How To Cope With Heartbreaking Client Feedback
By: Luke Trayser
Tags: Advertising, Humor, Branding, Marketing, Copywriting

How To Cope With Heartbreaking Client Feedback

Let me start by being That Guy and embedding my own tweet. As always, I am insufferable and refuse to change.

Marketing and advertising is unique in this regard, isn’t it? We offer our expertise to people who desire it. We research, we brainstorm, we iterate, and we finalize. Then, full of pride and excitement, we present work that will surely catapult our client right where they want to be.

Then they take that work and use it as toilet paper.

Tough scene.

Clients stiff-arm bold creative all the time, be it because they think they’re the expert, or they’re scared of change, or they didn’t get enough sleep, or a million other reasons.

Here’s the bottom line: If heartbreaking client feedback hasn’t happened to you, it will. If it has happened to you, it will again.

When it does, return to this guide.

Reminder 1: You don’t own the work.

This is a big ol’ pill to swallow. But if you’re selling your creativity to people who need it, it’s the honest truth. The fact is, your clients have the right to take your hard work and use it however they see fit.

This sucks a lot because you get so attached to the work. You created it out of thin air (which is amazing, by the way). You believe in it. You know — thanks to years of experience and plenty of talent — that it’s guaranteed to work if they simply buy in.

But nope. Toilet paper. Just like that, you’re creatively gaslit once again.

HOWEVER. It may seem like your client has all the power, but you still have say in one crucial matter:

Lesson 1: Life is too short to work with bad clients.

What makes a bad client? So many things, Padawan. The list includes, but is not limited to:

Rudeness

Lack of fair pay

A steadfast refusal to change

Complete disregard for how deadlines work. See also: a fundamental misunderstanding of the concept of time.

Communication issues (ghosting, lack of relevant information)

The astounding inability to recognize or appreciate marketing that’s actually good

When a client nukes your hard work, take stock with colleagues or peers. Was the work good? If not, do better. But if so, send a thank you card to your client for gift wrapping such a beautiful red flag.

Whether we’re talking about clients or significant others, remember: Life’s too short to try sticking it out with people who will never get it. Period. Move on and find someone who appreciates you.

Reminder 2: Don’t let heartbreaking feedback affect future projects.

When crushing feedback comes, it will certainly ruin your day, and quite possibly much more than that. Identity crises (“am I actually good at this?”) will follow.

Stop. Breathe. Yes, you are good at this. Yes, you know what you’re doing. You’re still the expert in the room, and you always will be. No matter how little you think you know, you know exponentially more than the people who hired you. Keep being you, and keep delivering bold, differentiating work that you fully believe in.

As the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.

As my saying goes, you can lead a client to creative, lemme get you a drink.

Which reminds me…

Lesson 2: Commiserating helps.

Don’t suffer alone.

I’m lucky enough to work full-time at an agency filled with talented individuals. We win as a team and we lose as a team. When we lose, we gather together. We review, we complain, we talk about how brilliant we are.

It helps.

If you work on an island, I feel for you. Wins aren’t as fun and losses hurt much more. When those losses happen, be sure to talk with people who get the process and get you. Peers, friends, family, some guy on Medium.

(I’m serious, by the way. If you want to have a drink and vent over Zoom, I’m game. Hit me up.)

Bonus tips: