Video Script:
Have you ever had a nightmare client? You know the ones. They want everything yesterday, they ask revisions after revision, and their nephew that’s pretty good with Microsoft Paint has a few ideas on how to spruce up your latest logo design.
*Shudders* Sorry, just had a bit of a flashback.
Look, we’ve all been there. But, today I’m going to share some methods I’ve discovered that have helped me turn some of my WORST clients into some of my BEST clients.
Trust me, if you’re tired of dealing with the client drama, you’re going to want to stick around until the end of this one. Let’s get into it!
Hey everyone, welcome to Artful Ruckus. For those of you who are new here, my name’s Tom Munz, I’m an Art Director with over 15 years of experience, and this channel is all about helping creatives just like you level up your craft, careers, and confidence.
Today’s video is all about THE most challenging part of being a graphic designer. No not typography, not color theory, not grids… We’re talking about the scariest thing of all – working with clients.
We all dream of having clients that trust us, respect our time, and understand the creative process. Unfortunately, the reality is that a very small minority of clients will come to us in this angelic state.
So what I’m saying is, it’s gonna take some work. The good news is that as creatives, we have all the tools we need to turn nightmare clients into great clients.
Let’s get started by looking at what exactly I mean when I’m talking about good clients vs. bad clients.
In my mind, the definition of a good client is simple. A good client is someone that:
- Has a base level understanding of the creative process
- Values what we do as designers
- Has realistic expectations
- Trusts you to do great work and solve their problem
On the other hand, I would define a “bad client” as someone that:
- Doesn’t understand the creative process
- Has unrealistic expectations
- Doesn’t trust you and micromanages the project
- Doesn’t properly communicate what they want
- Asks for never ending revisions
- Doesn’t view design as valuable
Did I miss anything?
Okay so let’s go through these issues one by one and talk about how we can develop a strategic creative process that’s designed to turn bad clients into great clients.
Method 1: Treat your client as a creative partner
So the first method we need to use to transform our clients into good clients, is to treat them as creative partners.
One of the biggest issues that commonly leads to a client being labeled as “bad” is a lack of understanding the creative process.
Sometimes designers assume that clients already understand the process, which usually isn’t the case. Think about it, if they were already design gurus then what would they need us for, right?
What I see a LOT of designers get wrong here is that they don’t address that knowledge gap up front and just immediately jump into working on the design.
If the client isn’t treated as a creative partner and they don’t understand what’s happening at each step, there’s a good chance that they’re going to start micromanaging to try to feel more in control.
For example, let’s say a client just approved your logo design concept and now you need a couple of days to clean it up, put it on the grid, and test responsiveness.
If you don’t tell the client WHY you’re spending a couple of extra days with the logo – they’re going to think you’re wasting their time. In their minds, they already approved the logo, what’s the hold up?
So to avoid this, we need to share the creative process at a high level, involve them throughout the project rather than surprising them with finished work at the end, and keep the lines of communication open and transparent.
Treating them this way not only makes them feel like a valued part of the process, but it also gives them some skin in the game.
Think about it, when you’re presenting a logo design, who’s more likely to push back – a client that’s been a key creative partner from the start, or one who hasn’t heard from you since they sent you the initial brief?
Unlike Aunt Sue from SNL, in business, no one likes surprises.
Okay now that we know the problem, here are some good ways to get your client involved and up to speed creatively:
- Share your process step by step up front.
- Tell them WHY you’re doing what you’re doing.
- Explain how each step contributes to their end goal.
- Relate your decisions back to tangible business results.
Method 2: Set clear expectations in writing and get buy-in
The next issue that we need to resolve to turn bad clients into great clients is to set clear expectations and get buy-in before starting ANY design work.
When you skip this step, you start running into those issues where the client asks for unlimited revisions, they want same day turnarounds, they let you know they’re unhappy with how things are going…
It’s natural that clients will ask for more, faster if they don’t know what to expect or if they don’t have an understanding of realistic timelines.
It’d be like if you ordered something online that you were super excited to get, but the shop never told you how long it would take to arrive.
In your mind, you assumed it would arrive in a few days, so after a week you send them a sternly worded email, only to find out they had shipped your item on-time and it was scheduled to arrive the next day.
Had the shop just told you upfront that their shipping normally takes between 8-10 days, then you would’ve known what to expect and you probably wouldn’t have sent that nasty email.
So, how can you set expectations with clients and get their buy-in?
Here are a few steps:
- Step 1: Share a strict timeline for the entire project up front – outline project phases, key delivery dates, and feedback turnaround time.
- Step 2: Discuss what happens in unforeseen circumstances – For example, what happens if the client misses their feedback due dates? What about if they need additional rounds of revisions outside of scope? Try to think through all of the common issues and worst case scenarios, and outline exactly how they’ll be handled in writing.
