People give whole talks about the power and importance of first impressions. Be it a first date or first client meeting, those split second, gut reactions matter, and bad ones might never be completely undone.
So it's easy to think the same rules apply to first impressions and reactions about the work you've just finished and turned in to a client. You want to know--right now--if they like it.
But there's more to it than that. When someone say "This is good," or "I can't use this one," what they're really doing is assessing how the work fits what they think it is supposed to look like, often according to what someone else told them it needs to be, etc. It may not be their own personal opinion, and may not even be an accurate assessment according to more objective criteria.
But it's never, ever totally objective. More than once I've gotten a "Not sure about this one," only to later find it being selected as one of the best. The objective and subjective often need some time to work things out.
If the client in fact does not like, and can not in fact use something, then that's certainly not good. But if after some trepidation and further reflection, the client likes it? I think that's the mark of doing a great job. It' delivering different, original work--and that's always a good thing for both you and the client.
Because liking something after further reflection means liking it in a deeper, more meaningful way.
So it's easy to think the same rules apply to first impressions and reactions about the work you've just finished and turned in to a client. You want to know--right now--if they like it.
But there's more to it than that. When someone say "This is good," or "I can't use this one," what they're really doing is assessing how the work fits what they think it is supposed to look like, often according to what someone else told them it needs to be, etc. It may not be their own personal opinion, and may not even be an accurate assessment according to more objective criteria.
But it's never, ever totally objective. More than once I've gotten a "Not sure about this one," only to later find it being selected as one of the best. The objective and subjective often need some time to work things out.
If the client in fact does not like, and can not in fact use something, then that's certainly not good. But if after some trepidation and further reflection, the client likes it? I think that's the mark of doing a great job. It' delivering different, original work--and that's always a good thing for both you and the client.
Because liking something after further reflection means liking it in a deeper, more meaningful way.
