Back when tigers used to smoke electric cigs, there lived two cats named Jo and Bao. Jo was a digital creator while Bao was looking for someone who could help him with content creation.
Bao came across Jo’s Cehance[creators platform to showcase their work] profile and he knew he had found the perfect man to do his job.
E-Mails were exchanged and Jo was happy to work on a new project.
Then came the D-Day, both of them sat in a cafe sipping double toned milk talking about the project and the terms of the contract. Stamping it with their paws, the deal finally made it to the papers.
Everything started off at the right note but Jo and Bao’s professional paradise was far from it. Bao felt the digital market was too easy to rule and undermined Jo’s effort. While Jo was wearing out on his patience to deal with him every day. Every creative difference was treated as another chance of argument instead of working out on it together. One thing led to the other and they both ended up wishing for the day when the contract ends.
The D-Day came again. The contract was over and they swore to never work with each other again.
As Charlie Puth rightly said, “We don't talk anymore”.
Those two out there were worshipping these words.
Well cats these days don't do such kind of things or maybe they do it in their ‘meow’ lingo but human Jo and Bao can be found everywhere dealing with the same stuff every day. Such kind of relationships are not only straining the communication between the client and creator but it is also impacting their perception of each other across different groups of people.
“Well the last one ended in a bad shape, what makes this one different?”
Are they wrong to say it?
No.
Can it be changed?
Yes.
Let’s see what is going wrong and where it can be corrected.
- Not Enough Clarity Before Starting Off: If it is on the papers, it is crystal clear but there are a lot of things that never get written down but it majorly impacts the working environment. When people start seeing off things after the contract starts, it worries both the parties. If you are a client, be clear about how itchy you can get with the delivered work or your language might not be a pleasant thing while dealing with it. A creator should let the other person know about the working style and ethics. Do not expect the client to suddenly understand you on a personal level.
- Not Valuing The Creator’s Efforts: Please stop saying: “Even I can do this job”, “Took all these hours to come up with this?” etc. There is a reason you hired a person in the first place. If you think you can do that job, please switch yourself in that role instead of lowering down someone’s morale. Constructive feedback is good but putting down someone’s work is not. Trust your creator. A good work will benefit both the ends.
- Not Open To Feedback: Creating content from years does not make you immune to mistakes/revisions/upgradations in your work. You might know the technicalities behind every word and stroke you inculcated in your work but it all zeroes down to a user’s perspective. Instead of laughing off your client’s feedback or thinking they know nothing, treat their views with respect. The client knows well about the brand and perceives it from the user’s point of view. Take the feedback with a healthy attitude.
- The Disbalance Between The Paycheque And The Expectation Of Hours: If I explain in simple words, not enough money is given for the hours that are expected from the creator’s end. It will take time for people to actually value the efforts that are put behind to come up with content. But the least you can do is to respect the time they are willing to give you for the amount you are paying them. A lot of people hiring expect them to invest two-thirds of their day on their brand at a price that can’t even help them make a living out of it. I personally find it very disrespectful. You are hiring for your work purpose. In no way, you have control over their lives. If you expect them to invest their entire day, pay them an amount which is proportional to that. Where are the creators going wrong? They are just not vocal about it. They start cribbing when the work starts off. Please do not compromise on the quality because of that. It benefits no one. Explain to your client about your expectations.
I feel if these few points could be handled, the relationship shared could be much merrier.
The online market is a serious business and people need to understand its rules before aiming at the players for any fault. And the game has dynamic rules, no static approach will ever be evergreen.
Talk more with each other so that you don’t have to sing “We don’t talk anymore”. A client and creator are like a team and if teamwork is done the right way, it never fails.
