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111Chapter 8: Getting Strategic before Getting Creative

Specifying your specifications

Know the specifications of your job before you start producing it — and espe-
cially before you assign the production task to others.

ߜ Set your budget and be frank about how much you can spend. Small
business owners often worry that if they divulge their budgets, the print
shop or agency or media outlet will spend it all — whether they need to
or not. But the strategy usually backfires. If suppliers don’t know the
budget, they will spend it all — and then some — simply because no one
gave them a not-to-exceed figure to work with. The solution is to hire
suppliers you trust, share your budget with them (along with instruc-
tions that the budget cannot be exceeded without your prior approval),
and then count on them to be partners in providing a cost-effective solu-
tion. (See Chapter 9 for information on how to control costs when work-
ing with advertising agencies and freelance talent.)

ߜ Know and share deadlines and material requirements. If you have
already committed to a media buy, attach a media rate card to your cre-
ative brief so that your designer can see the specifications directly from
the publication and not through your translation.

ߜ Define the parameters of nonmedia communication projects. For
example, if you’re asking for speechwriting assistance, know the length
of time allocated for your presentation. If you’re requesting materials for
a sales presentation, know the number of people expected to attend and
therefore the number of handouts you’ll want to take with you.

What the creative team doesn’t know can cost you dearly in enthusiasm and
cost overruns if you have to retrofit creative solutions to fit production reali-
ties. Communicate in advance to keep everyone happy.