Four friendly questions to nail that next brief

Hi agency Creatives and Client teams

 

Ever find yourselves in a situation where the brief isn't quite as fleshed out as you'd like it to be? Annoying, but we get it, right? Sometimes client time is tight, or the vision isn't crystal clear from the get-go. But fear not, because these moments are actually ripe with opportunity for agencies to support and steer conversations to better give us facts and insights that we need.

 

Instead of giving in to frustration, let's turn it into a win-win scenario. Picture this: we finish the fact finding and finish up with a short, relaxed, brainstorm session. This not only helps us extract the info we need but also uncovers those personal aspirations hiding beneath the surface. After all, a well-rounded brief sets us up for success and ensures we deliver exactly what's needed.

So, here are four friendly questions to finish off your next briefing meeting:

What will make YOU look good?

Forget the business goals for a moment, let's unashamedly talk personal success metrics. Knowing what's important here to the client sets the stage for a project that is considerate of their personal goals and emotional investments, not simply project success. Whether it's sales numbers, amazing reporting or just hitting deadlines, understanding client’s personal metrics and motivations will help tailor your approach to be the ideal agency partner.

What would you do if you had an open budget?

Dream big! This question isn't just about money – it's about tapping into the wildest ideas and aspirations. By focusing on passion over practicalities, we can unlock a world of creativity together.

I’m not saying to forget practical and realistic factors, just that when they dominate the thinking, they quickly result in stale ideas, tentative decision making and no step change in activity. If you can better understand a person’s aspirations then you have additional creative fuel to add to the project fire.

What would YOU feel comfortable spending?

Let's talk budgets, but without the stress. Think of it as a 'what if' scenario where we explore different options together. Finding that sweet spot between quality and value ensures we're all on the same page.

Think about presenting ballpark gold, silver and bronze budgets. Most psychologies would tell you that, like choosing wine in front of guests at a restaurant, you’d stay away from cheap, be horrified at the high end, and so feel comfortable, indeed feel value, at somewhere in the middle. Some call it ‘Goldilock pricing’- you’re looking for the one that’s juuuuust right!

What previous project would you go back and change or repeat? Why?

Reflection leads to improvement. By looking back, we can learn from past successes and challenges, making each project better than the last.

Project Wash-up or Review sessions are best practise…but let’s be honest, rare! So when taking a brief, ask this question to allow your client the space to reflect on previous project gripes or successes. Their experiences will create valuable production notes to integrate into your project planning.

So, when you're taking a brief, consider using these questions to quickly get into the mind of your client. It’s a great place to be if you want to improve your chances of designing a ‘right-first-time’ response.

When you need support with THINKING, PLANNING and DOING your creative projects, I’ve over 20 years of client facing production specialising in content for live events, internal comms, advertising campaign and social.

So get in touch today and let’s nail that next response together!