Removing Critics

We all have a layer of critics in our professional lives- those who stand between our art and the customer, the client, the end user, who try to tell us what the client wants, or what will be too scary for the client to accept.

It's a lot faster to go straight to the client and see what they think. You remove the filter and get their honest reaction. It's easier to explain what you hand in mind, what you think your art does for them, and they can tell you more honestly if they agree. The give-and-take is faster.

The product is probably better, too.

Feedback Loop

The most important part of having feedback from a customer is the chance to learn if you are offering what they want. That's different from selling them what you have.

Almost every retail store asks at the checkout "Did you find what you were looking for today?" Sometimes they actually listen, sometimes they shrug. I suspect that stores that are successful over the long haul are the ones that listen and take notes.

Peter