It’s a good thing my ego’s tougher than it was when I started writing. There are days – and clients – that test the very mettle we’re made of. Yesterday was a bit frustrating in that I’ve worked my heart out for one particular client only to have the project returned like a wayward boomerang. Each time I think “Finally!” I’m once again snapped back into reality. Some projects just won’t die.
This one is particularly difficult, not by the work involved, but by the sheer size of it. It’s a massive reordering, revision, and reconstruction that takes an insider’s eye to understand exactly what needs to be where. I’m not an insider. Hence the multiple clarifications as we go along. In one instance, the communication was spotty (and naturally, that was the first communication), causing me at least one rewrite as a result. We are nearing the home stretch, but I’m like an aging thoroughbred – sweaty, worn out, and ready for pasture. This one took all the fight out of me (as it did last year). There has to be a better way, but I’m not able to suggest changes lest toes be stepped on. And toes would indeed be stepped on.
Like I said, if my ego were weaker, I’d be re-evaluating my career choice, for it might be obvious based on this project alone that I can’t be trusted with big things. Luckily, I know better. In numerous other cases, I’ve managed even larger projects with little-to-no revisions or stress. Why was this one different? Miscommunication at many levels, including inside the client’s office. This project languished for months before I managed to prod the client into resuming it. And yes, yesterday is the new deadline. I’d cry, but I’ve no energy left.
Luckily also, I had great feedback on an article I wrote. Amen. That’s happened a few times – you get kicked on one side while being praised on the other side. It’s yin-yang, balance, karma, or just dumb luck.
While praise is great, mediocrity is what I seek. How about a raft of clients who say what they want, mean what they say, and pay upon delivery?
Do you notice praise and criticisms coming in at the same time? And don’t you agree that communication or the lack thereof is a major part of your client’s project outcome? How hard have you had to bite your tongue when it’s clear that the miscommunication is what’s messing things up and not your skill level?
6 responses to “The Good, The Bad, and the Mediocre”
Just curious, but are the majority of your clients men? 🙂
Miscommunication is frustrating for anybody, let alone professional communicators like us!
Good luck finishing up that beast of a project, Lori. Celebrate when you’re done (if they pay on time!).
Oddly, it’s the opposite, Angie. Not that any one gender is immune, but I’ve worked with women both in the corporate world and here in freelance world. In nearly all cases, I’m more guarded with how I approach the women. They take offense easier, micro-manage more, and use a lot more double-speak than any man I’ve worked with (with a few possible exceptions).
I plan to, Rebecca! I’ve taken the next two weeks off, so the party starts tomorrow at 5!
When I first started copywriting, my confidence was pretty shaky. When a client praised my work, I jotted down notes, and I saved emails as well. Then, when I was having a confidence crisis based on unfavorable feedback or from a difficult client, I’d pull out my “encouragement file” to keep my confidence shored up.
As for the communication thing – bad communication, or a client who expects a mind reader, almost guarantees a client who is dissatisfied with the end result.
Amen to all that, Eileen. Great that you put together an encouragement file! What a nice idea – takes the edge off the craziness!