--- title: Managing Clients Who Love Their Creative Ideas description: Managing Clients Who Love Their Creative Ideas --- [Blog | Brainzooming ](https://www.brainzooming.com/blog) # [Managing Clients Who Love Their Creative Ideas](https://www.brainzooming.com/blog/managing-client-who-love-their-creative-ideas) Written by [Mike Brown](https://www.brainzooming.com/blog/author/mike-brown) | May 6, 2011 9:50:25 AM #### What can you do in managing clients who love their own creative ideas? My comment on sometimes [working toward a creative objective without letting others know what's happening](https://www.brainzooming.com/stealth-innovation-strategy-benefits-of-hiding-new-ideas/4067/), triggered this more specific [CreativeBloc](https://www.brainzooming.com/brainzooming-at-creative-bloc-2011-creative-refresh/7111/) question about **successfully managing a client (and the client's ego) when they love their own creative ideas**. While the question isn't specific, I'm figuring it's referencing **when there are issues with an idea's quality, efficacy, implementation**, etc. Absent fundamental issues,** don't rule out a creative idea** simply **because it originated with a client** who loves it. (Trust me, as a client, I had agencies do this. It's infuriating when they don't come to the table with creative ideas that are any stronger.) Here's** how I go about [challenging an idea](https://www.brainzooming.com/random-inputs-week-3-ways-to-avoid-being-seen-as-a-naysayer/945/) when somebody loves it a little too much**: #### **Step 1 - Diagnose the Situation** **Start** by** understanding the client's opinions, motivations, and foundation** for loving the idea. Do this through: - Making sure you're completely clear on [**what the client thinks the primary objective is **the creative idea needs to successfully address](https://www.brainzooming.com/before-wild-creativity-get-grounded-first/4631/). - Asking questions (or simply letting the client talk) about **what works with the idea**. Carefully and strategically probe to see both what personal preferences AND potential concerns exist (if any) about the idea for the client. - Discussing** how and how well the client's idea meets the primary objective**. This will provide a sense of potential areas you'll need to support and where you can counter an idea. - **Reaching out to others who understand the client's thinking patterns**, what's important to them personally and organizationally, and when they will and won't be open to compromise. #### **Step 2 - Analyze What You Know ** Once you'd done your homework, analyze and** size up the situation**. Understand **what elements really need changing** vs. those you'd simply like to change. Figure out whether **a [factual or emotional argument](https://www.brainzooming.com/when-fear-of-change-is-blocking-innovation/5240/) **might be **more successful**. **Develop **a couple of** hypotheses on how the conversation(s) might go with the client**. #### **Step 3 - Plan Your Strategy** At Step 3, I usually** map out what** my options are **to try and move this type of situation to the best one for the business**. This mapping out usually involves blank sheets of paper, a marker, and some time to draw out the options I'll pursue and what could happen at each stage.  To give you a feel for what that might be like, **here's how I'd map out my strategy for trying to move a client from their favorite idea to some alternative**. Based on the situation, I might give up right away (if it's just not that big a deal) or **could develop a multi-tiered case that calls attention to what's identical in the alternative I'm approaching and** try to **minimize **the number of **critical issues where the client's opinion has to be swayed**. One caveat - I've found the intensity of my counter arguments has changed since leaving corporate life. Where I had to live with the outcome of bad decisions, I was much more likely to be strident in making my case. It's been a source of personal development working with clients, however, to realize that ultimately they have to live with the implications of an idea - positive or negative. Because of that, I'll pull up on counter arguments much sooner than I would have in the past. Also, **I didn't go into waging an all-out battle to defeat an idea here**. That's certainly a strategy, but **it's one worth avoiding!** It's **hardly ever productive for the client or anyone else involved** in the situation. On Monday, we'll have the final post in this series, touching on whether everybody needs to be a creative thinker. – *[Mike Brown](https://www.brainzooming.com/?page_id=1197)* *** *** ***If you’d like to add [an interactive, educationally-stimulating presentation on strategy, innovation, branding, social media or a variety of other topics to your event, Mike Brown is the answer](https://www.brainzooming.com/?page_id=1140).*** ***Email us at *[* *](mailto:brainzooming@gmail.com)*[brainzooming](https://www.brainzooming.com/brainzooming-overview/)@gmail.com** or call 816-509-5320 to learn how Mike can get your audience members Brainzooming!*** [View full post](https://www.brainzooming.com/blog/managing-client-who-love-their-creative-ideas) ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Mike Brown" }, "dateModified" : "2023-08-29T02:53:19.767Z", "datePublished" : "2011-05-06T09:50:25Z", "headline" : "Managing Clients Who Love Their Creative Ideas", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 1507, "url" : "https://462042.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/462042/Imported_Blog_Media/110501-What-To-Do-When-Client-Loves-Bad-Idea-BZ-4.jpg", "width" : 827 }, "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://www.brainzooming.com/blog/managing-client-who-love-their-creative-ideas", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 60, "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png", "width" : 60 }, "name" : "Blog" } } ```