adriasaracino
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@kmkeidan That's a very good question, and a common problem. I think over communication and directness is the key here. I've had a similar situation happen, where a client wanted to address 2 different goals with one project. We had a conversation (not email) and I blatantly said, "We can do this project to achieve this goal, or that project to achieve that goal. The two goals are too conflicting and we cannot address both in one project. You need to choose which is more important to you. This is my recommendation." and left the ball in there court to decide.
The same pretty much goes with an abrupt change. I think again, saying directly, "Okay, we can definitely transition. This is how we will need to restructure the project and it will take some time to do so." That way you are acknowledging that it is a shift and making it clear that this is NOT what you discussed in the beginning. Hopefully you have the original goals in writing somewhere - it's when you don't that this can get tricky because it turns into a he-said/she-said. I think over communication is important and wrapping all conversations with the TL:DR actions and key points discussed is important. Repetition is so important to making it stick!
Good luck!
@rdopping LOL You picked up at that subtly right? Hey some clients need more than one beer to get talking! I literally LOLed at the "drop them in the snow bank without any pants" part though....that didn't happen...not exactly like that anyway... :)
That's interesting that we're in different fields but run into the same problem. It's definitely a problem when there isn't solid project management in place. I think that's what most agencies struggle with at the end of the day, creating solid processes for managing client expectations and leveling up all project owners to respond in an effective way to problems that arise!
@belllindsay @adriasaracino @ginidietrich I think @granttilus will appreciate that Jesse's Girl reference, he's a big fan. :)
@belllindsay Thank you so much Lindsay, I really appreciate that!
@HowieG Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Howie. Your story actually brings up an interesting point that I wrote about in an article on CMI after attending the Content Marketing World conference. One of the sessions discussed whether or not agencies should charge clients per hour, since essentially the client would pay more depending on who was assigned to the project. The argument was that the client shouldn't pay one price for it taking Suzy 7 hours to complete a task and Monica a different price because it took her 15 hours. I thought that was pretty accurate, since everyone has a different efficiency threshold. So I can see on the one side why maybe being completely transparent with how long things are taking can seem like a bad idea on one side, but on the other if they are paying basically per hour than they have a right to know. What do you think about this?
@ginidietrich I completely agree. I remember I was training one of my client's teams and felt like I was losing one of them (he seemed disinterested and quiet). We ended up attending the same conference I was at and I made an effort to spend time with him at the organized social events, particularly the Rick Springfield concert they were hosting (I know, right?). After that experience, we now send Rick Springfield memes to each other and have a much better working relationship. We like to joke that Ricky brought out the best in us. It's done tremendous things for the team's dynamic too, so I can't stress the importance of this enough!
@allenmireles @adria Thank you so much! I deal with this all day, working around (and learning the hard way) setting client expectations. Hope it helps!
@John FitzgeraldYou're right @videoleadsonline. Great question John. This question is covered in some detail in chapter 3 of the guide (I know, it's long!). In short, the approach you suggest can be appropriate, but only when you have a variety of aims for the video and a style of content good enough to support those aims. Video hosting should always be decided based on the aims you have for the video - as there's no "one size fits all" solution. Self hosting/third party hosting is the correct approach if you want rankings and rich snippets or links - but not for brand awareness and notoriety (as your website will never get the views YouTube will in most cases). The reason you don't always take the approach you suggest is that it dilutes your ability to rank for your videos and ensures links/shares pass to YouTube rather than your own site.
@videoleadsonline @ginidietrich Well if it helps validate anything, I'm at Content Marketing World and there is a LOT of big discussion about video being the wave of the future.
@Danny Brown Thanks for pointing this out Danny, I'll have to take a look!
@ginidietrich So happy you finally got sway with the client, I know all too well what that is like! Convincing shouldn't have to be the whole battle! Glad you thought this woiuld help, and look forward to seeing the final result!
@T60Productions Thanks so much for your kind words, Tony!
@videoleadsonline Completely agree! Have you seen this video from Seattle Children's Hospital? Emotional for sure, I cried when I saw it! If that video didn't get conversions I don't know what will!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihGCj5mfCk8
@barrettrossie Completely agree! Plus, it's easier to explain some things (and digest it) via video, so not only will it help with branding, but you'll be making more useful content at the end of the day. Great insight!
@magriebler Oh, completely agree! Thank you for that example. This is something that I discuss continuously with my team of Outreach Coordinators - how important it is to make real connections despite the urge to keep it all digital. Just as this is important in PR and traditional networking, I think it can be equally as important to personal branding. A lot can get lost in the written word, we respond to subtle cues like body language and inflection to form a complete opinion. Leaving those out can leave a lot lost to perception!
@Nords Wow thank you for that thorough response! That was really informative, as I don't have much experience with ROTC and other military programs. I'm glad to see that your daughter was given the tools needed to find her path right away, and it sounds like the military will help those students who do not have that structure early on in life. Thanks again, really insightful!
@Nords That's really interesting to hear more from someone who has experience with this. Do you think those ROTC programs and the like offer alternatives to the classic college experience? It seems that maybe if your child's end goal is college but he/she's not ready yet or is unsure, but has an affinity for the military, maybe they will end up in college at the end of their service because it gave them the skills they need to succeed and appreciate college.
The end result is still the same, there isn't only one path to a successful career. It may end in college but it doesn't need to be HS, college, career in all cases.
@Mac Hildebrand Hey Mac, thanks for your insights, I agree with you, but I think there are ways around it that don't end in the student still having to go to college.
Essentially, the fundamental flaw with these types of programs is that they just gives the money, but the training to help them explore if this is something they are interested in is missing...and I might be so bold as to even say that the problem is with our HS system not grooming our children's entrepreneurial spirit, but rather drilling in their head that there is only one way to succeed, and that is with a college degree. I think in its current form, you're right, that these type of programs are probably better for recent grads, but I think it's still an option for some of our HS population, and could be for more given the right attention.
Thanks Paul! To be honest, a lot of times we are so drilled with "college as the next life step" that it's hard to think of the alternatives without fear of being ridiculed or setting ourselves up for failure, so I think a lot of us have been there!
@The Empowered Dollar Glad you agree! Did you have the opportunity to go on a gap year or send your child(ren)? I also recently read an article about a family that home schools their children on the road, traveling to help them learn more than they can learn in the classroom. I thought this really interesting and definitely something worth considering.