I think what we are hearing is that we have all missed the mark at one time or another, and some of us (like me) VERY badly. But ego is a funny thing and fear of appearing inadequate is verboten in today’s world.

So, with a bit of pride at being the first to comment, I’ll admit it… I’ve messed up more than one assignment. And sometimes it was painful and costly. Here’s just one example…

A major national non-profit asked me to do their annual appeal. They were in a financial crunch and needed this appeal to win big. No problem I thought. I grabbed a few heart wrenching stories, a number of tear-jerking facts and pulled it all together into a package that would make a grown man from the Bronx breakdown and sob. It was sure to be a winner.

There was one problem… I had totally missed the mark on the organizations tone, intensity, and ideas. Worst of all, I didn’t even bother to get their feedback until I had put a ton of time into the project and was giving them the full package.

They hated it. Every sentence of it had the Board up in arms. And the E.D. that hired me was ridiculed to shame.

In the end they cut me loose without my final fee and were forced to rush a poor, bland letter out that returned mediocre results.

2 Lessons here: First, the package WAS great… just not right for them. No matter how good my techniques and headers and leads are, if its not right for the client, it’s not right.

Second, I have learned the hard way (no, this was not the only time I’ve done this… sad) to do exactly what you have suggested here - i.e. get feedback on the main ideas, tone, and direction of an assignment before wasting my time and money being arrogant and smug about what a great writer I am.

It seems that humility pays well after all…