Client Tales

I got a new project this week. It is a school out in the Oklahoma Panhandle (an 8 hour drive). Here's the thing. The town is on the border of Oklahoma and Texas so much that the elementary school is in Texas and the middle school/high school campus is in Oklahoma. The elementary has its own Superintendent and school board as does the high school. There are just in different states! Texas pays for lower grades and Oklahoma the rest. Imagine voting bond issues!

I got another project this week in Lawton. It's a College Softball Stadium. We got the project because of the five firms being interviewed, we were the only team to talk about the playing fields! The other firms just showed pictures of giant stadiums that they could not afford!

One strange thing. I have been in four interviews in the last two weeks. Our interview teams wear coat and tie (as does the competition). I do not. Why? Of the four clients, none of the owners wore coat, tie or long sleeves, though the marketing books tell us to. You know what the clients say? "You guys look hot!" After all its 115! It is my policy to consider the client but show them that I have common sense. It has worked so far.