How to gently convince the client that he is wrong?

Question

Design

We undertook to develop a website for a consulting group in a strict business style, the managers drew up all the contracts, agreed on the price, time and that all edits were paid.
The client, thanks to the edits, turned the site into trash. Only navigation remained from the original concept. On the main page, instead of a good USP, we have soap like "... we are a young, successful company ...", instead of photos from their office, we have stock photos with little men climbing the stairs to the sky ("This is a symbol of success"), the colors of the site are bright red and poisonous yellow (“except for business, we are very funny guys”) and such nonsense will be done on 50 pages.
This site cannot be put in a portfolio, and when it goes into production it will be written at the bottom in small print who made it.
I have already passed the stage of anger, now I am in the stage of denial and I am preparing to move into the stage of bargaining. Until it came to the presentation, tell me how to reverse it all, how to plug this fountain of ideas, how to convey to a person that he is wrong?

Answer 1

well, the site is not yours.
and in my garden I want a grove of tomatoes, but I want cacti

Answer 2

You should have thought about it before. And now it's been paid.

Answer 3

put in the portfolio the version that you like.

Answer 4

Gather a dozen sites of similar successful companies - and show their sites.
Post a couple of screenshots of layouts on the forums and ask for an assessment - give the customer a link to the answers.
Give an article on color matching and an article on the relationship of color and how quickly visitors leave the site.

Answer 5

Does your opinion about the success of your version have good reasons, besides your subjective opinion and emotions like "what kind of shit did he make with his edits from our brainchild"? For example, you previously redesigned the same stock website, after which your version broke through the conversion ceilings, bent all the competitors in the region, broke into the tops and began to live and live, and make good money? There is an example - show the results in numbers to the client. No - offer the client an ab-test of your version and his version (and promise to pay extra costs if your version converts worse, if you are so sure of it). In the meantime, whoever pays the girl dances her, and not always the tastes of the one who paid in terms of girls will coincide with yours.

Answer 6

Customers are like cats, when they don't know what to do, they lick eggs. In your case, they figure out how else to make the site better.
It seems that neither you nor your client fully understands what and why they are developing. At the moment, for the client, his site is a beautiful picture, for you - your design. Neither for him nor for you - this is not a tool with which to solve problems.
What is the company's product?
What brings in the most profit?
How are revenues distributed across departments or industries?
Which direction is the least popular?
Is there any feedback from clients?
What problems do customers have?
What tasks can be solved with the help of the site?
Who are the competitors? What successful solutions are implemented by competitors?
How will our project be better than the competition?
Answer at least these questions together with the client and miraculously half of the problems will go away ... In any case, the desire to play with fonts and increase the logo,

Answer 7

Is the site made just for him?
- If yes, then do as he wants
- If not, does he understand how his potential customers will look at his site?
For example, ask how they will think about him if he comes to negotiations in a clown (ridiculous) suit.
If he insists, do and ask him - let him ask his customers for feedback about the site.

Answer 8

As an option, you can try to say this: "Name Neimovich, we, as professionals, understand that the product in this form will not arouse any interest in your target audience at all and, as a result, will not bring customers. Let's sign a paper agreement with you about In addition, if the design is approved with your edits, we are relieved of all responsibility for the effectiveness of the site's sales."

Answer 9

Occasionally, phrases like “I hope you won’t tell anyone that I made your site”, “it’s a pity that this site can no longer be added to the portfolio” work. But rarely. Highly.
Most often, (e) effective managers "know better what and how to do", so we have two options - not to work with them at all or just to score and do as they want (trying to ennoble something in some places) and not tell anyone that out you made that site

Answer 10

There is a category of clients called "Customers" to whom you can't prove anything, you can't explain anything, even gently, even harshly, even in Russian. The one who pays is the one in charge, and you are just a mercenary.
If after 2 attempts a normal conversation does not work, part with such a customer and do not regret, you will lose more.
And be sure to do something for your pleasure and for yourself after such a customer. This is what you put in your portfolio. It will be the best. I assure you!