Home Add to Favorite Contact Submit  
             29 March, 2024
 

    
Category:  Articles » Business » Sales

 

Your Client's Bad Taste

Popularity:
         Views: 1762
2008-01-22 02:10:21     
Article by Robert Augustin

In design, half of the job is selling your work to your client. If you follow classic job procedures - acquire, design, sell -, you will have already noticed that it takes far more sweat to sell your design to the client than to acquire her in the first place. Why is that, and what can you do about it? More...

Design transports image, emotions, and value, thus selling a product. It is most important for the success or failure of a venture, and your client will most likely know about this fact, as she hired you in the first place. So what induces our paradox?

Control

It all comes down to control. Delegating a task is always a loss of control over the task. In return, the person "on top" gains control over the person "at work". The reasons for the former to delegate a task can vary (lack of time, skill, and/or will), but the effect remains: the trade of one type of control for another.

So, you can say that your client is only trying to compensate her loss of control by setting parameters and limits to your work. By doing this, she unintentionally diminishes her own asset, because you can't act to your full potential.

A possible course of events

* First, she (the client) gives you (the professional) the authority to create a design. This happens as a direct result of your acquisition phase.

* You and your client now set parameters for your design. She utters wishes and requests, and makes a whole lot of requests like "I want it to look exactly like this other website", or "Can you use this font, Comic Sans", or "I want a rainbow color gradient background". You may have heard one or two of these stimuli every now and then.

* Nevertheless, you manage to refute most of your client's bad taste by prattling about your empirical knowledge and your famous practical experience. You start to design.

* Sooner or later, you present your work to the client. This is usually a range of different avenues, and she has to decide which one to take. Of course, you have your favorite. You really want it to be the chosen one.

* Your client says, "Well, ok, I like these, but what about changing the font here? This looks like nothing I've seen before. And where's the rainbow background?" and more (read this related article on ideasonideas.com). This is the paradox: The clients takes the authority she gave you away and claims to know everything better. Let's consensually call this the "I need a drink"-moment, shall we?

The "I need a drink"-moment

What happened? Your client degraded you. From a designer to a walking crayon. That's not nice at all. Why did it happen? Because your client runs a company. She's the boss - used to making decisions and having it her way. She delegates tasks all the time and her employees do as she says, because they get paid to do just that. Isn't that understandable?

This is exactly what distinguishes design from most other tasks. It's the mass variety of possibilities. Design isn't simply about following some guidelines. There is not only one way to do "it". There isn't such a thing as the only right design, or the ultimate final design. That doesn't exist because the variables are open. Of course there are parameters, such as not using Comic Sans (yeah), and the "rules" of color harmony, eyepath, align, and so on. But virtually, there are almost no limits to design.

Glory is nothing, hard work is

Creativity is nothing without the skill of funneling it into a product. Creativity, as glorified as it may be, is merely a tool. A very important one, I agree, but nothing without attending elements like knowledge, education and practice.

So you need a drink? Give it to your client instead! Metaphorically speaking, grab a big glass and fill it up with the strongest stuff you've got. Give it to your client, understanding that she is merely doing what she's used to do. It's her business, after all, and she wants it done right. So her objective is the same as yours. You and your client both have the same intentions. You just have to prove that to her.

Talk, talk, talk

She is a pro in her field. Give her that. That's why she hired you - because she knew that it was the best thing to do. You have a reputation, you are experienced; you are a pro in your field. Unclose this to your client by discussing her suggestions (demands) on an impartial level. Take her thoughts seriously; respect her point of view, but don't be afraid to point out its faultiness in an understanding and fostering way.

Reveal to repeal

If you manage to talk your client though the issues in question, and prove your expertise by revealing the grounds you based your design path on - in a calm and professional manner, without disrespecting her needs -, you will manage to repeal her doubts about you and your abilities. She will increasingly respect your judgement and come to find that when it comes to design, you are a reliable and resourceful asset to bet on.

Behave professionally. You will always come across clients who claim to know things better than you do. Remember, it's about control, and it doesn't feel good to be out of control. You have to trust someone first in order to tolerate that!

That's why selling your work to the client is half of the job. That's also why you shouldn't give up on her just because you think she has bad taste: once you've earned your client's trust, she will most likely return to you with new jobs. Only this time, the selling part will be a lot easier.

Robert Augustin is a creative copywriter and marketing professional based in Stuttgart, South Germany. He is the founder of Effex Medien, a business consultancy and advertising agency specialized in innovative and creative marketing for small and medium-sized enterprises. In his free time, Robert is devoted to design - and blogs on nubloo.com.

