Posted on 08/26/2009, by
DMC
We had a great meeting here at the global headquarters recently of folks in the local Tampa creative community. It was a great discussion but something struck me as really odd that I just have to comment on. There are many agencies who don’t bring their creative leadership to client meetings, even when the subject is – gasp – selling creative!
So let me get this straight – your creative team is pushed (mostly by account people like myself) to deliver great work. Then you don’t allow them to follow through with the client? I’m sure that will keep your creative team inspired to push through tough deadlines and kill themselves for great work . . . insert sarcastic smirk here.
There are several tangible benefits to integrating creative leadership into the project management/client relationship process.
1. Ummm . . . better direction. First hand knowledge is always better than trusting someone else to communicate what the client was thinking. Plus, it gives the creative director a chance to ask questions that you may not have ever thought of. Remember, questions are good.
2. Clients like to talk to the creative talent. All clients want to be cool – sorry account people, we’re not looking at you. Creatives are cool, imaginative, inspired. An account person and a creative can say the exact same sentence and many times the client will think the creative is right. I’ve seen it too many times.
3. The work is better. When you integrate you creative team in to the client conversation they get better direction, their job gets easier and as a team you set the right expectations. These are important elements to making the work great. Otherwise, what’s the difference between your agency and a sweat shop?
For the creatives – this is on you too. If you want to play a role in the client conversation you need to speak the language. Speak up and ask the questions you need to understand what your creative challenge is. There’s no point in being in the meeting if you’re not going to get out of it what you need to do your job. And understand that clients have more to answer to than the beauty of the work. Make your work relevant to the business challenges your client has communicated – then show them the relevance.
Remember, work that resonates is easier to sell, has fewer revisions and is worth more money. Agencies are teams, so don’t handicap your team by keeping your creative talent chained to their desks.
