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So, you hire someone to do a job for you. Design a website, put on an event, whatever.
You are the client. You are the one calling the shots. They have to meet all the deadlines. But, you don’t, do you? When they send you something, asking for feedback, they have to wait until you are ready, right?
Here’s a tip.
If you hire someone, that person (most likely) is going to be excited about your project and want to please you, make you satisfied. Turn you into a Raving Fan.
When they send you something, they have just said, “I am proud of this and can’t wait to hear what my client thinks.”
You should get quality work no matter when you respond, you’re entitled to that. But superior work?
I bet you that if you give yourself a deadline that is 6-12-24 hours after the vendor deadline and provide rapid feedback…that’s when the vendor (I hate that term, actually, but we’ll use it) will go the extra mile.
Why?
Because you’ve struck when the iron is hot.
You’ve said,
“I appreciate what you did enough to spend time on it NOW, to provide feedback while it is still fresh in your mind, and to tap into your intrinsic motivation to do a Remarkable job,” (nod to Dan Pink and DRIVE) which is what you need anyway.
I haven’t studied this quantitatively or anything, but anecdotally I can tell you that I can see it in the phenomenal people (Amy Detrick and Kathryn Schwab on the NSM video, Jonny Goldstein on the book cover, and Nick Hudkins and Brian Zalk on the website, among others who have helped me).
And it just makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?
When you don’t respond, you pour water, instead of gasoline on the fire of some potential Raving Fans of yours.
You’ve spent the money to hire them. Now, spend the time to get the biggest bang from your buck.
It’ll pay off two-fold.
Superior work and vendors who sing your praises as a client…and as a company.
