George Lois, the art director behind some of the most iconic ad campaigns ever made, wrote a book called Damn Good Advice.
His best advice:
“Even a brilliant idea won’t sell itself.”
“To sell work I could be proud of,” explains Lois, “I’ve had to rant, rave, threaten, shove, push, cajole, persuade, wheedle, exaggerate, flatter, manipulate, be obnoxious, be loud, occasionally lie, and always sell, passionately!”
And while his explanation is ridiculous, yeh, it’s also an important reminder:
When you finish creative work, it’s not necessarily done.
It’s not done until your client or manager or creative director or whomever has the final say 1) buys into your idea and 2) accepts your execution.
Fact is:
Every creative professional is a sales professional, too.
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