The problem is they don’t know the problem

Published March 23rd, 2008

Last time we spoke, we talked about the idea of being the only game in town – being noncompetitive.
But being on your own invites those who want to draw down on the fastest gun in the north, south, east and west.
I’ve always loved my work. I’ve always run my own show. Work was not so much work as it was a stimulating challenge, which makes for the difference between enthusiasm and boredom.

Unfortunately, this isn’t paradise. There was one particular fly in the ointment that we had to deal with. If allowed to, this “fly” could lead to insecurity in our creative staff. Yet, it’s been said that without insecurity, the creative flame goes out. Put simply, the client sits in judgment of your creative ideas. The client’s stance is, “I’m paying you.” So, sales promotion is a business where the amateur often criticizes and rejects the professionals.

We had that argument with clients. They would frequently say, “Your idea would be better if ..

“If what?”

We’d have to wait around until the client caught his breath and then say, “Sorry, we’re not doing it that way!” It’s not arrogance. You want their input, but after all, they’re paying you because the problem is-they don’t know the problem.

It’s nerve-wracking, and it happens with almost every client. They have checked you out, and they have found out that you are good, but they love to argue with you and take an opposing viewpoint. Did the questioning make me strong? You bet it did!

They say you need chutzpah in this business. I’ll agree with that. That’s something you can’t buy at the supermarket. Where does it come from? In my case, I suppose it was the result of a childhood crammed full of challenges and obstacles. To me, chutzpah means “ego-strength” and it goes hand-in-hand with a maxim I adopted early in life, “Only think of what you can do, not what you can’t do.”