Guaranteed Results
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- popovich
A potential client asks how I can guarantee results if they go with my creative work. Damn, that's a good question.
As the Business Card Douchebag (Joel Bauer, that is) once said "What do you do guaranteed?"
- lukus_W0
Guaranteeing results = successfully predicting the future.
- mydo0
Just tell him you can't, it's not like he's going to go and find a designer that does.
- skref0
Sounds like the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
- airey0
put simply you can't.
you're not selling widgets that can be audited. you're selling a process and deliverables borne from that process. the process has to be one involving you and the client and sometimes the assumptions you and/or the client might make may turn out to be incorrect. if that's the case you change tact and try again.
they need to feel a trust with you and accept that mistakes might be made but if so then a change in direction is made. if they don't trust you're folio or initial discussions then there's no much you can do but tell them to shit or get off the pot. choose you or don't.
anyone that guarantees results is a bullshitter.
also, ask them what steps they have in place to measure success and what kind of timeframe they plan to see it.
- lukus_W0
"I can't guarantee results, because there's no way of knowing what the future will bring.
However, I can tell you that I will [ ... describe the way you work to ensure success].
Also, in the past I have [ ... describe the outcome of successful previous projects]."
- detritus0
Just lie, make it all up. Say whatever they want to hear.
If everything unwinds at some future point, remind him that's what advertising's all about - deceit.
- Continuity0
It's not really a legitimate question at all. How can you guarantee the success of something that, by nature, is subjective in the first instance? For example, I might like a particular logo, and you might not. Ergo, the success of creative work hinges on a greater majority of people liking it, but there will be people who simply don't.
The only things that can be done to _help_ success is:
- The product or service being advertised or promoted being great to begin with;
- A good marketing strategy in place to promote the product once the creative work is doneIf this client is looking to you - the creative - to offer up guarantees, then it means he's lacking something very, very critical somewhere, and is looking for a magic bullet.
- magic bullet sucks! http://3.bp.blogspot… you have a good point tho.pango
- melq0
Perhaps it's pure coincidence, but the few times I've been asked, "but what if we just don't like it," the clients have turned out to be pains in the ass.
- maikel0
sell them the world and ensure they sign your T&Cs saying that you are not liable for their shite.
you can try the hard way and do as airey says, but you've got high chances some idiot would say yey to everything they ask and will nick your client.
usually asking them how do they measure success will scare the shit out of them. anybody actually measuring result of a campaign/site/whatsoever wouldn't do such a retarded question, ain't it?
- popovich0
Continuity, you have the point. However, I guess, this is a human nature to look for a magic bullet or magic lottery ticket everywhere. I just don't think that using the lottery metaphor will help you sell yourself.
Marketing strategy has to be defined, based on the analysis of the marketing goals. Then comes execution, evaluation and strategy revision. All clear. How about delivering results? 'Cause you can run in circles with defining and fine-tuning the strategy, but how do you know it *might* work?
I know, I can't guarantee. No one can't and, as said before, anyone who guarantees is lying to you in the face. But if not guarantee, what then?
- BaskerviIle0
that's why big companies put design into quantitative and qualitative research. To help guarantee success, but even with that you can never predict what will happen. And then the client has paid out loads to conduct the research.
Gut instinct trumps all.
- popovich0
Also, even if this lead will not turn into a client, I will not go mad or bankrupt right away. But I do use this opportunity to exercise my sales skills (which, obviously, need some rough polishing). So any tips on selling the creative work are highly appreciated here.
- mydo0
i think he's just asking because he's uneducated. could well just be an innocent mistake.
tell him your business goal is to get repeat work, so his satisfaction is your primary concern.
- Continuity0
One thing you should remind the client of is that the quality of your work can only be as good as the brief given to you. If the brief lacks thinking, foresight and detail, then it will absolutely have a negative impact on the work you deliver.
In other words, he is equally (if not more) responsible for the success of your work. You're neither a magician, nor a mind-reader.
- very true... unless he IS a magician!jimzy
- If that's the case, he's made of pure awesome. :DContinuity
- MakeUK0
The truth is that good design alone does not guarantee results, he will need to further invest in you to deliver a a well thought out strategy, a digital strategy and get him to invest more in you.
You will soon get that guarantee from all the angles you are covering don't take on the challenge it's his call spend more - get more results, if your good it will work, good design doesn't do much without the strategy. Put it back on him and make him invest more to secure the results.
- maikel0
if what you want are facts you can tell your client how many people the campaign/site/etc would reach.
you can show a conversion rate if it is something to sell; you can show the cost per contact, how many click through you get, and explain that by monitoring and updating your seo/adverts/channels/etc you can make the most of their investment.maybe that would make them click...
- ukit0
Stupid question which suggests a stupid client.
Your job isn't to guarantee the success of his business, that's his job. Your job is to deliver a design that's good and that the client is happy with, and on that count you can in fact guarantee or something close.
- comicsans0
Also depends what your contribution to their (presumed) sales campaign is, ultimately their goods or services are what will sell. Feeble analogy time: your efforts are like a frame to their picture, a good frame will show off the picture to its best advantage but people buy the picture not the frame.
- lukus_W0
Maybe a client who asks this type of question, is pre-emptively manoeuvring to reduce their costs? Perhaps this line of questioning is really only a few steps away from requesting work to be produced on spec?
It's sensible to monitor results - but only from the point of view that it puts the client in a better position if they need to decide how to commission further work.