Developing working relationships with clients requires time, energy and commitment. Sometimes, it can feel one sided, like unrequited love, and as we hit Valentine’s Day I’m going to reflect on my tenacious pursuit of clients that are paying me to work on their behalf.
Published date: 14 February 2019
It can be an awkward relationship. I can feel ignored and forgotten and I don’t enjoy having to literally hound an answer out of the client. I would much rather spend my time doing the job than persistently ringing/emailing and texting someone. I know in my personal life I would never continue with such a one-way relationship. Of course, with a rational head on, I realise the client is probably extremely busy and public art, and the decisions associated with it, may be low down on their daily agenda.
Contracts can be a hard win but I know our business, FrancisKnight, brings tremendous benefits and value to a project. We take the stress out of a planning condition by finding the right artist, commissioning stunning art and making developments look amazing. Which means we provide fantastic collateral with research, good news stories and genuine engagement with the community. What’s not to love?
Effective working relationships are a match made in heaven. It’s always such a joy when a client gets it, responds, feeds back – when they are genuinely interested in what public art can help deliver. We love those clients and the feeling is mutual.
Happy Valentine’s Day.