Consider this
Round five is almost never about the font.
It's a name that got spelled two ways. A reception time that changed and nobody told you. A mom who saw the proof for the first time on Tuesday. Each change is small, so you say yes, and then you look up and you've done six rounds on a suite you priced for two.
Extra rounds usually come from three places. Here's each one, and the fix.
1. You started before you had everything
The fix: don't design a thing until you have these, in writing.
- Names exactly as they should print
- Date, times and addresses for every event
- The wording, or who is writing it
- Who gets final say (and who just gets to see it)
2. You asked "what do you think?"
The fix: open-ended questions get open-ended answers. Tell them exactly what you need back.
| Instead of | Try |
|---|
| "What do you think?" | "Could you check that all the names, dates and times look right? If anything needs a tweak, send it all in one reply so nothing gets missed." |
| "Let me know if you want any changes!" | "This round is all about wording and layout, since we already locked in colors and paper together. We're getting close!" |
| "No rush!" | "If you can send any changes by [Friday], we'll stay right on track for your print date." |
3. Nobody said when it ends
The fix: clients usually aren't pushing it. Nobody told them there was a limit. Say it in four places.
| Where | What to say |
|---|
| Your contract | Includes [X] rounds of revisions. Extra rounds are [$ amount] each. |
| Your welcome email | When proofs will arrive, how to send changes (one list, one reply), and how long they have to respond. |
| Every proof | "This is round 1 of [X]. If you can send changes by [date], we'll stay on schedule." |
| The final proof | Have them sign off on it in some way: a signature, a checkbox, or a reply that says "approved." Any edits after that are a reprint. |
Everyone's process is different. Use the number of rounds your pricing actually covers.
