Dear Client: This Book Will Teach You How to Get What You Want from Creative People

Be prepared.

A young colleague was asked to submit a proposal for a job he really wanted. No budget was given, leaving him agitated about having to make a wild guess. He decided to submit a very low bid—he landed on $5,000—hoping that after they saw how awesomely talented he was, he could raise his fees on the next project. The next day he got the job, but in r

One client of ours captured her favorite things with her phone’s camera, showing them to us early in the process. She took assorted pictures of anything that caught her eye:

A brief doesn’t need to follow a formal structure. It can be a well-crafted essay or a bulleted list. But it should contain the answers to most of these questions: What is the challenge? Why are you embarking on the project now? a little history, from your perspective, can be very helpful. What are the objectives? What is the current situation? Who

Reference images can also help where words fail—especially valuable in architectural or interior design projects.

As crucial as it is that you let us know what your brand stands for, it is equally important to let us know who you are.

the contract should include project scope (all services and deliverables included), fees, project and payment schedules, number of revisions, expenses, and final product ownership and usage rights. It should also include a “kill fee” in case the collaboration isn’t working out and you want out (see No. 59, “If It’s Just Not Working”). Hope for the

“I notice” and “I wonder” statements can be the difference between having a constructive creative dialogue and a combative one.

Every single audience likes to be entertained while being informed, and the extra effort will always pay off.