Which brief is better?

    At most web studios, as well as at other creative-oriented companies (for example, advertising agencies, architectural bureaus), communication with a client begins with a brief. In this article we will figure out whether a brief is needed at the preliminary stage of communication with the client, and if necessary, what kind of it is optimal for fruitful communication between the parties.


    Of course, a brief is an important and indispensable thing in matters of preliminary assessment of a project for both the studio and the client himself. But there is another point - is it always right to respond to a client’s request unchanged: “fill in the brief, and then we'll talk,” or does this situation require a more subtle and flexible approach?

    First, remember who we most often have to deal with on the client side. This is either the head of the marketing, advertising or development department of the company, or a smaller manager who carries out the assignment of his head. In the rarest cases, we communicate with the owners or directors of companies. One thing unites these people - they are very busy. If this is the head of the department, then he is in charge of a huge range of issues that have to be addressed. If this is a manager, then he is overwhelmed with errands, deeds and deeds, especially now, when the states are cutting back, and everything that can be dumped on the remaining "fighters". There is no need to talk about the leaders and owners of companies - these are people employed by definition.

    Website development is another headache for them. A person calls or writes to a studio and receives a brief. Now he needs to find the time to fill it out and get a preliminary assessment of the project from the developers. Again the brief brief is different. If this is a small document with questions that imply a short answer or a note, and filling out it takes no more than an hour, then this is just an ideal situation. But often this is a rather voluminous trash with a lot of questions, the answer to which should be detailed and reasoned. It is not surprising that such briefs shock unprepared people, especially if they abound in unfamiliar “scary” words and terminology. What follows this? Long days or sometimes weeks of waiting. In the worst case, a person is simply frightened and turns to another company (of which there is no shortage),

    So what should a brief be all the same? And is it even necessary at the stage of preliminary negotiations? Of course, every company should have clear business processes and documents that accompany them. But in our opinion, this approach leads to formalization, red tape and inflexibility. After all, the world is beautiful in its diversity. This is especially true for people and situations. And it would be foolish to do the same in every situation.

    Firstly, there are different customers. There are people who are introverted in nature who think better in solitude and silence. And there are extroverts who love briefings, meetings, brainstorms and heated debate. They are bored with writing and answering questions, often in a language they do not understand. On this score, one of our clients said: “I am allergic to these briefs! How much I had to fill them! ”

    Secondly, there are different situations and reasons. In some cases, a person is serious, the project is “burning”, and he already roughly understands who he will work with, or by what criteria he will choose a contractor. In this case, it is sometimes more efficient to meet with such a “burning” client and discuss everything in a conversation, at the same time realizing for yourself with whom you will have to deal with.

    Another situation is if there is a simple “calling”, when, for example, the girl-secretary received a task from the boss to find out the prices for the development of the site, or competitors call it trivially. In this case, sending a brief is also useless, let alone offer to meet.

    Sometimes it is better to ask the client immediately how urgently he needs a preliminary assessment of the project, how accurate it should be; as it would be more convenient for him - to fill out a brief or talk about the project at a meeting or by phone. Again, it’s good to have two options for the brief - preliminary (with a minimum of questions, answers to which will allow you to calculate the approximate cost) and a full one, which will be filled after the conclusion of the contract.

    Otherwise, this situation may turn out - the client faithfully answered all one hundred questions of the brief, almost came up with the whole concept and even sketched a sketch, and you send him an offer with an amount that categorically does not fit into his expectations and budget. It turns out that both sides lost time in vain. It's a shame, especially in the era of constant "ceynet". It’s a completely different question, if an employee on the client side answered several important questions in writing, by phone or at a meeting, you quickly calculated everything, he liked your prices and conditions, and you officially became partners. Here you can and are even obliged to pull all the juices out of it, extracting the necessary information - coordinate, arrange briefings, presentations, meetings - do whatever your heart desires, and all for the benefit of high-quality pre-project preparation.

    What conclusion can be made? A brief is a useful thing, but not always necessary, and sometimes even harmful in preliminary negotiations with a client. A flexible approach is needed. And let's get rid of formalities and bureaucracy already! These things are enough in our life.

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