YOU ARE THE REASON WHY YOU HAVE TRASH CLIENTS
The story you tell might be the reason why you attract the kind of clients you hate to do work for.
Firstly, it's worth saying that I don't consider myself a business specialist or play one on TV. After all, I'm just a humble and outspoken creative who believes that some of the most complex problems have a simple human insight. Therefore, I will attempt to solve the mystery that has been haunting my dreams for a long time now: Why do equally talented people get to work with great clients while others get to work with clients that want average, boring, mediocre, safe, uninspiring work?
After all, the answer might not lie on the client but on you and the story you tell.
When I say "story", I don't mean your bullshit elevator pitch you tell clients at lunch or a work function, but the top-level story that encapsulates how you are viewed in the industry (your aura if you are into star signs). If your "aura" is sending signals that talk about convenience, flexibility and affordability, most likely, you will be attracting the type of clients that fits that narrative.
You Attract What You Are.
To get better clients, you need to be seen as better. Better doesn't mean faster, more efficient or with fewer errors. It's probably not the thing you make, the thing you do, or the obvious part of your process.
Better is in the eye of the beholder. It's not about you; it's about how clients see you.
So, in order to define what better means, firstly, you need to develop empathy for the clients you want to attract. You need to understand their worldview and how it affects how they view things before you start developing ways to cater for their needs.
Define your WHO before you tackle your HOW.
How Are You Convening?
One way to be better is by convening, and by that, I don't mean if you invite them to social gatherings and pay for their vodka sodas.
I mean, away from your daily tasks, how are you working on being a connector in the industry? To understand your client's needs and introduce them to those they might need to be connected to.
To be the one leading and painting a picture of the industry's future. To be seen as an expert.
One example of this is Media.Monks, which in 2010 was still being seen as a small dutch production company and now are one of the most significant content, data and innovation companies in the world. They achieved that by placing an annual average of 350+ articles and 25+ speaking opportunities in the biggest industry forums. That's how you change the story from “the guys from the basement” to industry leaders.
Be Unmistakable.
By unmistakable, I don't mean that you should get a fashion makeover, grow a 10-foot long beard and call yourself a Zaddy (or maybe you should?), but what is that you do that makes you unique.
The process to become unmistakable requires you to embrace your inner misfit, and that comes with a price. It requires for you to work on a process, technique, approach that is new and innovative, that hasn't been done or proven, that is different from the rest of the other agencies. It requires you to step outside the comfy grey area and work on something that might not work, and that might friend takes some real cojones.
In the early 2000s, a tiny Miami based agency did just that by creating the type of work that flipped the advertising world upside down. They even wrote a book about it! A manifesto about a new way to bring experiences to life and get people's attention without having to spam them with boring TV ads. That agency is called Crispin Porter + Bogusky. Things went south when they grew larger than life, forgot about their DNA and became a huge multinational... but back then, for a good period, their work was unmistakable.
Not for everyone.
I mean, this point relates to what we keep telling clients: don't try to please everyone; focus on your target audience.
The point of being a misfit is that you aren't trying to please every single little client that comes knocking at your door. That includes pitching for work or doing the kind of work that doesn't fit your standards just for the money.
Not being for everyone means that you are scarce and intentionally deciding to work for an exclusive group of people, which brings your value up. Consequently, clients would want to be associated with you, also bringing their status up. After all, that's the driven concept behind luxury brands, art and now NFTs. Become the one and only, not another copy of a copy.
There's no better example to this point than David Ogilvy's story in Confessions of an Advertising Man:
Ogilvy and Mather was invited to pitch for the account of a major trade association.
"Mr Ogilvy," said the chairman, "we are interviewing several agencies. You have exactly fifteen minutes to plead your case. Then I will ring this bell, and the representative of the next agency, who is already waiting outside, will follow you."
Writes Ogilvy, "Before launching into my pitch, I asked the chairman how many people must okay the advertisements. Answer: the twelve members of the committee, representing twelve manufacturers.
"Ring the bell!" I said, and walked out".
Set Screening Methods.
With that in mind, you need to work on your screening process that separates the good from bad and the ugly.
What type of work do you want to do? What is the thing you want to be known for?. Draw your line, decide what you are unwilling to compromise, and set screening methods to differentiate good clients from bad ones. Is it a minimum budget, a specific type of work, a specific industry, do they have to go through a brand assessment before you take them on board?. You get to decide. It's okay to say no, however painful that might be.
Lastly, you need to decide how you plan to send signals to attract the type of clients you want to serve. Whatever that might look like- is it by developing award-winning work that showcases what you can do, keynote presentations in the most relevant industry events, a book, or a podcast? You need to decide what's right for you and then develop ways to tell your story, which consequently will attract the type of clients that will value your expertise, time and work.
Guillermo Carvajal is an innovation creative working
for clients in Australia, South America and the US. www.gc-ad.com