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“[Presentations require surprise]. Preserving the surprise requires us to keep the client at arm’s length and let our knowledge pool up behind a dam that will only be opened at presentation.” — @blairenns
I’ve been sharing process earlier with clients. Here what I’ve found...
I’ve been sharing process earlier with clients. Here what I’ve found...
If we can make foundational decisions early and often — even at low fidelity — it dramatically decreases the chances of higher fidelity work being outright rejected later. Give me a million little early whiteboard decisions over one incredible presentation that actually lands.
At least half of the expectation/reality dissonance I’ve experienced in client services can be traced back to some mocked up shiny thing in an early presentation made by someone who never had to think through what it would take to build it. It’s a trap. It’s not real.
When people are involved in early decisions, they’re invested. When they aren’t, they’re apt to look for ways to contribute which often pull them outside their areas of expertise. If a client helps choose adjectives that define a brand, we have shared belief to build around.
Sharing rougher concepts and work earlier is scary, but if you’re dependent on polish, fit, and finish to sell an idea, consider it might not be the best idea. A rough appropriate concept is better than a polished wrong concept. It’s our job to tell that story.
All of this is dependent on leading the client through the project. Setting expectations, communicating clearly, telling the client what you’re doing, what you intend for them to do, and what the outcomes should (hopefully) be. Removing the “big reveal” frees everyone up.
