One of the hardest things about being a successful consultant within any field is managing the experience which your clients have. When you’re working in an agency environment, this can be hard to keep track of. You will need to be highly organised and have a clear management plan in place.

Make sure that your customers are aware of the process from the very beginning. Don’t give them any unrealistic expectations about how long processes will take – creative design work can’t be rushed and may need many revisions. As long as they understand this, they will know what to expect.

Call regular face-to-face meetings with your customers to keep them updated. This is the easiest way of discussing ongoing work as you will be able to show them designs and prototypes and receive immediate feedback. Nothing will get lost in translation and the process will work efficiently.

Most importantly, make sure that your customers feel looked after. Just because it might take a while to arrive at a finalised product, that doesn’t prevent you from being in regular contact. If your customers begin chasing you then you know that they need some more attention. It doesn’t have to take long – a quick phone call to give them an update and let them know how the process is going need only take five minutes. If something is taking a little longer than expected, be honest and let them know. It’s better than trying to hide something or rushing a process through, and they will be glad that they’re able to trust you.