There’s only one thing more cliched than creative people wailing about the account team. And that’s the creative people wailing about the clients. But the smart, longterm thinkers amongst the creative intelligentsia play it another way. They recognize that clients don’t exist to buy what you want to sell. They’re there because they need to buy what they need. The decisions clients are making, or trying to make, are difficult and uncertain. Your clients can succeed or fail on the strength of your ideas. They’re looking for great ideas that work for them, and they’re looking for trusted creative advisors who can lead them through the dark forest. Be that person.
In the end, a longterm client relationship might be the thing that sustains you for many years. Are you treating every relationship and interaction on those terms? Or are you being a cliche of a creative person?