Specialized in: Effex - Effex Medien - Medien - Medium - Effects - Effe - Advertising - Advertisement - Ad - Commercial - Design - Designer - Mediendesign - Webdesign - Cms - Farbenfroh - Mediengestaltung - Gestaltung - Aufkleber - Werbeagentur - Designstudio - Advertising Agency
URL: http://effexnet.com
Print article      Bookmark this page
Related Articles 
The first step altogether forms of twine replacement are removing the broken twine (Popularity: ): Any range of things will cause your machine to act out of flip, or rather, in some cases, to stop acting altogether. In several instances, though, the fiend behind all this madness is just a foul, broken, frayed, or frazzled electric cord. As a result of an influence twine is virtually the bridge between power and gear, if the twine is compromised; the tool can't receive the ability it needs ...
How To Get Reliable Information On Properties In Bangalore For Sale (Popularity: ): Development of an area not only brings comfort to the residents of that area but also brings some unwanted hazards also. These are called as hazards of development. Bangalore, the flourished city in India, is well known not only to the Indians but also it’s a place of choice to the persons live outside India.Everybody wants to reside in a well developed city. Bangalore being the place of attraction, in ...
What You Can Expect From a Reliable Duct Work Parts Provider (Popularity: ): Whether it’s for dust collection, air pollution or any other mechanical installations, duct work is integral for efficient operations. Owing to their huge demands, various industry manufacturers have come up with new ideas and duct products with added features. Hence, it is obvious that you, as a consumer may get confused as which one would be best to suit your needs. Read on the following tips to find out what ...
Want More Profits: Go for a Cool Deli Case (Popularity: ): These are the times of luxury, increasingly high living standards and media exposure. Customer is aware of market trends, health related issues and rights. When spending money everyone wants its worth. The quality scores over quantity and also what looks good holds good for the customer. So the shopkeepers, store owners need to constantly upgrade. And when the talk is about perishable food items storage, hygiene, presentation all count for ...
What are PET or PETE Plastic Bottles and their common uses (Popularity: ): P.E.T. or P.E.T.E bottles are frequently used for plastic carbonated beverage and water bottles. PET is an acronym for polyethylene terephthalate,Recycled PET Shopping Tote, a plastic resin and a type of polyester. Manufacturers use PET plastic to package products because of its strength, thermo-stability and transparency. Customers choose PET because it is inexpensive, RPET Bags, lightweight, resealable, shatter-resistant and recyclable. PET bottles are labeled with a resin identification code #1 ...


Related Business 
Bad Taste Software Ltd. (Popularity: ): Do you want to play a game that is more intellectually stimulating than the usual "kill and destroy everything in sight"? Well "Seal Cull" is the game for you. Free download. Well if you do remember it then you need to seek psychiatric advice - because the good people of Bad Taste Software first heard about it on the 8th January 2011.
Therabreath (Popularity: ): Products and information concerning bad breath, taste disorders, dry mouth and tooth whitening from Dr. Harold Katz.
Bad Taste Testers (Popularity: ): Photographs, "doctored" for laughs at the expense of Hitler, Mother Teresa, Oprah, and Disneyland
Loans For Bad Credit (Popularity: ): Learn and apply for bad credit personal loans today, loans for bad credit is what we do best at loan Credit Express. Bad credit loans experts specializing in online loans for people with bad credit. Find car loans for bad credit loans online.
Bastards Have Landed! (Popularity: ): Home and official fan club of Peter Jackson, the man behind such films as Braindead (aka Dead/Alive), Bad Taste, The Frighteners and the coming Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Bad credit unsecured cash loans (Popularity: ): Need extra cash until next payday, Apply now to get bad credit cash loans, bad credit cash advance loans,bad credit cash personal loans online to fulfill your personal needs. To provide every bad credit borrower everywhere with faithful solutions so that they can achieve financially stability. Bad credit cash loans want people to discover their road to recovery through us.
Bad Credit Loans (Popularity: ): Bad Debt Unsecured Loans is a suitable place where you can get bad debt loans, unsecured loans and bad debt unsecured personal loans within easy repayment option. Are you having problem in getting hold of collateral free loans? Mark an end to such problems. Apply with us at Bad Debt Unsecured Loans and get a loan no matter whether you are suffering from bankruptcies, charge-offs, repossessions or bad credit. We ...
O'Connell, Mitch (Popularity: ): The author/illustrator of "Good Taste Gone Bad" and "Pwease Wuv Me!" sells a selection of his illustration art.
Bad Credit Payday Loan (Popularity: ): Assume that you have been thinking of buying the dream car and you are bogged down by your poor financial reports. Your statements show bad credit ratings and low credibility. It implies you are in a bad position to take loans. If you are depressed over these bad credit scores and find it very difficult to cope with your financial conditions, it is time to relax.
6 Month Loans For Bad Credit (Popularity: ): Offers 6 month loans for bad credit to provide instant cash help to UK people having poor or bad credit score. It is the best way to grab quick financial assistance despite being a bad credit borrower without any credit check.