The Importance of Briefs, Proposals, & S.O.W.s
Experienced creatives and agencies usually have clear processes for answering RFPs (requests for proposals) and handling client relations and project management. Experienced creative leaders on the client side expect this. However for creative freelancers just starting out and/or clients lacking internal creative leadership expertise, this article offers important advice on why these documents are so crucial and how to best leverage them.
Creative projects can be tricky. There’s a lot of subjectivity and clients and creatives sometimes struggle to understand the language/processes of one another. This can lead to unexpected challenges that can lead to scope changes, all which cost time, money, and energy. And all that translates to headaches and stress and potentially lost business. But it doesn’t have to be that way!
A clear Brief (the ask/challenge from the client) and Proposal (the solution the creative recommends) will set the groundwork for a strong S.O.W. (statement of work). The S.O.W. is a critical project management tool and also serves as a contract to help navigate any challenges that arise (e.g. scope changes). The S.O.W. can also serve as a contract in some cases, depending on whether or not a client has their own contract they ask vendors to sign. (Disclaimer: I am not an attorney and therefore nothing in this article represents legal advice. But this article from Matchstick legal is an excellent read about contracts between creatives and clients.)
A Good Brief
Whether or not a client presents a creative with a formally written brief, it’s a good practice to begin every project with a conversation. This way creatives are able to ask clients compelling questions aimed at gaining a deeper insight into who the client is, what they want, and most importantly why they believe they need it. If there isn’t a brief, this conversation is how to elicit one. If there is a brief, this conversation helps make sure you’re understanding it correctly.
The Proposal
A creative’s proposal is more than a selling/pitch tool. Drafted properly, it can actually become the S.O.W. after everyone agrees on everything. In other words, the proposal can end up being three documents in one: a proposal, a S.O.W., and a contract. All these documents essentially describe the terms of scope and engagement. That means both the creative and the client have a vested interest in making these documents clear. Discussing them helps build trust, learn more about each other, and ensure everyone gets on the same page about the project.
A good proposal should include the following sections:
The Challenge
A Proposed Solution
The Work & Outcomes/Deliverables
A Timeline
Pricing
Terms & Assumptions
(Descriptions of each of these sections is provided below, along with some examples using a fictional company called The Set.)
1. The Challenge. This purpose of this section is to demonstrate that the creative(s) has/have been paying attention. It should briefly describe who the client is, any important background information, and (most importantly) the client’s original request.
EXAMPLE:
The Challenge
“The Set” is a music and entertainment IT start up that provides music venues and their artists with a user-friendly app to schedule and manage artists’ gigs. They need a logo. There’s been some initial research done to identify what differentiates them from the competition. The client has asked for a logo grounded in the findings of that research.
2. The Proposed Solution. This is a short description of the overarching approach the creative recommends. This is also the place where creatives may possibly recommend something different than what the client asked for. That’s okay as long as it’s very clear the creative listened to the original ask but is recommending something else to serve the client better because it’s strategically justifiable. Good creatives listen well, and good clients see the value in expert advice. But stay on the lookout for red flags. For example, let’s say a client asks for a 2-minute sizzle reel video and a video producer proposes a 5-minute origin story video without any mention of a sizzle reel. The client should ask why they’re proposing something other than what was briefed. If the creative/video producer can’t explain why, or seems surprised, that’s probably a sign they didn’t really read/understand the brief well.
Addressing mistakes this early in the process can be intimidating for people on either side of the table; but it’s better to suss out any misunderstandings before any work begins as much as possible, and/or sunshine whether or not the creative is the best match for the client. Creatives must understand that the proposal is a reflection of their ability to listen and advise (and sell) well. Clients must understand the importance of reading the proposal thoroughly and not being afraid to ask questions if anything seems unclear.
Continuing with the fictional company used above, the example given below is a proposed solution that’s different from the original ask. It’s a smart recommendation that is justifiable because it will save time and money down the road if the client chooses to invest more fully now. The client may say yes or no to this idea, but either way their decision will be well informed. Meanwhile the creative has demonstrated expertise and the ability to listen/advise well.
EXAMPLE: The Solution
Before designing a new mark/logo, we recommend establishing brand guidelines that identify a clear visual language to guide not only the logo, but also any subsequent brand expressions such as the website, sales materials, videos, signage, social media, and live experiences. This will provide a strategic visual foundation so the brand looks and feels cohesive across all brand expressions now and into the future.
3. The Work to be done. Unlike the Solution section above, which is a high level description of the work, this section should be a detailed step-by-step description of the actual work involved. It may be helpful to break it down into phases. For each phase, summarize its purpose, identify what will be done, the time needed to do it, and deliverables/outcomes. Think granularly in order to be realistic about the time required for each aspect of the work. (This is especially important for creatives beginning their careers as freelancers as it can help them gauge what to charge.) Even if a creative chooses to ultimately present less detail to the client in the proposal, it’s important to go through this step to gain clarity about scope. The level of detail provided in the proposal needs to be a balance between pitching your skills, demonstrating value, and being clear about scope. Some clients/projects may expect/need more or less detail. Use good judgement. This section can also provide a reasonable way to schedule project payments if that’s something you like to do (e.g. phases’ deliverables = a payment due).
