand launch graphics they can post on their social media platforms (something I include regularly!), adding in an extra social media template or PowerPoint presentation slide, or giving them an extra round of revisions (but only if it feels good and isn't done in spite ;) ).
This is about adding in little things that they don't expect but make their life easier. It could also be a great way to get your clients' wheels turning on other design projects you could help them with down the road!
Provide high-quality, good-fit referrals
As designers, we play an important role in our clients' larger marketing ecosystem and oftentimes, the other service providers that our clients work with are connected in some way to what we do for them. Copywriting, photography, website design/development, marketing strategy, and social media management... are all areas that relate to what we're doing but require different skill sets.
This is where referrals come in! Creating a strong network of referrals in related fields allows you to play "matchmaker" for your clients and introduce them to other fellow creatives that you've vetted and think will be a great fit for them.
When I decided to no longer offer website design as part of my services, I created website designer referral partnerships. I love referring branding clients to these web designers because I know they have a similar approach to me and we can create a seamless experience for the client from branding with me to website design with them.
Good-fit referrals do more than just compliment my own services - my clients love to get them! They trust my judgment, so it helps them avoid the extra research to find someone who's a good fit (something that can be really time-consuming and slow down their momentum). And when they have a good experience with the referral, they are so appreciative that I introduced them and there's a delight all around.
How do you delight your design clients?
Take a look at your client experience and consider... how can you add a little bit of fun and surprise to your process? Do any of the above ways of delighting them feel like a good fit and something you'd like to try?
You might be surprised that it's the small things that make the biggest impact and leave a lasting impression.
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