So what is the best way to put your latest spark of creativity in front of a client? In the days before email it was rare to see even a business card design exit the creative floor unaccompanied. But these days we’re not quite so protective. Now important multi-media campaigns are arriving in a clients’ inbox with the strict instruction of – “No peeking until we’re all on Skype!” Or, “Read the rationale before you look at the work.” And then the final flourish “We look forward to receiving your comments.”
Back in the day, there was a phrase that perfectly summed up the art of presenting creative work – “don’t just show it, sell it.” And the selling bit was almost always the role of account handlers. They’d be the guys that not only lead the presentation, but warm-up the client a few days in advance so when presentation day arrived they’d already generated enthusiasm for the idea – even before exposing it. The good ones really did have it down to a tee.
Now things are different. Try as much as you like, persuasive selling techniques don’t happen via email. Send it electronically and your idea will live and die on the considerations/whims of the client. Worse, is too passive and compliant. The very process says - we are not taking any risks here. We’re not excited about it. And the subtext is always - feel free to water it down.
The argument for email is that we’re all too busy and that the work should speak for itself. Well of course it frequently does speaak for itself. The problem is that clients do not speak the creative language. They are not the target audience and many take convincing that the work on the table is right. And yes we are busy, but presenting ideas directly almost always results in better work, less negotiation over executional details and less time spent reworking an idea or simply starting the process all over again.
