Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Barq makes a good point-- let me expand. Opening a doc so anyone can alter is not a good thing. And in word, anyone can alter it. You spend a lot of time making sure you have a consistant and accurate message. You don't want to open it to be easily altered.

Something else I thought about on my post-- find out "why" they need to alter, when they have you? Perhaps they are objecting to waiting your turn around time. If that is the real issue, you can respond to that.

Are you going to get more from this client in the long run by helping them be self-sufficient? Or, by insisting that they maintain a certain level of quality and consistency in their pieces?

I would let the client know how much it is going to cost them for me to create a comparable word version. Assuming you designed the piece in something else, there's work to be done. Especially true, if your design is intricate.

It doesn't always pay to have the last word. But, you should get paid for letting your client have it.

Good luck!

Melissa

The problem here is not the documents or the client or their lack of respect for you or your work protocol.

The problem here is the process. The client clearly feels threatened that you and you alone have control of their documents. They want to change them fast and on the fly.

They need a management process to keep that under control - otherwise they will be releasing documentation that does not properly reflect the current state of their product or service.

Forget the aesthetics and version control. This is about process and the client exerting content control alone. Sit down with the client and work out with them what their real needs are and develop a strategy to help them meet their needs and fulfil all their obligations.

Otherwise you will not be involved with them for a whole lot longer. Maybe one answer is to embed a studio you create for them, with your staff, into their operation - if that's what they need to fulfil their objectives.

Also ask yourself how will (or would) YOUR reputation be affected by the potentially diminishing quality of work that this client's in-house efforts and paid-for advertisements? When or if they tell anyone that you are their vendor, how will that look for you? It's one thing if they want to handle everything in-house from copy development to placement--it's their reputation on the line and you would simply be reduced to the "production" part of providing a standard base format for their use. But if they are paying you to buy ad space and/or produce the printed copies of a piece, which of course ends up in your portfolio used when you solicit new business, then I am in Phil's corner completely on this one. WHO are YOU?

Best of luck
jag
MarketBase