The well known phrase ‘the customer is always right’ may
work well in the retail sector (to a degree), but it is far from the truth in
the design world.
As a designer, you know what does and doesn’t work. You know
what will look good and what will look horrid. Unfortunately, your clients
don’t always understand the intricacies involved in putting a design together –
that is why they hired you after all.
A designer’s job is to find the happy medium between the
client’s vision and their own. Learning the art of saying “No” can make this a whole lot easier,
and if you have your client’s best interests at heart, a little explanation
will often go a long way when the two of you disagree.
How to Say No to Your Clients Design Requests
Be Professional.
Firstly, ensure that you’re saying no for a professional
reason and not a personal one. Having a dislike for a certain colour, font (shudder
at the thought of Comic Sans) or design element is not sufficient grounds to
deny a clients request. It is perfectly acceptable to say “No” if you believe
the request is against the client’s best interest.
Have Good Reasons.
It can be difficult to justify why you are saying “No”, and
turning down a client’s request is even harder. The key is to have done the
research before hand. Discuss the implications of how the changes may affect
customer’s perceptions, the budget, deadlines and anything you feel the
requests could have a negative impact on.
Build Good Relationships.
If the client has being doing business with you for a long
time, and trusts your professional opinion, then discussing any issues will be
easier than if they were a new client. However, if you still disagree, think
carefully before completely refusing them. If you can’t find a compromise, are
you willing to lose a long standing client over a design disagreement?
Don’t Reject the Little Guy Out-Of-Hand.
Many designers look at new clients as an entirely different
entity. If there isn’t much potential for more work, they may dismiss them
out-of-hand. If the new client is a large company, many designers will swallow
their pride and let the client get their way for the prospect of new work.
While there is nothing wrong with this approach, it isn’t
always the best idea to presume that ‘small’ clients won’t bring in new
business. Small clients have the potential to grow, and with that growth, comes
new business opportunities. So don’t dismiss the little guy. If you go out of
your way to help these smaller clients, whilst still politely making them aware
of why you don’t like an idea, then they will give you great free marketing by
word of mouth. Unless you can afford to take on only the big, less frequent
clients, make sure you don’t treat your smaller clients badly.
Final Thoughts:
Remember - you are an expert in your field, and that’s why
your client employed you. However, they are the expert in their field, so it
pays to listen to them before you completely write off their ideas.
Next time a client suggests something you don’t agree with,
try saying “No”. By agreeing with your clients all the time, you’re not doing
justice to yourself, your work or your client.
For you to truly understand what your client is asking for,
and why they want it, talk to them! Once again, communication is the key to
success.
What have your experiences been with saying “No” to clients?
Have you gotten over the fear of saying "No" or do
you still say "Yes" to everyone and then regret it over and over and over again?
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