The Three Awkward Client Conversations You Cannot Skip If You Want To Enjoy Your Career In Audio

Have you ever agreed upon a rate with a client, only to be told at the end of the project they don’t have the funds?

Has a client asked you to complete their work with a certain style, only to reverse course after the first draft is completed, forcing you to start from scratch?

In this episode Brian and Chris cover the three hard conversations you need to have with every client in order to set the precedent from day one. These conversations will ensure your relationship can last not just through the project, but for the rest of your career.

Learning how to navigate these difficult conversations and utilize them to build good, lasting relationships with repeat clients will help your studio immensely. After all, repeat business is the key to a successful career!

In this episode you’ll discover:

How having an awkward talk before beginning the project is vital to long-term success.
Why doing the hard things first is better than saving them for last.
Why you have to choose between a career in audio or a career in debt collecting.
Why talking about creative vision before beginning a project will save you time.
What an artist thinks they want vs. what they really need.
The psychology of understanding the client’s goals and why this is important.
Understanding the biggest weakness in every single artist you work with.
What extremely specific revision notes from a client really mean and why this sparks an important conversation.
Why you might need to be the Studio Dad or Studio Mom.
How to use “the shit sandwich” to deliver a hard truth.
What to do to set boundaries between yourself and your client.
Why not communicating boundaries means there are no boundaries.
Setting a point that the project is out of your hands.
How to set the client’s expectations and ensure they are prepared for their session.
How to make these three conversations part of your system to make them less awkward and amateur sounding.
How to frame conversations in a way that will keep the artist happy and encourage the best creative state possible.

Join The Discussion In Our Community

Click here to join the discussion in our facebook community.

Click the play button below in order to listen to this episode:

Quotes

“It’s this pursuit of perfection, and recognizing ‘hey man, your songs aren’t going to be perfect and until you’re cool with that, you aren’t going to make good songs.’” – Chris Graham

“You need to decide, right now, do you want to be a producer . . . or do you want to be a debt collector?” – Brian Hood