Have you ever presented work to a customer and the response is less than what you expected?
They have changed their minds and want something different.
You are left a little confused.
You thought you understood what the customer wanted and had spent time understanding their needs and the requirements at the briefing.
Talking to a number of small businesses recently it appears that this is not uncommon.
They also said that the majority of times they meet with clients and discuss project requirements they do so by asking lots of questions and taking notes.
This is fine, however if a customer has not really thought through the project’s requirements, then the briefing may actually be just a waste of time for both of you.
There is a simple solution to this that benefits both you.
The Written Brief
A written brief containing the requirements, job description, issues, objectives etc can actually save both of you time, money and frustration. Whilst it can’t guarantee they will never change their minds, it does lessen this possibility.
Here are eight simple advantages of using written briefs:
- Allows clients to think through issues and what is essential before the meeting
- Keeps you on track when creating your work
- Establishes the boundaries in terms of budget and timing
- You can discuss the requirements and issues in greater depth when meeting
- Allows for more objective thinking
- Can be used as a template for future work
- Makes it easier if working in project teams
- Takes out the interpretation that can occur when briefed verbally
Not all clients know how to write a brief, so this can become an opportunity for you.
You can develop a briefing template for the projects you complete and provide this for your customers to fill out before you meet. If you do this make sure you provide simple explanation what is required in each section.
You could even provide examples for them to follow to make it easier.
What do you think about written briefs?
Good show, Susan. It’s becoming clear that you have a great deal of valuable expertise to impart!
When I was a copywriter for big ad agencies, indecisive clients sometimes used our first draft of work to crystallise their ideas. This could mean 6-10 hours work down the toilet as they shot off on a completely different tangent.
I was on a salary, so it didn’t upset me as much as the account managers. When I went freelance, however, I couldn’t afford such nonsense. So my mate Adam and I developed a series of surgical briefing tools.
These tools forced clients to be excrutiatingly explicit in stating their needs. They took time to use and some clients couldn’t stand the strain. This was fine, as they were exactly the sort who’d trash a load of work with the sentence ‘That’s not what I asked for’.
As for the rest, they went through our process and gave us what we needed to do a great job. We invariably nailed each project first time, in double quick time – thus saving the client time, money and tears.
Our ‘Japanese-style’ approach of doing all the faffing up front and then going for it like an arrow through the heart when the path is clear doesn’t suit everyone. But it does let us keep our sanity and do our best work for less.
Hi Paul,
Thank you for sharing and you have given a great example for others to learn from.
I also think it actually shows respect. Perhaps clients do not actually know that they can save money and get the job done right the first time, probably in less time than it takes to write a brief.
Thanks Susan,
I just love all these ideas you guys share, this will help me to save time and resources, when I am outsourcing something I need doing. In particular when I need something done in a hurry.
Keep them coming.
Ensha
Hi Ensha,
Thanks for your comment. Sharing ideas is the best as it sparks ideas for me. As I have done hundreds of briefs if you ever need help or want a template just let me know.
Regards,
Susan
Nice post Susan. This is a problem common across many “design” oriented businesses. My background is software and it’s the bane of many a designers existence. Putting the effort in up-front, even if it does equal a longer design phase to make sure it’s right, will save serious cash towards the end of a project which is where it is very expensive to sort a mis-understanding(!) out.
Hi Barney,
You are right. People think that if they just have a chat all the important points are heard by designers etc. If they only knew as you said that they can save money maybe they would realise it is worth taking the time to write it down.