Trolls are ugly little guys. Unlike the tall, fierce warriors you know from fantasy and science fiction literature, real trolls do not engage in physical battle. Instead, they sit on people's shoulders, whispering things like "It's all lies", "Where have I heard that promise before" or "Don't trust him, he's trying to deceive you". They wage pyschological warfare, and like the poisonous advice of Wormtongue from the Lord of the Rings books, they will make doing a good job incredibly hard.

How do trolls get on people's shoulders then? Who puts them there, to foil your proposals and sow distrust toward your entire industry? It's us. Us Designers, and, back when I was freelancing in IT, us consultants. Each and every time we fail a customer because we don't behave professionally, every time we leave them hanging with a half-finished solution, every time we procrastinate on a project for months at a time until we're fired, a troll is born. We've all done it at least once. I know I have.

Now the problem with that particular troll isn't yours per se. You have lost that client, so he is none of your concern any more. No, the troll is going to be a pain in the ass to work around for the next problem solver to show up. Chances are they will make similiar promises - competence, efficiency, timeliness, whatever. The first time around, we managed to impress the customer and earn his trust. This time is different though. This time, the troll is sitting on their shoulder, pointing out how they've heard it all before and how it fell through the last time. Why should they trust you? But they must in order for you to work together, so that trolls needs to get got.

Killing trolls is hard. The bad experiences in the past have most likely become part of the client's world view, their lens on the world. We're right up there with shifty lawyers now, with telesales people and state bureaucrats. Politicians, even (each of which have their own trolls, so after awhile, people's shoulders tend to get crowded). Killing trolls isn't done with a shot from the hip either. It's a slow process, like washing out a toxin. Most important of all, the troll must not notice we are working against it.

Step 1: Don't wake the troll

If you feel a distrust creeping up in the conversation with your client, shift gears immediately. You do not want to repeat what somebody else has promised and failed at. Instead, tell a different story. If for instance you see that the last project died due to budget overrun, make it very clear how much money will be required and for what. The same with time constraints: set up a clear timeline and stick to it.

Step 2: Babysteps

The most satísfying way for both of you to work together is making small and immediate promises and fulfilling them right away. Start by stating the purpose of each meeting and conversation, and follow up on it once it has been fulfilled. Next, set precise dates and deadlines and hit them perfectly. Don't become too eager, be realistic in your planning and if necessary wait a bit if you're running ahead of the schedule. Slowly but surely build trust.

Step 3: ...

Step 4: Profit!

When you complete the project in time and within the budget, the troll loses all power over you. This doesen't mean you should let down your guard and get sloppy with the client. After all, you want to keep them. But if you keep making promises and keeping them, the clients will want to come back to you time and again.

So, in conclusion, please don't help trolls screw our industries. Behave like a professional, even if it's just a buddy of yours. Somebody else will thank you for it.

PS: Because I've been working on this post for quite some time, Seth Godin beat me to the punch, though I believe I'm going a bit more in depth. If you like, check him out, too:

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/10/wont-get-fooled-again.html

Berthold Barth

Berthold is a design student in southern Germany. When he is not at school or his day job, he participates in the design community and works on side projects. His profound knowledge of technology, his experience both as an employee in several IT-related jobs as well in the company he ran until 2008 and the curiosity of a 3-year-old drive him to always give 100%. -> hire me!

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