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“Straight from the horse’s mouth”
This phrase relates to the ability to tell a horse's age from its teeth. Horse dealers would lie about how old their merchandise was, so the buyers would check the horse's teeth to determine their true age. Thus, the truth came "straight from the horse’s mouth".
This phrase in its actual context seems to bear no true relevance in the design world. The client wants design, the designer produces what the client wants and everyone is happy. In a one-on-one scenario that is true and generally that is the preferred way of working from a designer/client point of view but there is one quantity that always fits into design like a square peg in, not a round hole but a not so square hole as there is an obvious requirement and that is the salesperson.
Salespersons sometimes get a bad wrap, car sales persons are thought of the same the world over, in stores they are either two busy to help, nowhere to be found or hanging on your coat tales. Sales persons for big corporations earn the big money drive the flash cars but also keep these corporations bank balances filled with big accounts and big orders.
Pretty much all sales persons are doing the same thing, selling a commodity, whether it be stereos, televisions, cars, advertising space, watches, software, design . . . . . . . here is where it gets jaded!
Selling design, design is a commodity of sorts, what is actually being sold is a website, brochure, stationary, presentation or whatever the clients requires which now lands us in the grey area of where does a sales persons job stop and the designers start.
The sales person can sell the brochure, but it is the designers’ responsibility to come up with a sell-able design that best suits the client based on the requirements. The problem arises when unless the sales person was once a designer, then often at the initial visual stage the client comes back with questions for the designer about “why it was done this way when I asked for that”.
It is understandable that everyone has there own opinion on design and what they think is right. Designers are trained, experienced individuals who can discuss requirements far deeper than most and get to the root of issues with a far greater understanding often formulating ideas along the way which can only benefit the design process. So why not let the designer carry out the first consultation with the client.
“Straight from the horse’s mouth”
Sales people are great! The job they do does take talent if not a bit of the old, gift of the gab! But all in all it requires them to be knowledgeable about what they are selling, but once the deal has been done just get the basics and stand back, let the designer carry out a “DESIGN CONSULTATION” to ensure that everyone is on the same page and get the job off to the start it requires.
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