For many folks in marketing or any people-driven field, “data” is a four-letter word in the worst way. It conjures the kind of bent-over-numbers-in-dim-light horrors that we imagine to be the purview of scientists and actuaries. (Love you all, BTW!) But in its basest form, data is a necessity in order to deliver on your client’s or your employer’s goals.
Think back to high school. Maybe you can relate to having your daydream about video games or the comfort of your bed smashed by the sound of the teacher announcing, “I want you all to write a short essay on what we’ve just covered.”
Deer in headlights doesn’t begin to describe the anxiety of that moment. You now have to convey a message on something you know approximately zero about. If only you’d been paying attention!
Today, though, you can pay attention all you want, but if you’re not being given enough information about the subject of your message, you have no message. This means that demanding comprehensive and accurate data, in whatever form is appropriate, is absolutely crucial to your work.
In any industry, service providers can feel pressured to act as an order taker, with the client making demands and you trying to deliver. Unfortunately the client often hasn’t articulated to you or even to themselves what they actually want to achieve. It’s up to you to draw that out with thoughtful, open-ended questions that demonstrate not only your expertise in the industry, but the fundamental need for actionable data about the project.
If you’ve been hearing, “You’re the professional, you figure it out,” then first, congratulations on your stellar reputation, but you’re going to need to set the expectation with your potential clients that you do your best work only after your questions have been answered. Maybe you say that you only begin work after your questions have been answered. Be bold. A quality client will appreciate it.
You may feel that you’re being intrusive or wasting time if you try to collect appropriate data from the client up front, but you can’t deliver your best work without it, and odds are it will be even more awkward and time-consuming to go back to them after the work has begun. Cut to the chase and create a professional experience from the outset, and you’ll have the information to produce content you’ll all be proud of.