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His view was that you couldn't beat a "great salesperson with integrity" teamed up with the designer. My view was that integrity was a pretty rare commodity in sales (can't wait to receive the hate mail for that comment!), so it was safer to train up designers to handle much of the account management themselves.

His response was that many designers either can't or don't want to learn these skills. He had a point, but I was arguing that:

a. in "the good old days," business skills weren't on the education agenda, so it was understandable that designers educated then were uncomfortable with those skills

b. it ain't the good old days anymore

About two hours after that conversation I was having coffee with another young designer. She was telling me that the reason why she enjoyed her new job so much was that she had much more project responsibility, including contact with her latest client's CEO. Apparently it made the projects run smoother if she was working directly with the client that mattered.

It can be a difficult trade-off, having to choose between the account management and the design. One way of resolving the issue is to think of these two responsibilities as working WITH the client (account and project management) and working FOR the client (design, etc.).

I still stick to my main argument that the world has progressed beyond the point where a designer, if they intend to be successful, can hide away in the studio and just focus on the Mac or the drawing board.

Every designer who has lost out to an advertising agency or marketing consultancy on a project has probably done so through insufficient communication and account management rather than lack of skills. Sure, a studio can work around that by hiring account managers, but not every studio can afford that. In the end, you have to ask yourself whether you'd rather gripe about missing out on those projects or actually do something about it!

"In a perfect world with a impartialy perfect robo designer yes. On a practical level, it so often helps to have an impartial party mediating the needs of a client with the the creator of the designs. Regardless of how precious a designer is about his creation, it helps - doubly so when the shit hits the fan."

"As a designer, and having experienced managing clients as a designer, I believe that it is an excellent way for designers to understand the brief properly and step outside of the zone, accept responsibility and see the reality of projects. It also helps with producing better designs that suit the client's needs.

However, it really depends upon the individual, whether they are capable of verbal execution, as well as fantastic designs (sometimes, client interaction can stifle or confuse design direction). It is not always going to be easy to find someone with both these skills but it is necessary for the designer to have some understanding, connection, relation to the client - whether they sit in on meetings or liase with clients during some time in the project. Clients also feel that they are getting their messages through, reducing the number of steps to get their projects done efficiently and to reduce the gap between creative and business strategic thinking. Clients may better understand why the ideas relate to their projects.

San-San Truong"

"As a designer I have to say the prospect of answering the phone and knowing my client may be on the other end ready to pounce with demands in which they want yesterday really puts me off client relationship. On the other hand, getting a brief second hand from a 'sales person' really gives me the sh!ts too. Perhaps the perfect design heaven would be to have an account manager managing the client in terms of timings and budget etc. and the designer dealing directly with the client in terms of taking a brief and design..."

"imagine! people working in an industry based upon... communication. Who squirm at... communicating! Nah, must be an urban myth me thinks"

"Hello.

We all need to be multi-skilled.

If designers lack business skills they should do everything they can to gain them. Do a marketing course, learn public speaking, do some yoga. By the same token account managers should get some paint on their hands, get involved in the production process. How can you serve a clients needs if you can't understand each other?

In my opinion I would employ the designer who can manage the client. This way I would be sure the brief is on target, and the work is on brief.

Tristan Kaufman"

"I don't know if I agree with your article, in fact I know I don't.

In my experience as an account director / business owner I would tend to say quite the opposite. Most designers are incapable of articulating their ideas into words; perhaps this is why visually they are outstanding.

Business understanding also comes into the equation. Do they understand the bottom line, do they poses business acumen, can they constructively determine a clients problems, needs and expectations? I'll answer that, not usually.

Having said that, I don't see it as a problem or an insult to designers. Maybe you haven't meet many great salespersons with integrity but then again I haven't meet many designers that are business savvy, have great presentation skills or a great desire to interact with clients on a day to day business level

Maybe we are both looking in the wrong places.

Chelsea Parkinson"

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