To Companies Looking for Creative → Design Litmus

written by Chris Arnold on March 09, 2011

Creative companies often encounter a few common pitfalls when facing new client opportunities as they approach. From my perspective, most of these can be avoided. So today, I’m talking to you, Inexperienced Company Looking for Creative. Grab a hot mocha, warm blanket, and settle down to allow a few things sink in.

Prepend: In this article, mentions of "creative projects" or similar is anything design or development related.

Your Approach

Like anything, you must consider your approach. Think of it like trying to snag the cutest guy or gal in the city. Someone who listens well, fits your taste and compliments your qualities. You wouldn't just run out onto a busy street and grab 5 of your closest chosen sex and schedule dates with them, would you? No, you would never do that. Why not? Because there's a right and wrong way to make the approach.

The Wrong Way

Toss together a list of companies you find on Google alongside a recommendation your sister gave you for your upcoming creative project. You email all 10 of them (copying and pasting the same message, of course, because it's quicker) without really doing too much due diligence in the companies you're contacting. You may narrow things down to 4 or 5 quickly when frustration sets in after a day of not hearing back from a handful of them.

Well, they're out.

You end up calling your top 4 "prospects" to hear more about their companies but quickly become bored with buzzwords and just ask for a quote. You were shooting from the hip.

You followup with an email along the lines of, "Thanks! We're still researching a few other companies and the options they have for us. We'll get back to you if you seem like the best fit for us!" Roughly translated, to savvy creative teams, "We're still looking for the most outrageous promises at the lowest price and quickest turnaround time; thanks!"

After a lot of number crunching you may ultimately pick a company that proves an old mantra proud: You get what you pay for.

The Right Way

You've seen local creative work you like out there, but aren't sure where to find quality companies that could do the work well. Reaching out to a few colleagues (that you know have been through a creative process before), you gather detailed recommendations. You create a short list: maybe 3-5 companies that come coupled with high marks. Ultimately, you research their websites to learn a bit more about the company, what they do, and how they may be able to help you.

After giving it some thought, only 3 of the companies feel like they could be a good fit. You send each company an email, addressed appropriately (not, "To Whom It May Concern"), with details on your upcoming project. You then schedule a phone call with each to review questions you have to better help you come closer to a decision. Questions may include:

What solution would you suggest for my company based on this upcoming project?
How will the process work through your company? How will we stay connected?
Your availability: how's that shaping up lately? I want to be realistic about how long this may take.
Could you provide me with a budget estimate for this work? (or)
I have budgeted -this much- for the project. Is that reasonable given the scope of work?

Tip #1
With an idea going into the project, and a set list of meaningful questions, you can successfully approach most competent creative shops out there. If you approach it the wrong way, you'll look foolish and appear, to most, as a red flag. Get your ducks in a row before picking up the phone and we'll all be much better off.

Your Timing

Time is money in business, and the creative company you're working with can't salary its staff without consistent work. Just like your own company can't keep investors happy (read: your salary) unless the biannual fundraising events run off with great success. When you are in communication with a creative company about your project, know the timeline. Realize poor time management can effectively end a relationship before it gets started.

The Wrong Way

While in conversations with the creative team you're interested in working with, the question comes up about timelines and deliverables. Before long, other key topics arise. When are things getting started? When are absolute drop dead dates? What's the payment schedule? If you don't know answers to these questions, or worse, your company isn't on board yet, the project will likely stall immediately.

Expecting a creative firm to hang tight for weeks on end is like expecting your investors to be okay with pushing back those fundraisers because things aren't ready on your end. You'll lose respect, waste time, and impact forward progress.

The Right Way

Establish a rough fencing of deadlines for yourself and the company, then double check those with the decision maker. The budget is this-much for a period of this-many-months, with this-many-weeks as a buffer for anything that may come up. The master plan doesn't need to be stifling, but it does need to lay the groundwork as the creative project moves on.

As you approach a creative team, consider putting on the table the answers to these questions:

What's our projected timeline? What can we adjust if need be?
Who will be the decision maker in instances where time is a factor, on both sides?
If there's a ramp-up period, what is it? Let's get everyone on the same page.

Tip #2
If there isn't a solid metric in place, you're wasting everyone's time. And remember, time well spent is one thing, but time wasted in a sea of unknowns is another. Money is lost and growth is hindered on both accounts. Stick to roughed out date markers and you'll paint a clearer picture from the onset.

