ihaveanidea: Let’s say you have an idea that has a unique visual technique. Perhaps it’s claymation or 3D, or animation over live action. What’s the best way to sell this kind of work to a scary client?

Tutssel: The best way to sell work to clients is to bring in “expert witnesses.” It’s like a court of law: you can argue with passion for work, or you can make a compelling argument. You’ve got to change from arguing passionately, which creatives tend to do, to creating a compelling, sound case. If you wanted to do Claymation, you’d bring in an animator who specializes in Claymation as an “expert witness.” You’d take it away from just the creatives and the clients, and you’d bring in the experts. Every time I’ve ever got into a situation where I’ve felt “hey, this is going to be a difficult sell,” well the people who can sell it best are the people who will actually be doing the job. Clients think very rationally, and this is a rational way to reach the execution stage, the natural conclusion of sound strategic thinking. Your goal is to take clients down a road to where you want to go, and that road is actually a runway. On a runway, there’s nowhere to go but forward, and at the end of the runway, the idea takes off.

Nice thought from Mark Tutssel, Deputy Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett Worldwide