Don’t just anticipate – remember to communicate

Being able to identify a client’s needs before they are explained to you is very useful.

Being able to identify their needs before even they are aware of them can be even more so. You can seem like a true magician, guru or Jedi. Great when it works, but can you afford to charge ahead and get it wrong? Sometimes it pays to communicate as well as anticipate. Why? Because your clients are human.

A clear lesson from 2016 was that human beings are not predictable creatures. Polls and data failed to predict the outcomes of two significant public votes –the UK referendum on EU membership and the US presidential election. Voters don’t always do what you expect, what they did last time or what their demographic says they should. Clients are no different – they can and will surprise you.

One of the highest grossing films of 2016 was Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – a highly anticipated new instalment of the Star Wars franchise, now owned by Disney. As the year progressed, news emerged that the film had been subjected to a substantial reshoot. The eager fans rolled their eyes and took to the internet message boards. It was clear what must have happened.

The film was due to be a dark, gritty tale of conflict and espionage set within the (usually family friendly) Star Wars universe. As the film was to be a prequel, the audience already knew the situation the story had to travel towards and thus knew it required a tough, bleak conclusion. A reshoot was obviously meddling on the part of Disney. The happy, fluffy, Mickey Mouse corporation had clearly demanded a more sugar-coated version be released – one that made less sense plot-wise but better suited their brand. Only this wasn’t the case.

The reverse was true. The director, Gareth Edwards later explained to Empire Magazine that the initial screenplay had tried to anticipate such a position by Disney. The client’s needs had been assumed and a ‘Disnified’ story written. Only the client had surprised the writers. Disney had recognised the fact that a saccharine filled version of the story would make little sense and, if anything, the reshoot was eventually undertaken for the opposite reasons than those posited by fans back in the summer – to darken the tone and tell a more engaging, workable story.

The film was a success. There was little to no sugar. Hollywood studios can afford to reshoot and rectify this kind of wrong assumption. Not every small business can. Closer communication between the parties could have prevented this situation. Given the unpredictability of humans, how confident are you that you have 100% anticipated your client’s needs? Can you afford to be? This example is particularly pointed as the studio initially made what they knew to be the ‘wrong’ style of film based on what they thought their client would appreciate.

Such incongruity should warrant a discussion before forging ahead.

You may not be penning a sci-fi blockbuster this year, but you may be in a position to gain an advantage by anticipating a client’s needs. If you’re 100% confident , then great. If you have any reservations – especially if you feel you’re doing the wrong thing on the assumption that the client believes it to be right – there is certainly cause for communication.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to get things right first time. You never know, you may have been on the same page from the beginning.

This blog was originally published by www.davidmellormentoring.com