Designers are passionate people. All creative professionals are, really. You care deeply about the quality of your work. Most of the designers I know are also passionate about the quality of their lives. But sometimes that very passion can stand in the way of their business success. That’s because of the heart and soul that many designers put into what they create, and the nature of working for or running a service business. It’s easy for feelings and pride to be hurt. When this happens, the passion that many designers have gets extinguished.
But good designers are better than that. They’re better than letting a difficult conversation with a client, an insult from a vendor, or a lost piece of business get them too far down. Here are the first four ways for designers and creative pros to develop a thick skin so they can keep on creating great work, even when the going is tougher than usual.
1. Don’t fall victim to the whims of clients
As we all know, some clients are more difficult than others. There are those you love to work with, and you love to hear from. Then, there are the ones you want to avoid. Some of these difficult clients change their minds frequently and waffle on making major and minor decisions. They cause delays in projects and cause costly and frustrating course changes. Other difficult clients are prone to outbursts and even try to intimidate the people who work for them and with them.
It’s important to keep this all in perspective. If you’re a pro who does good work, then take these difficult personalities for what they are. Some people are just painfully decisive or unpleasant. You won’t change them. They need a 12 step program. Remember: It’s not you. It’s them.
2. Sacrifice for big projects, not small
Some projects require lots of sacrifice. Large projects and those with keystone clients will very often mean going above and beyond to deliver. Long hours, late nights, brutal deadlines, forcing yourself to create when your brain and your body are screaming to shut down. We’ve all been there. This is the price you pay for holding yourself to a high standard and delivering on your commitments.
But remember the importance of prioritizing. It’s one thing to power through the weekend, miss important events with your family, and skip the gym for projects that matter. But don’t make that work style your norm, or you’ll be sorry. You will probably have many clients throughout your career whose business will be transactional. You’ll design the website, the signage, or the business cards and you won’t hear from them again for a long time—if ever. That’s not the type of work that’s worth your greatest, most Herculean effort. Save the big sacrifices for when it counts.
3. Communicate clearly, document often
One of the best ways to avoid conflict, or [BLOCKED] out on the responsible side, is to communicate clearly and document your conversations. Making sure clients understand delivery schedules and expectations is absolutely essential. But beyond that, be sure to document conversations such as changes in course and delivery dates. It’s also often a good idea to document action items you need your clients to take. (Some clients need this more than others. And the ones who do really do.) If you communicate important points by phone or in person, a follow up email to go over the highlights is advised.
Recently I had a client send me a nasty email. He was frustrated that I hadn’t responded to an email he sent over the past weekend on actions to be taken on a project. Of course, I had responded, though I didn’t do it on the weekend. I simply forwarded my initial response on to him. Problem solved.
It’s always best when the facts are in your favor. Plus, it keeps you from second guessing yourself about whether or not you had clearly communicated. Unfortunately, when it comes to accountability, verbal communications are very often just not enough.
4. Embrace positive people
Even the best of us have bad days. Sometimes things inside and outside of our control go badly. It happens. If it bothers you, you can either allow it to fester and you can dwell on what went wrong, or you can turn to positive outlets. One of the best and most enduring ways to get over these rough spots is by surrounding yourself with positive people. These people—whether they’re design colleagues, friends who don’t know the first thing about the business, or an encouraging spouse—can help you keep perspective on what really matters. They can also help you quickly get over your professional problems and thicken your skin so you can move on and create.
These are the first four ways for designers to manage clients and develop a thick skin. Join me here at DesignersCouch soon for some more great ways you can get over the rough patches and keep creating!
