We love a client with a strong idea. We don’t even mind so much the client with a strong opinion. But what we won’t tolerate is a client with a penchant for getting his or her way every time.
It’s not that clients shouldn’t get their way – they absolutely do own the ideas and the project. But when the client’s reputation or product will be worse off for it, we writers have to push back.
In one instance, a writer friend’s client fussed and complained on three separate occasions that the friend didn’t write the piece requested properly. On the very last fuss, my writer friend pushed back. She stated quite frankly that if she made the changes the client was requesting, it would damage the product and would not achieve the desired results. She also stated just as firmly that she could not make those changes in good conscience knowing the client would suffer for it. In this case, the client apologized and listened. My writer friend did get her way that time, and it benefited the client.
As I listened to her account, I couldn’t help but recall a number of my own client projects in which pushing back would’ve been a much better plan of action than just acquiescing despite the gut feeling it wasn’t going to work. But sometimes clients need some discipline. They hired us for a reason – to give them a great result. If we allow them to storm their way into one bad decision after another, we haven’t done our jobs properly, have we?
So next time you’re facing the stomping foot of a demanding client, examine closely the proposed changes. Are they sensible? Do they enhance or detract from the client, product, or service? Then act accordingly. Part of your job does include protecting a client as much as possible, even if it’s from himself.
This is interesting. I tend to operate under the “client is always right” policy. But there have been a few times I’ve pushed back, as you say. Only once has it worked. The other times, they’ve still wanted it their way. One came back to me about a year later and said I was right and asked me to do what I’d wanted to do in the first place. But that’s rare for me. Maybe I’m doing it wrong? :-
No Amy, I suspect you’re doing it just right. Pushing back doesn’t always mean we get what we want, either. 🙂 In the end, if you voice your opinion and the client insists anyway, at least you’re on record for fully informing them.