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9/8 Thread (General):
Faced this weird behaviour from Optum recently. Gave interview for Data Scientist position. HR said feedback is positive. Asked for documents. It's been month now since I have shared the documents. I have no update on the offer. Today I called HR, she called me back saying the position is on hold due to recalibration in team, She has shared interview feedbacks to other teams and will get back to me in couple of days. I am clueless now. My last working day is approaching (In a month). Any Help??
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No need to be nice, just tell them to make their own budget if they don't like yours
Coach
“Then, let’s simplify the boards, rethink vendors and the costs will go down! Here are some suggestions…”
Our producer just says “then tell me how. Show me the numbers”. That usually ends it.
It’s incredible. I don’t think producers second guess the creatives on their ideas what makes them think they have the right, and knowledge to second guess the producer?
Tell them you hope they are right. But if they are not, how will they get it done for less??
I love this
The worst are those who go behind your back to another producer to try to get the answer they want to hear. On legal, costs, feasibility, time, blah blah…. But they find out soon enough we got each other’s back!
Mentor
^ THIS! EP2 is spot on. Never take boards to clients without having a producer ballpark their costs first. And if the client has a set budget, don’t take ideas that cost way more than what the client has. Unless you want to piss off that client. Or, if you have a couple of ideas that fit and one spectacular idea that exceeds their budget. I’ve been in meetings where the client went for the more expensive spectacular idea. It happens.
This happens to every discipline. We absolutely question creatives ideas…which is why we have rounds of internal revisions before ideas go to clients. Same with strategy and project management and…[insert discipline name].
What we do is collaborate in a cross disciplinary environment and assuming only people from your discipline are qualified to ask questions doesn’t build the best teams or lead to the most fruitful collaborations.
The tone of the questions may be off putting, but I would say engage honestly with the people asking the question. They may be asking out of ignorance…so help them understand. Or they may be asking out of fear because they don’t want the idea to fall flat or piss off the client…try to get to the question behind the question and engage there.
Then again, some people may be asking just to be A-holes 😏
When I worked on the agency side, I would review all creative before it went to client and put a price tag on it. If we already knew what the client had then I would tell the team to make creative cuts and we would present gold (need more money), silver and bronze (in budget) versions.
You have to pressure them back and say “ok, do you know someone that will do it for less? Are you ok sacrificing quality? No? Then the budget stands and I will be happy to explain to the client why it costs this much.” It’s easier to push back because when you are a senior producer/EP.
The same reason why producers and account people comment on the creative. Stop thinking you are your output, it’s not a reproach of you as a person or your expertise. We’re just beating it up because we want to make good things and need to be sure. Same goes for our work. It’s not personal.
It's not personal for anyone. We all want to do good work and producers are responsible for a successful final outcome, So it makes sense to budget or problem solve realistically to meet that.