Comments on: How to Communicate the Importance of a Modern Web Strategy to Skeptical Clients http://www.jeremiahtolbert.com/2009/04/how-to-communicate-the-importance-of-a-modern-web-strategy-to-skeptical-clients/ Writing | Photography | Web Design Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:48:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jeremiah Tolbert http://www.jeremiahtolbert.com/2009/04/how-to-communicate-the-importance-of-a-modern-web-strategy-to-skeptical-clients/comment-page-1/#comment-148971 Jeremiah Tolbert Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:55:51 +0000 http://www.jeremiahtolbert.com/?p=1165#comment-148971 Thanks, Stephanie. I really like that idea. I've done similar, but not to that level of detail. If I ever get another interview, I may do that. Thanks, Stephanie.

I really like that idea. I’ve done similar, but not to that level of detail. If I ever get another interview, I may do that.

]]> By: Stephanie Leary http://www.jeremiahtolbert.com/2009/04/how-to-communicate-the-importance-of-a-modern-web-strategy-to-skeptical-clients/comment-page-1/#comment-148924 Stephanie Leary Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:16:52 +0000 http://www.jeremiahtolbert.com/?p=1165#comment-148924 That's excellent advice. I got my first full-time web job by coming to the interview (a panel with six or seven people) with a brief that described how I'd address the issues and future projects they'd mentioned in the job description. I looked at the description, looked at their site, said, "Why yes, you do have problems," and wrote a paragraph on each of the major points. Giving them something to read helped me keep my composure, too. Since they kept glancing down, I seldom had everyone's full attention trained on me. In that case, it was easy because they'd already identified the problems. If the organization doesn't understand why the site is broken, you just have to back up one step. ("Comic Sans is a bad choice for a professional organization's site because....") It might help you to start with the problem list and work backward, explaining why it's broken after you've described how your solution is better. That’s excellent advice. I got my first full-time web job by coming to the interview (a panel with six or seven people) with a brief that described how I’d address the issues and future projects they’d mentioned in the job description. I looked at the description, looked at their site, said, “Why yes, you do have problems,” and wrote a paragraph on each of the major points.

Giving them something to read helped me keep my composure, too. Since they kept glancing down, I seldom had everyone’s full attention trained on me.

In that case, it was easy because they’d already identified the problems. If the organization doesn’t understand why the site is broken, you just have to back up one step. (“Comic Sans is a bad choice for a professional organization’s site because.…”) It might help you to start with the problem list and work backward, explaining why it’s broken after you’ve described how your solution is better.

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