Hello,
It’s a quiet day at work and we are in a reflective mood. Often, creative agencies blame clients for projects that don’t reach their logical end. Yes, clients can be pushy, change their mind often, and appear vague about what they want. But with a bit of effort, some irritating blisters can be softened.
As people participating in a creative process, we often forget that our clients are not familiar with it. This is where the communication gap creeps in and upsets the apple cart.
So, as an agency, remember:
- To not just make a presentation about your skills, abilities, and proposed solutions, but also about the process you follow. This gives your client an idea of how the engagement is likely to shape up, with less room for unwelcome surprises.
- To discuss clear timelines at the beginning. Many creative projects lose steam as they get extended indefinitely. Your interest begins to fade, and the client thinks he’ll revive it later. Both of you see it as a loss of commercials. So nail your objectives to strict timelines and if possible, add monetary cuts and hikes to act as deterrents.
- To be clear about what can be provided and at what costs. A creative process always provides room for improvement. You can always better what you have done. But chipping away at a project endlessly drains you of resources and doesn’t make economic sense. So align deliverables to commercials clearly, and specify costs for re-work and changes.
