As principal of a creative agency with high-powered clients (who come with equally high expectations), it can be really tough to let clients know when we’re facing challenges on their projects.
Reluctance to admit when things aren’t working or when hurdles arise can lead to the unconscious belief that we must “never give up.” Rather than admit failure—or even minute struggle—we march on, head down and eyes weary, toward some impossible campaign objective.
And to be honest, we do champion perseverance at Simantel. Resilience, that ability to keep pushing when things are tough, is an attribute I value most about our company. Yet, after 18 years on this journey, I’ve begun to recognize when enough is enough and when we’re really not doing ourselves or our clients any good by continuing in pursuit of an unattainable objective.
What does it look like to make that call?
DECIDING WHEN TO PIVOT
I have two “measuring sticks” that help me determine when it’s time to pivot that I’ve found to be valuable after years of learning when to make tough calls.
The first signpost of a need to pivot is when the “hard” goes on for too long. How many days have I spent wracking my brain for ways to get out of a project in the gutter? Everyone has their own boundaries, but I’ve found three weeks is my threshold. If I’ve spent that long without seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, I’ll consider new avenues, new options—a pivot.
If you’re up against a roadblock and can’t seem to get over the hurdle, leaning on leadership can really help. If you’re a leader, it’s important to recognize this part of your role for the people you’re leading. We all need a break when things get hard for long enough, even if only to catch our breath before jumping back into another tough thing.
The second marker is when I feel like I don’t have a team. Some of the loneliest times in my career were when I felt like I was on an island. Sometimes, it was because a client requested a specific skill set only I possessed, due to my role in the company, and I hadn’t yet brought on support. Still other times, I simply failed to ask for help.
No one should be in a position of struggle for too long without the support of an “all-in” team. If you find yourself alone on a sinking ship, ask for a lifeline. It can make all the difference to the outcome.
HOW TO TELL A CLIENT YOU’RE CHANGING COURSE
Making the choice to pivot is often just part of the equation.
Being transparent with clients from the start about the potential need to pivot—and providing context about that choice, what led to it, and what comes next—is key to any successful client relationship.
When the course change comes, honesty is best. It can be simply, “We’re not getting there. We have to pivot.” Reassure your client that change doesn’t mean failure; it means you’re doing the best thing you can to reach their goal.
Usually, course-correcting is a timing issue. If we had all the time in the world, we’d cross that finish line the way we originally intended. But our business is about deadlines. When we know even working 24 hours a day and bringing on additional support won’t solve the problem, we must do something differently.
Other times, the pivot is a data issue. Maybe there’s something happening in the world impacting the original path to success. Assume that possibility from the start, so when it happens, it doesn’t feel like veering off course. Rather, we’re leveraging our resources to stay the course.
Clients would rather hear the truth than an excuse. We lean hard into the truth, even asking our clients for help (or ways to “pivot”), so they feel engaged in the partnership.
“THIS ISN’T WORKING”
In 2020, I had to lean into a conversation like this with a client.
We were knee-deep in brand strategy for a community project. The goal was complicated, there were brand architecture and brand equity issues, and their leadership was changing in real time. And then COVID hit.
We were firing on all cylinders to achieve what the client wanted, but it wasn’t hanging together regardless of our approach. The client wanted too much change at once, and we had so many pieces in front of us that just wouldn’t come into harmony. It was like ten jigsaw puzzles dumped onto one table.
We stayed the course for a while, but we were nearly $50,000 over budget trying to make it work without much to show for it.
Then we decided to pivot. We brought the client in for a heart-to-heart and told them what wasn’t working. We asked them to show us what they loved most and gave them ownership with us over the complex decisions we were trying to make.
And it worked. The client acknowledged both the effort we were putting in and their own internal lack of alignment. With that transparency and collaboration, we finished out the scope and finalized every project they had asked us to complete.
Had we continued grinding on the path we were on, we may have never hit the mark. We had to pivot in order to bring the project to a close, and engage the client to solve the problem.
It’s a lesson I share with anyone who asks: Sometimes, no amount of “never give up” will help you win, especially if you’re missing a critical piece of information on the client’s needs. Get real with yourself, your team and, if you need to, your client.
Choosing to pivot is never an “easy” decision, but it’s often the best one. It will save you time, resources, and energy—and just might give you better results altogether.
Agency Principal | Owner at Simantel | Marketing Sweats Podcast Host | Advertising & Marketing Independent Network Worldwide Board Member