The key working principle I refuse to negotiate with my clients is the objective. I cannot begin developing a recommendation for them unless I have a clear brief. Because, if I don’t understand the what, why, who, and when of the task, then how can I possibly establish the how?
I stand resolute on this requirement: no brief, no response.
The reality is that clients more often than not, are unable or unwilling to divulge all the information I request. This is fine, providing, of course, the brief includes a clear objective.
By objective, I mean the goal, or the desired outcome, or the key indicator by which I can measure success. To establish this, I begin by asking,
“What does success look like for your business?”
“How will this be measured?”
The answer to these two simple questions requires consensus among all invested parties/stakeholders. Without this, we cannot embark on the journey together, because only this critical information can tell us when we have arrived at our destination.
