To get your client to trust your expertise and design decisions can sometimes be tricky. The trust starts with your first interactions with them and it’s important throughout the relationship. Their buy-in on your designs depends on this trust as well as their backgrounds, situations that they are facing and personalities. Mariana will share her experience and techniques working with clients, from empathy to communication.

1. Interactions
with clients
@MarianaMota
UXSW 2014

2. Good client relationships
Empathy
Communication
Trust
@MarianaMota

3. Empathy

4. Photos:
http://www.bouty.net/2013/11/empathy-map-a-simple-canvas-for-customer-insigths/
http://www.uxforthemasses.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Personas.jpg @MarianaMota

5. “Empathy is the art of stepping imaginatively
into the shoes of another person,
understanding their feelings and
perspectives, and using that understanding to
guide your actions.”
Roam Krznaric, Empathy: A Handbook for Revolution
@MarianaMota

6. Who is your client?
• Motivations
• Background
• Work environment
• Fears
• Expectations
@MarianaMota

7. Warmth & Competence

8. “Prioritising warmth helps you connect immediately
with those around you, demonstrating that you
hear them, understand them, and can be trusted
by them.”
“Connect then lead” by Amy Cuddy on Harvard Business Review
http://hbr.org/2013/07/connect-then-lead/
@MarianaMota

9. In practice
Before meeting First meeting Ongoing relationship
Know who you are meeting Meet clients early
Observe body languages
Connect (warmth)
Face-to-face conversations
Informal chats
HALT (hungry, angry,
lonely, tired)
@MarianaMota

10. Communication

11. Facilitator & Leader languages
Facilitator-mode Leader-mode
Warmth Competence
Neutral Expert
Actively listening Direct
Passive language Muscular language
Briefing meeting &
workshops
Presenting designs &
expert opinion
@MarianaMota

12. Use “muscular” language
“Muscular language is active, definite and positive. It lacks
hesitation, clutter and passivity.”
Instead of Use this
How about…? I strongly suggest…
I tend to agree.
http://hbr.org/2014/06/women-find-your-voice/ar/3
That’s absolutely right, and
here’s why…
I agree. I agree completely, because…
Maybe we can… Here is my plan…
Well, what if…? I recommend…
@MarianaMota

13. Non-verbal
communication

14. Gain confidence
High-power poses Low-power poses
Photo https://paw.princeton.edu/issues/2014/04/02/pages/3548/index.xml?page=2&
@MarianaMota

15. In practice
Before meeting First meeting Ongoing relationship
Know who you are meeting Meet clients early
Observe body languages
Connect (warmth)
Listen actively and ask
questions
Agree communication
channels
Face-to-face conversations
Informal chats
HALT (hungry, angry,
lonely, tired)
Agile retrospectives
Speak their language.
Avoid jargon
Nominate 1 person to give
feedback
Agenda
@MarianaMota
@MarianaMota

16. Trust

17. Bother
to explain.

18. In practice
Before meeting First meeting Ongoing relationship
Know who you are meeting
Proposals
Meet clients early
Observe body languages
Connect (warmth)
Listen actively and ask
questions
Agree communication
channels
Face-to-face conversations
Informal chats
HALT (hungry, angry,
lonely, tired)
Agile retrospectives
Speak their language.
Avoid jargon
Usability testing
Show designs early and
often
Explain, explain, explain
Nominate 1 person to give
feedback
Introduce yourself
Explain design process
and deliverables
Agenda

19. Workshop
“Leader vs. Facilitator Mode”
Teams of 3

20. Take aways
• Prioritise warmth
• Use the right language
(facilitator/leader)
@MarianaMota

21. Resources
http://www.marianamota.com/category/creative-leadership/

22. Thank you!
@MarianaMota
www.marianamota.com