So you got a new client on board to level up their brand or create one from scratch. Congratulations! Exciting, isn’t it? Now, it’s time to prepare for your kick-off meeting.
A successful kick-off meeting is a very important step towards a successful mission. It can either make a mission fly north or fall south.
So let’s prepare ourselves well. Here are 5 things to consider for your meeting’s prep checklist:
1. Sync up to gain clarity.
You might have had quite a few talks with your client already about the project’s mission, goals, deliverables, and timeframe. A kick-off meeting is a good time to consolidate the essentials into one place and make sure that everyone is on the same page.
Don’t worry if you’ll be repeating yourself. It’s exactly what needs to happen since it takes time for the information to sink in. Give a quick summary of everything that has been discussed so far and ask the client if they agree with it. This will help to focus everyone in the right direction. Before you get started, you and your client have to be in a complete synchronicity.
2. Clarify the roles of everyone involved.
For a mission to be successful, everyone involved should take ownership of their “swimming pool.” Micro-managing people is neither fun nor efficient. So clarify the roles and expectations for everyone involved upfront. If you are bringing in new collaborators on board, it’s a good time to introduce them to the client.
3. Walk the client through your process.
You might have done this already, but don’t worry. A kick-off meeting is a perfect time to dive deeper into your process and really ensure that your client is comfortable with what’s ahead.
Explain all the stages, the outcomes of each stage, the tools you use, and how this will all weave together towards shaping a new brand.
4. Give enough of time to ask questions.
No one likes a rushed meeting full of stress. So take your time and do it well. Create the space where both your client and your collaborators can ask questions and express their opinion. This will set a stage for engaged collaboration.
Both your client and collaborators should feel comfortable with what’s coming up next and excited to get started. There should be no hesitations nor doubts about how the project will flow.
So clear the air as much as you can for the flight. It’s for everyone’s safety and peace of mind 😉.
5. Jump-start the brand discovery sessions.
Once you’ve confirmed the basics and got approval of what’s coming up next, the next step is to start weaving the thread for the brand discovery sessions.
I’ve created the Brand Strategy Kit to help you facilitate these sessions in an efficient and playful manner. It gives you the structure and the tools you need to focus on the conversation with your client rather than the technicalities of the process.
I’ve created this Kit based on my 15 years experience of working with clients worldwide (Cooper, Adobe, Fotolia, The New School, MTV Lebanon, to name a few.)
With this Kit in hand, you’ll be able to map out the brand strategy for your client successfully and have some fun along the way!
Check out the Brand Strategy Kit and take it with you on your next branding flight!
