by Leo Wiles
07 September 2016
Hi Leo, I loved your Friday piece on briefs to avoid. I get a lot of those and often find myself working on stories that just spiral out of control or land me in a tricky situation with unpaid work tacked on and all sorts. But I have a bad habit of saying yes and freaking out later. Do you have a ‘brief evaluation’ checklist I could follow to save me a lot of hassle (financial and otherwise)? Andy
Yes, indeed I do, Andy. Because even though I find immense satisfaction in problem-solving, I’m not a miracle worker. Being non-emotive and analytical when it comes to discussing the job at hand not only shows your client you are taking the gig seriously – it also keeps you out of hot water, especially when US numbskulls ask you to arrange a speaking engagement with Jane Austen. (True story).
It’s also really important to take the time to properly assess what you’re taking on, even though it can be tempting (especially when cash-strapped) to say ‘YES!’ the minute you have work in your hot little hands. Saying, ‘This sounds interesting. Let me take a look and get back to you this afternoon to confirm’ is a great habit to get into to save yourself a) taking on a crappy brief you don’t want to do and b) taking on more work than you can handle. As any freelancer who’s done this knows, working around the clock is a fast track to total burn-out.
So, it’s crucial that before taking a brief on, you:
Evaluate it. Is the brief achievable, worth the money or does it need an arsehole tax added to the fee because pulling it off is going to be a huge pain in your backside?
Research it. Do you get a good feeling from the company commissioning you, or an uncomfortable one? Have you heard rumblings they are slow or reluctant to pay? If your gut feeling is at all ‘off’, don’t take the risk.
Challenge it. If the client’s idea isn’t deliverable, you need to flag your concerns and offer a workaround – otherwise known as a solution.
Clarify it. None of us like making waves when there’s money concerned and it can be tempting to overlook a sloppy brief or a lack of guidelines when you’re eager to secure the work. However, doing so is as dangerous as following an unachievable brief that leads to failure. So regurgitate what it is you think they want, guided by what you know you can achieve.
As I said last time, to protect yourself make sure the brief contains the agreed deadline, the word count and your fee.
Have I missed something Andy should know? Please feel free to jump in here…
