How many times have we as creative professionals met Clients like these? Clients who tell us how brilliant we are but advise us to change almost everything that we propose? Clients who tell us the concept is fantastic but we’ve gotta change the boy to a girl and the forest to mountains and the horse to a cow?

It’s not that creative people cannot accept feedbacks or criticism, I am sure we are all looking for constructive feedbacks – something that helps us to grow as a creative person. It’s just distressing to meet clients who do not understand or appreciate the concept behind each proposed creative campaign.

And we can do our part to change this. We must educate our clients so that they won’t sit behind their desk and dictate based on personal perception; rather teach them how to look through the eyes of their target market. Remind them that the campaign is not about them, it’s about their business.

Only after you have tried your best to educate them that you decide whether to give in to their requests. It’s your responsibility to tell them what works and what don’t. If they decide to ignore your advice or suggestion, then the success of the campaign is no longer your responsibility. You have given them your professional input, and your job is done. Then you can decide whether you want to keep them as your clients in the future.

I choose my clients. Those who are willing to learn how a masterpiece can reach out to their audience are those I keep even though it means spending more time to educate them and open their eyes to effective communications. When I come across stubborn ones who treat me like I am an executor for their ideas, I’d usually drop the job (unless I have too much free time and want to sharpen my skills).

Educate your clients. It’s your responsibility to do so. Don’t expect them to understand how you work, otherwise they will be doing your work instead of hiring you. At the same time, try to understand where they are coming from. Every time you accept a job, it’s a partnership between your client and you. So make that partnership work. Remind them that you are hired to do the creative thinking and you would appreciate if you are given the chance to do just so – most clients forget this every time. And a reminder works all the time.

Originally written by Gina Yap Lai Yoong © 2010

Popularity: 3% [?]

Related posts:

1. It’s Not A Sin To Fire Your Client
2. Freelancer: When Client Robs You
3. Freelancer: How to Generate New Client Leads
4. A Creative Person’s Career
5. A Generalist Thinking