Aiming to Please and 6 Tips for Tough Situations
In the service business, we aim to please. But sometimes we have unpleasing situations to address. If you’ve been an account person long enough to have your own clients, you’ve surely had to have a few tough conversations:
“The requirements have changed and we need more budget.”
“I sense that you’re unhappy with the work and we need to know why.”
Or better yet…
“We went over budget. And even though the scope of work was vague (because you wouldn’t pay us to do discovery first) and technically the deliverables haven’t changed, we need to ask for more money.”
“You need to stop art directing and remember why you hired us. If we do what you asked for, it will look like ____.”
Fun stuff like that. While you’ll probably never completely avoid the occasional tough conversation, here are 6 tips that work:
- Over-explain — from the beginning, pretend you’re teaching Advertising or Web Design for Dummies. (but don’t be condescending)
- Define — write out the scope in excruciating detail, exhaust all assumptions, and them define the project some more. Review the scope with your client and don’t assume that they understand it or your word choice.
- Report — clients deserve to know how their money is being spent, and it makes you look on top of things
- Anticipate — if you think the scope may change, give your client a heads-up. Chances are, they have someone else to ask for the money (or time) and are just as nervous as you. Help them look good…or at least look organized.
- De-personalize — when in doubt, make it about business and requirements and rounds and other inhuman, emotionless things. Remove the anger. No one is out to get anyone in trouble.
- Humanize — joke with your client. “Oh billing, the least rewarding part of my job. Let’s talk about your late invoices.”
What works for you?
