There’s something comforting about labeling a document with the word, “DRAFT.” It implies that there’s room for improvement. It’s also a particularly subtle way to say to a client, and honestly to yourself, “Hey, I think I understand what you need, but if you see something you’d like to change, or if this is absolutely NOT what you want, I can adjust.”
Sure, I’m trying to make a correlation here to the National Football League (NFL) draft, which just occurred at the end of April. According to the NFL’s Operations website, “The annual NFL Draft gives the teams the opportunity to infuse their rosters with new talent. Some players will provide an instant boost to the team that selects them; others won’t.” Ultimately, success or failure won’t be known until the season begins.
The same can be said about communications opportunities. As professionals, we DRAFT plans, strategies, and individual products ranging from websites to social posts to press releases; anything that tells a story, promotes a company, or provides messaging to meet a client’s purpose. Then, the negotiation begins. The back and forth with changes, new ideas, updates, and more changes. It can be a bit frustrating at times, until the client gives their approval, and the DRAFT is declared FINAL.
It’s rare for a DRAFT to “connect” on the first “pass.” However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give it our best effort the first time out on the proverbial “field.” We shouldn’t “rush” things. We should always demonstrate that we value our clients. We listen and always strive to “move the ball forward.” In return, they “handoff” their trust so that we “score” one for the team.
Categories: Consequence