10 ways to disarm the customer

Presentation of the project to the client is one of the most painful moments in the creative process. In this article we will reveal the best answers to unpleasant attacks and delicate questions that, when asked by the client, can sometimes disrupt the overall effective solution.

- My neighbors don't like it
Thank you for attracting friends to participate in this project; However, it is difficult for outsiders to appreciate all aspects of work at its current stage. If you think that the opinion of these people is extremely important to us, we should include them in the process completely. Let's schedule a meeting with all the new participants in our project next week to review with them the brief, strategy and objectives, and then to see if they will have the same ideas as now.

- We really liked your portfolio. Could you make our site in the style of this one of your work for Mr. X?
It's funny that you want it, because we just try to do the opposite. We believe that the tasks of each client should be considered individually and develop for him the solution that suits him. It's funny that you mentioned Mr. X, because he was also not sure about the approach we proposed, but it was this approach that suited him very well. Let's not worry about what others are doing. Think of the project as a costume that you just were not going to try on. We are fairly objective, and this will help us find something that will fully meet your requirements. After some time you will find that the proposed solution is what suits you best.
')
- The employee of our accounting has a great idea to that effect.
We are always happy to look at the ideas of other people, but sometimes this leads to an increase in time, because we need to consider more questions and hold additional meetings. If you want this, I can outline the addition to the plan to take into account the new conditions. At the same time, if you are worried about the budget, I would ask you to check with your employee in advance if his approach solves any particular problem. This can save costly time and will also help clarify questions so that we can answer them most fully.

“A good start, but we need to add this, and this, and this ...”
I understand your desire not to leave aside the slightest detail, and this is not a rare occurrence. However, remember, at the very beginning of the project, you noted that you want to create something based on customer needs? In my experience, those organizations that do this best of all focus only on a few key areas, after which they do everything possible to provide the best services and products associated with them. Adding too much can confuse and sometimes even scare away customers. Take a look at the most successful companies in the market, and you will see that they are very selective in their positioning.

- I like beige; can we add more beige here?
Personal preference is a strong motivator; I personally like hot pink, but it is not always good for business projects. Now I would like to go back a little to the creative brief. You noted that your target audience is boys who enjoy weight lifting. Do you think beige will help attract their attention?

- I do not even know what I think about this option ...
Right! This is quite different from what you were content with earlier, and, I think, this is a completely new direction for you. Therefore, you may need some time to comprehend this option. So let's start with strategic issues. I made a copy of our brief, namely, those parts that relate to the project and the positioning of the company. Let's go over them and see if there are any requirements that we have not dealt with.

- I do not know. This is so different from everything ...
This is great. The differences are very good! A key aspect of promoting your company is to find an approach that others do not use. It is clear that you are not sure about this: new things often confuse people. I remember I didn’t like espresso terribly when I first tried it. Thank God, I gave this drink a second chance, and now I treat it differently. Let's turn to the brief and see if this option meets all the stated criteria. If so, then we could point out that we just need a little time to get used to this new direction.

- Can we increase the font size?
Yes of course! Could you show me a couple of sites on which the font is exactly the size that you think is right? We can compare them with our option to determine how much we need to increase the size. (Note. Usually, after this, it turns out that the size of the text in our version is larger than it seems to the client.)

- I understand that I like it as soon as I see it.
Many people think so when it comes to sketches, but it's very difficult for us to work in an uncertain direction. Can you imagine that you are ordering food in this way: “Bring me something good, and I will eat it if I like it. Otherwise, you will have to prepare various dishes until I am satisfied “? Let me ask you a series of questions that will help us determine exactly what you need. Is our version conservative or is it rather unconventional? Do you think that it is too dark or too light? Do the pictures look passive or, on the contrary, too dynamic? (Note. You may need to ask these questions for some time. The trick is to constantly offer a choice from opposing options so that you can understand the aesthetic inclinations of the client with difficult answers.)

- I was in the same sandwich shop recently, and these guys have a great website. Can we do something similar?
I do not think that in this way we will be able to come to a solution that would meet your needs. Creative strategies, as a rule, are created specifically to solve complex project tasks. Judging by what you said, the mentioned site has worked very well on you. Let's take a look at it and determine exactly what you liked. Perhaps this will help us to better understand what feelings you, as well as your audience, would like to experience when visiting the site.