- Step 3: Define what success looks like. What are they expecting from you? What are the end results? And what deliverables are you responsible for?
- Finally, be sure include the agreed upon timeline, terms, and brief in your contract and get it signed by the client. If you run into any issues during the project, you now have a written agreement that you can refer to – clearing up any potential misunderstandings.
Method 3: Diagnose before you prescribe
The next method is to diagnose the REAL problem before you prescribe a solution.
Something else I see a lot of designers doing is jumping right into the work without fully understanding the scope of the problem they’re solving.
Obviously the creative work is why most of us are in the business. It’s easy to get carried away jump straight into designing, but this is yet another mistake that can turn a potentially good client into a nightmare client.
So before you jump in and start creating, take a step back.
As Ellen Lupton has famously said, “think more, design less”. Look I know, as designers it sounds counterintuitive, but trust me, it works.
Here are some steps to take to uncover the REAL problem before you decide on a solution:
- Step 1: Think in business terms. What business problem does this design solve?
- For example, if you’re designing a new logo for a client, they may say they just want a new design to make it look better, but it’s your job to dig deeper. WHY do they want the logo to look better? Maybe their sales are down, their logo isn’t reproducing well at small sizes on social, they’re moving into a new vertical and need their brand to resonate with a new target demo, etc.
- Step 2: Ask ‘why’.
- A method I like to use is called The 5 Whys – coined by Taiichi Ohno, the father of Toyota’s production system.
- The method essentially says to get the the real cause of a problem, you need to ask ‘why 5 times’.
- For example: Why do you need a new logo design? To look pretty.
- Why do you want it to look pretty? To stand out.
- Why do you want to stand out? We work in a crowded market.
- Why is the market so crowded? There are a lot of new companies popping up that are trying to do what we do cheaper.
- Why are they cheaper? They’re cutting costs in their end products and don’t have a long history of quality like we do.
- A method I like to use is called The 5 Whys – coined by Taiichi Ohno, the father of Toyota’s production system.
- Boom. In a matter of seconds you now understand what’s ACTUALLY driving their reasoning for wanting a new logo outside of just ‘looking pretty’. You can also use these insights to highlight their heritage in the design process as well as doing competitive analysis on all the new companies crowding the market.
- Step 3: Synthesize your findings into discovery documents, briefs, and moodboards to ensure you properly understood the problem and the proposed solution before you start designing. This gets everyone on the same page and also shows that you’re more than a pair of hands.
Method 4: Talk Their Language and Show ROI
Okay this final step is probably THE most important thing you can do to turn bad clients into good clients – speaking their language and tying your work back to real tangible business results.
Sometimes it can feel like designers are from Mars and clients are from Venus.
Creatives want to talk about typography, colors, and aesthetics, whereas business owners and stakeholders want to talk about clicks, profits, and ROI.
As designers, it’s our job to bridge that gap and frame our work in a way that resonates with our clients.
Naturally, if you can tie your design project back to real ROI, a client is going to be a lot more excited about working with you.
It’s so important to frame your conversations in terms of ‘what’s in it for them’.
Without understanding the ROI your design work provides, the client is essentially going to be bargain shopping. If designer A charges $100 for a logo and can do it in a day, and designer B charges $2,000 and it takes a month – why would the client ever go with designer B?
Without context, the client just sees that designer B is both slower and more expensive – that’s a lose-lose.
In reality, designer B’s process may take longer and be more expensive because they facilitate a discovery session, uncover valuable insights, do competitor research to understand brand positioning, and spend time ensuring the logo design isn’t similar to others in the space – potentially saving the client tens of thousands of dollars in re-designs and legal fees.
These are all things you need to verbalize to the client to let them know that you’re not just a pair of hands, but rather a strategic partner that’s there to help them drive business results.
In business, design work that’s simply good-looking is usually seen as subjective and un-impactful. Any time you can speak the clients language and showcase real value, it builds trust. meaning less micromanagement, less revisions, and more creative freedom.
Okay everyone, as you can tell I think a lot of issues that lead to clients being labeled as ‘bad clients’ can be avoided through strategy, setting expectations, and clear communication.
“I’ve never had a bad client. Part of our job is to do good work and get the client to accept it.” – Bob Gill
Unfortunately, there ARE still some true nightmare clients out there that skip out on payments or disappear mid project.
The best thing you can do to avoid those rare cases is to get 50% of the payment up front, sign a contract, and identify red flags in your initial calls.
Generally speaking, I think most clients are good clients at heart – we just need to gain their trust by sharing what we do, why we do it, and why it’s valuable.
Be sure to give the tips we covered today a shot with your next client and let me know how they work.
Thanks so much for tuning in, now go out there and make a ruckus.