Taking It Personally
As a creative, I put myself into every project. I don't know if it's possible to write something and not leave at least a tiny fingerprint of yourself on it. I also take my work very personally, because I feel invested in each client and project. My clients' success is my success, so why wouldn't I take it personally?
So, when clients inevitably come back with feedback (which is a necessary, natural part of the process), I’ve had to learn to not take things personally – in a negative way. I had to learn that their response is not a criticism of ME. It’s about the words I chose. The words simply didn’t resonate or hit the message the client had in mind.
Here are three things I do to make sure we're all just creating great, authentic work and not taking any failures personally.
1. Make sure we get all of the information up front.
Every project begins with a kickoff call and an interview so I can uncover all of the information I need to know about a new client’s brand, their voice and their tone. A few weeks ago, I wrote a homepage for a photographer who didn't like it at first. But then I learned that she really just didn't like the word "luxury," which I had used throughout. I didn't ask if there were any words she couldn't stand, but you better believe that's on my list of things to ask new clients on those first few calls now.
2. I offer context whenever I can.
I like to provide my thought process whenever I think it's helpful. Just last week, I was showing a client a wireframe for a landing page I'd just written, and he asked why I included two sections of values. I explained that the first section is the result – what his client receives after they work with his company. I also told him about how I'd originally written the landing page without the second section. But once I showed the landing page to my teammate, she said that it was missing something. And the second section was added to showcase what they get while they're working with my client. The benefits of the process itself were worth including on the website. He agreed. But because I had to explain that to him, I learned that the copy wasn't as clear as it could be. A website shouldn't have to be explained to the reader. So I went back and revised the structure to make it overly clear what those sections were accomplishing.
3. I conduct live reviews whenever possible.
When a client receives a document and begins to track changes, they lose all of the context (and so do I!). Of course, I can run through it on my own, accept all changes, and wham bam! Version two is ready to go. But I think that's doing the client and the project a disservice. Two heads are better than one, and most clients can help improve the content when they see the first version. Processing their reaction verbally with me helps us both. After all, the client is the subject matter expert – I'm the content writing expert. So with our powers combined, we can create a superb finished product in 30 minutes or so. This is much more efficient than separately weeding through versions and emailing edits back and forth. I also really love collaborations, and the relationships I have with my clients are extremely dear to me.
My goal is to deliver a final product that delivers the clarity a client has been chasing for years. That might require a revision or two on my end, and that’s A-OK. I'm always working on refining my process and making it better with every project. If you worked with me a year ago, the flow probably looked different and felt a lot different than the client experience today. But as I learn and grow both as a business owner and as a creative, I find that the "figuring it out" is the most frustrating and the most rewarding part. I want everything to be exactly right the first time, but the beauty is often in the tinkering.