The Art of Client Service

Chapter 29Don't Fall in Love with Good Work; Don't Fall for Bad Work

There were safer alternatives on the wall, but my creative colleagues and I were convinced that one particular concept was right for the client. We were, however, having trouble convincing our boss, the head of the agency. We must have argued for an hour. He wanted to kill the idea. We wanted to make it our recommendation.

We took a break. The boss and I had a little conversation on our own.

“We can't go with that campaign as the recommendation,” he said. “It's too risky and the client will never buy it.”

“It is risky,” I conceded, “but not because it's wrong, or because it's off strategy. It's risky because the client has never seen anything like this from us before, and it's not what she's expecting. We'd be crazy to kill it without at least showing it to her. It's just too good.”

“I really don't like it,” my boss persisted.

“But all of us do,” I countered. “If it were off strategy, I'd agree with you, but it isn't. It delivers perfectly on the strategy. It's brilliant and funny. There's a real idea at work. And it will have legs.”

“I still don't like it.” I could hear the frustration in his voice, but I wasn't going to give in.

“Look, do you really want to overrule me, the creative director, the writer, and the art director? It's four against one.”

“Since when are all votes created equal?” he replied testily.

“Since never,” I conceded. “But you yourself said it's my account to run. I'm asking you to trust ...