Forum Moderators: not2easy
Some tips and lessons learned on how to deal with creative conflict as it relates to clients and stakeholders.
article here [7nights.com]
Ta, Limbo
Thanks for the link. It was very informative. I found the dialogue between client and designer very humorous! I have actually had conversations like that.
Here's one scenario for you....
New SEM campaign just launched. We prepare bespoke pages to target phrases with very good information provided by the client.
We also work on the internal linking structure of the site.
Low and behold, within 4 weeks we are in the top 1-5 results for Google - yes, I am completely surprised too!
Now the client looks at these pages and wants to change all of the Google descriptions and page titles in their results.
I have explained that we need flexibility to manage this aspect of the campaign, for Google and other SE's and that most people are lucky to achieve this kind of placement in 3 - 6months plus.
They are not happy!
The problem is that our contact is just a 'referee' for a group of about 7 - 10 people at the company who feel that they are all encompassing marketing experts - although their actual function is nothing to do with marketing or new media.
Therefore, I find myself having to say, in slightly more diplomatic terms, that we have achieved good positions in Google after a few weeks which is yeilding traffic using titles and descriptions set by us. That if you do want to 'control' every aspect of the SEM campaign, and not rely on our expertise, then we cannot be responsible for the effect on positions and you are likely to see your rankings drop.
I try to tell them that they are 'missing the point', in that the objective is to achieve good rankings in SE's and this has been done well ahead of expected timescales.
To complicate things, our direct client is very green (but doesn't know it) and often acts as a 'referee' for the views of approx. 8 -10 people at the company who also want an equal say in what goes on - it is 'working by consensus' gone mad!
Problem is, they are our biggest client so I can't afford to go to 'Defcon 1' and say 'either use us for our expertise or don't use us'!
This situation seems to be the norm in business now - or certainly our business. Clients commission external support to provide something to them which they don't have, and them promptly either ignore the advice or undermine the consultant.
I suppose it 'was ever thus'...
Perhaps it's not too late for that Plumbers course.
In the UK, on the TV the other night was a programme about two girls (with an expert) who had bought a house to modernise/improve and sell for a profit. The house cost them £375000 with £60000 to modernise. This modernisation cost went from £60000 to £100000 very quickly - even then they could not stick to the plan. That £100000 went to £259000! And three months ended up being six months.
The finished house was valued between £550000 and £650000 giving them a profit range of a maximum £16000 to a minimum of an £84000 loss! (Oh how I laughed - they took some of the experts advice - but only when it was far, far too late!) The house ended up being horrible (one of the worst I have ever seen) and it just sat on the market unsold when they tried to sell it for £750000.
Just reminded me of the webmaster trade - the client always knows best! Doesn't make sense does it? They hire you, but think they know better!
Particularly as the woman concerned thought she was 'an interior designer' (she wasn't) and completely alienated her target market with her own 'taste'!
She had a fantastic art deco house and it ended up looking like a cross between an Indian shrine and a childs first decorating efforts.
Usually, people on this programme end up making money because the market rises to cover their mistakes.
This one didn't!
BUT
I have had clients lost in the SERPs because they thought they new better. One client, without my knowledge, even went and purchased around 50 domain names and had them all pointed to the site. They dropped like a rock and are still having trouble (301s, etc.)
Ah Well...
Problem is, they are our biggest client so I can't afford to go to 'Defcon 1' and say 'either use us for our expertise or don't use us'!
Are you sure you can't afford to dump them? Think about it.
The site is performing well now, because of your efforts.
If you give in to the clients demands and the site tanks, who do you think they are going to blame, and bad mouth in the business community?
Most likely it will not be themselves.
Better to take a short term hardship on your business by dumping unreasonable clients.
They may well be back, and ready to pay even high fees, after they have screwed up the site themselves, or hired some other outfit that will do anything for a fee.
