Wordperson

It’s a gut-wrenching moment: the writer or art director/designer you hired just delivered the piece you’ve been waiting for – and you hate it.

Now what do you do?

Your first instinct might be to pull the job and immediately give it to somebody else. Or you might think you have to roll up your sleeves and somehow do it yourself because the person you hired obviously “just didn’t get it.”

I’ve been on both sides of this situation and would like to offer some advice that could save your budget, your deadline, and the relationship.

First: Revisit the Brief
Go back to the direction you originally gave the person and ask yourself if they’ve followed it. If they have, and you still don’t like what you’ve got, the problem was the direction. The job now is to clearly articulate the new brief so you can get the project back on track.

Remember: A First Draft Is Just a First Draft
The person you hired wants you to be pleased with their service. And in many instances the first draft is their way of getting a reaction or more direction from you. Give them the dignity of being able to correct, revise, finesse, or defend their work.

Resist the Urge To Just “Fix It Yourself”
This next step is hard – but will result in a much better product: force yourself to articulate exactly what you don’t like about what they delivered. For example, instead of saying to the designer “Make the logo bigger,” ask yourself why you think that is necessary. Do you feel that your brand is getting lost in the layout? Making the logo bigger isn’t always the best answer. The designer may have a more elegant solution that solves your problem.

The same thing goes for the writing. If you find yourself wanting to start rewriting the draft, talk to the writer about what you think is missing or off. They may be able to find an answer that doesn’t involve increasing the word count.

And brutally ask yourself if you are just “scent-marking the copy” (picture a dog that needs to put his mark on every tree he sees – that’s scent marking). If you’re changing words for the sake of change, without influencing the message, you’re wasting time and money for both you and the writer. Put the red pen down. Now.

Don’t Worry About Our Feelings
Communication consultants are professionals. We take pride in our work, but we don’t take it personally. If something isn’t right, don’t be afraid to say so. Because the only thing that hurts my feelings is not being allowed the chance to make it right.