Your Board

Imagine yourself and 9 of your closest colleagues on a mountain top. You all see a storm rolling in—miles away still—but the group knows something needs to happen. You all agree that something needs to happen.

Good.

Problem is, there's no single voice to take charge in decision-making scenarios. The hail arrives and everyone gets hammered. Painful, right? When you're the representative from a board of directors, a panel of thinkers, or whatever else it may be, there are two ways your creative project will end up.

The Wrong Way

You chose a creative firm to work with, but realize progress is slow since the board only meets every other week. You did want the new brand, website, and donation form online in 60 days, though. That's okay, you're paying this company well so they'll pick up the pace and save your butt in the end (right?). You end up hobbling decisions back to the creative team every other week and proceed to ask how things are progressing.

When you learn things aren't going smoothly, you report back to the board, where all hell breaks loose. Flustered, the project becomes derailed, or worse, falls apart entirely.

The Right Way

Approval on the upcoming project is finalized, but you anticipate scheduling conflicts right off the bat. You call the creative company and walk them through what might come up, and paint a realistic picture about the feedback process in your specific group.

"So-and-so is usually a stickler with this, and so-and-so has to miss meetings because of her newborn at times." From the onset, both teams have expectations set forth appropriately. As questions or issues arise, you put it on the table immediately instead of thinking that it can be figured out at a later date. Hopefully the upfront nature of the relationship keeps the project moving along.

Tip #3
Boards are notorious for slowing down a creative process. Sometimes they have a member or two that could bring a project to its knees. As it's leader, realize this as a potential pitfall and build in extra time. A strong creative unit should, too, analyze these risks prior to working with you and your board. It's a tricky balance, but honestly and clarity are very important.

Your Email & Phone Etiquette

*Admittedly an overarching theme with client-to-firm relationships, but the topic is worth noting in this article's same proverbial breath.

Have you ever been on an airplane, stuck near a parent-child spat that ends up with the child asking for something over, and over, and over? Nicely at first, but if the response isn't immediate, the situation quickly escalates to a full blown emergency. Clients aren't children nor are creatives parents (well, many are), but you see where I'm going with this. It comes down to etiquette and, while perhaps I shouldn't be, I'm consistently surprised by how many professionals lack practice in its core pillars.

The Wrong Way

You're up late working on a new company blog post and notice a broken link on a webpage, or maybe you can't figure out the CMS you're trying to edit in. Whatever it is, it isn't a game changer but you decide to send an email at late-night addressing your concern. You take it with a grain of salt and spend another 30 minutes hammering away at the issue, ultimately deciding you definitely need your creative contact to do something about it.

They haven't responded to my email!

Time to send another message; this one even later in the night and noticeably more upset.

I cannot figure this out and I need your help.

The next morning rolls around and your creative team checks their phone messages. Of course you left a heater at dawn outlining your problem and subsequent email inquiries.

I sent you two emails last night.

Thoroughly fed up, your only outlet was to pester until you heard back. Your creative team is concerned with your reaction to the small problem and you're left wondering why they aren't keen on new work with you.

The Right Way

You've never been anything other than a go-getter and want to get ahead with some work after hours. Diving in you come across a hiccup after about an hour. Reviewing emails and supplied documents, you can't seem to figure it out. Definitely frustrating.

You outline an email to your creative team noting the issue, hoping for a response the next morning so you may proceed. You pass on the second email and passive phone call because it's not the end of the world.

Tip #4
While you may not believe it, creatives aren't always hunched behind a computer or sketching comps at an office. Things break, people make mistakes, and sometimes they need to be addressed immediately. But more than likely, it can wait. Save for instances where there is a legitimate issue, your primetime phone call can wait. Don't place unwarranted strain on the relationship.

Onward With Success

A full rundown of pitfalls this is not, but these pestering few seem to rear their needless heads on multiple occasions in a given year. So if you're a company looking to hire a creative team to take on your next project, consider the road map before turning the key. You'll find the path smoother, the skies clearer, and the destination all the more joyous.

Your Feedback

As a company representative or a fellow creative manager, what have you found in your experience? What else has come up, and perhaps, what are ways we can bridge the communication (and learning) gap? Let us know in the comments area.