Hot tip: If you’re negotiating pricing, this part of the proposal helps you quantify/manage scope. For example, if the client doesn’t have enough budget to cover what you’re proposing (as shown below), you can spend less time by reducing the number of interviews, doing less online research, having less rounds of review, etc. Having this conversation up front helps the creative set expectations and establish a mutually beneficial plan with the prospective client.
4. A Visual Timeline of Key Milestones. A visual timeline that shows key milestones over time is another fabulous way to keep things moving forward and meet deadlines. It sets expectations and can help nail down actual meeting times on everyone’s calendars. You can create a linear timeline like below, or show a traditional calendar, or list dates. Include the kickoff and completion dates, specify the timeframes per phase, and key milestones within each phase like important interviews, presenting deliverables, and feedback reviews. It’s great if you can pinpoint key meeting dates that everyone agrees to and schedule those ahead of time.
5. The Investment. I prefer this term rather than “pricing” or “cost.” Creatives are sometimes seen as an expenditure, when the truth is brand expressions should help drive business, not “cost” it. This is a subtle detail that helps you frame your work as necessary and valuable, which it is. You can list your hourly rate, or a project fee. Part of selling yourself successfully as a creative is having a philosophy of how you prefer to charge and being able to explain that to the client in terms that shows them why that process makes sense not only for you, but also for them. It’s also smart to detail your payment procedures (e.g. if you require a deposit up front, or if there will be payments due at the completion of every phase). It’s common to ask for 50% upfront to commence work when using the project fee approach. Specify when all payments must be paid, and whether or not you charge late fees. You might also want to explain how any travel and expenses will be handled/reimbursed in this section. For more advice on this, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
6. Terms & Assumptions. This is a VERY IMPORTANT PAGE of bullet points that provide/reinforce clarity around the start date, due dates, who the client is, who the creative is, who the decision maker(s) is/are, who owns what in terms of any I.P. that gets created, indemnification clauses, whether the creative is allowed to showcase the work on their website/portfolio, any dates people aren’t available, how travel and expenses will be handled, and what designates a scope change and how scope changes will be handled, etcetera. You might choose to hire an attorney to help you draft a master T&A template that you can easily tweak for all your projects.
Hot Tip: Clients… please READ the entire proposal thoroughly. Creatives… you may be a creative at heart, but you also need to be a smart business person (especially if you’re freelancing and don’t have an account manager or legal department to lean on). This page may feel onerous and lawyerly, but it’s a smart business practice.
7. Signatures Page. After everyone is in agreement about the proposal, the document can be used as the S.O.W. for project management purposes. By adding a Signatures page, it can also become an agreement/contract. The goal is to memorialize the initial intentions and plans so that if scope changes arise that delay timelines or increase costs (etc) it’s easier to identify what’s changed and come up with solutions to keep things moving forward constructively. When clients have their own formal contract they ask you to sign, that’s okay. But creatives, be sure to read that Matchstick Legal article referenced earlier to ensure you cover your bases! The S.O.W. can and should live alongside and align with the contract if they’re two separate documents.
It’s nice to include a short note at the top of the Signatures page thanking the client for entrusting you with this important work and saying you look forward to working together. Provide a place for the key decision maker(s) on the client-side to sign with their name and title, and a place for you to sign too. You can utilize a service like DocuSign or just send it as a PDF via email and take photos/screenshots. Be sure to save the signed S.O.W. somewhere easy to access because you will refer back to it regularly (see below).
Hot Tip: Whenever possible, try to designate ONE decision maker, and this is who should sign the S.O.W./contract. This way, even if you’re presenting your work to a team of people, you know where the decision power lies. It’s always important to engage everyone in the process and listen to all feedback, but having one decision maker can help avoid “death by committee” which often results in watered-down creative work. If there’s no way to avoid a team of decision makers though, there are some great ways to lead workshops to assist effective group decision making. Give me shout if you want to learn more about that.
Next Step: Commence Work!
Once everyone has signed on the dotted line the work can commence. Congratulations!
Treat the S.O.W. like a living document that all parties refer to regularly to keep the project moving forward effectively and efficiently. I cannot stress enough how important it is to regularly refer back to the S.O.W. to ensure the project stays on track, and if it isn’t, address it immediately. If/when scope changes arise, the S.O.W. should provide a neutral and objective mechanism to identify what’s changed so you can work together to determine next steps that are fair and reasonable.
If you need help in any of these areas, I’d love to help!
Ashley Kaiser is a writer and creative consultant offering smart creative solutions for business leaders and the creatives they hire.
