Outside the world of direct-response, most clients are stupid. Which is why I write a blog for the smart folks. In fact, I consider the experience of working with non-direct response clients to be equivalent to, “Hmm, I wonder what it would be like to run into people who still believe the world is flat?” and needing to re-educate them six times a day in order to do your job.

Because even after you sell this person on the idea of “direct-response” long enough to actually generate a measurable result (a person who otherwise, by all outward appearances, seems to be a bright individual) they are still obnoxiously reluctant to do it again. What gives? I’ll never understand it. “Facts, results, first-hand experience, scientific-advertising be damned…”

THE WORLD IS FLAT!

I’ll never forget the one and only time I ever did pro-bono work for a non-profit. And this was a small non-profit. First, you have the meeting to discuss the project. Second, you have another meeting with someone else to further discuss the project. Third, you have a meeting with the original two members, and a third senior person, to continue the discussion of the project…

It takes two weeks to decide, “Okay, we’ll send an email.” And another six weeks of, “Wait, why should we send an email again?” before they finally send it. Which, it doesn’t work, of course. Because by time the volunteer worker gets his hands on it, it’s Frankenstein. “But…! He’s going college! To get an MBA!” (And happens to be the grandson of Chairman of the Board.)

But I digress.