Some clients can be stuck in their ways. They've been in the game for far too long and think they know best when it comes to creative strategies. Yes, these types of clients are highly intelligent. Yes, their wealth of experience is aspirational. Yes, they're beneficial to those who work with them. And yes, it can occasionally get in the way of innovative thinking.
Some clients are just not willing to back down on what they believe in... even if they're wrong (cough cough — stubborn and frustrating).
This can be tricky in the context of the creative agency world.
"It has to be above the fold"
"But this is best practice UX strategy"
"List more products on the homepage"
"I need a five year marketing plan, not just three years"
"Make it bigger, bigger is better"
And when you counter argue their ideas, they just don't budge. So how do you get through to those stubborn clients that are too old school to see the light?
Approaching the convo
First let's start with a few no-brainers on how to approach these types of convos:
Be respectful. Validate their idea rather than simply jumping in to tear it down. For example, "I hear what you're saying but there's a different way we can do this" or "Would you be open to a new idea here?". This recognises that the client has been 'heard' and then it's the old 'permission' psychology of asking for an open mind (cause no one wants to be 'closed').
Be honest. Don't start fluffing up your justification just for the sake of getting it over the line. Odds are you'll get called out on it or wind up in a dark hole of deception you can't crawl your way out of.
Be clear. Make your stance known from the get-go and stick to it. If the client persists with their thinking, so be it (they do pay you, so you might have to just suck it up and do it). But at least you communicated your point and can fall back on this if the client comes back wining in the future about their poor decision.
Be direct. Don't waffle on and don't give too much complex detail if the client won't understand it. Be concise and efficient in how you have these convos to minimise confusion.
Be inclusive. Approach the convo in a collaborative manner. If you're debunking their idea, then don't simply skim over their input and jump to your solution. Ensure they still feel valued. Have them 'help' with framing up your new solution through questions and feedback.
What to address in the convo
Debunk their ideas
For starters you need to (respectfully) debunk their thinking and explain why this may be an old ideology. Get nerdy and Google some stats if you have to. Hit 'em with the facts and position yourself as the expert practitioner.
"It has to be above the fold"
The 'above-the-fold' terminology stems from the 1990s. During this time, scrolling was a concern for web designers and developers, as the population was getting acquainted with the 'inter-web'. It lead to content being placed at the top of a page so users didn't have to scroll.
But times have changed. People are accustomed to scrolling. It's natural and more efficient. Hero banner blindness is now a thing. So 'above-the-fold' is now an old wives tale.
Educate and justify your ideas
Once you've laid the ground work on why their idea isn't quite right, you can swoop in with a solution. It's what they're paying you for right?
Map out your suggestion and weave in information to further cement your position. This could be:
General stats. Use trusty old Google again to attain reliable, credible sources of info from industry periodicals, publications and scholars that support your solution.
Customer or competitor research. Can you justify your ideas by comparing your client to others within their industry? They may be more inclined to agree with you if they view it as the norm.
Specific data. Source info from their Google Analytics, CRM, heat maps, scroll maps, user feedback and anything in between. It's much more difficult for them to argue with your idea if their own data supports it.
Agency experience. Can you draw on your experience with other clients and apply it to this scenario? Personal, historical learnings are great.
Talk value
To cut through disagreement, it may be worthwhile having the value chat. A reminder of this crazy concept that the client is paying you to provide recommendations and offer solutions.
"I need a five year marketing plan"
That although we could organise a five year marketing plan for you, this probably isn't the best use of your budget with us nor our time. It's difficult to predict what technology or social media phenomenons will be available in five year's time. Let's pare it back to a three year executional strategy that you'll actually use.
This rolls into our final recommendation...
Inject some risk mitigation
Sometimes those stubborn thinkers still won't budge despite your efforts to educate, justify and optimise value.
It's time to bring in the big guns of risk mitigation. It gets a bad wrap but in this context we're talking about explaining the worse case scenario.
What may happen if we proceed with the client's original thinking (negative outcomes)? Versus what is the outcome if we proceed with the agency's strategy (positive outcomes)?
A simple example to tie it all together
Let's say a client wants to put more product features on their homepage.
Sure that seems like a logical decision to give users greater visibility to products (respect). But more products doesn't necessarily = higher conversion (educate). In fact, according to UX Law it'll simply overwhelm users as they're presented with too much choice (justify).
Instead we should display 4 products on the homepage + links to broader product categories. This will allow the user to access their desired product or category for more info (solution).
Failure to minimise choices actually leads to higher bounce and exit rates; slower response times; (risk mitigation) and ultimately a lower conversion rate (value). So by streamlining our homepage we'll be likely to get higher returns. So what are your top product categories we should feature? (inclusivity).
So by approaching old school thinking in a considered and respectful yet strategic way — it is possible to convert those close-minded clients and get on board with your contemporary suggestions. Once you've nailed this with the client, they're more likely to view you as a trusted, expert and be receptive to future ideas. It's a win for them, win for you. Pop the champagne it's a win all round!