One size question fits all design firms… Is the mindset and central behaviour of your firm aligned with the needs of these extraordinary times?
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Category: Behaviours
Following the early spread of COVID-19 here in the UK, I posted this short piece Review>Plan>Act on Coronavirus which touched on the significant impact of the virus on one of my clients, and the ever-present need for proactivity in our working behaviours. As some clients start to emerge from lockdown, designers are advised to assume that clients (both existing and new) will be most receptive to, and look to surround themselves with, the very best talent they can afford to partner with to tackle the challenges and uncertain times ahead. To help them survive, and potentially thrive, clients will look...
Right now, creative firms are busy gaining clarity and being proactive on how they address the challenges of the coming months. Having a clear strategy for survival is essential for many. I’m seeing and directly involved in the significant impact of Coronavirus on one of my clients. In recent months we’ve been gearing the business for expansion and suddenly we are in survival mode, busy reviewing, rapidly planning and acting on decisions to ensure the business stays afloat. We’re forming a plan of action that ensures operational continuity at a sustainable cost to the business, whilst thinking how we can be constructive and proactive...
I’ve just managed to look at the 6th annual report on What Clients Think 2019-20 launched in late November by Up to the Light in association with the DBA. It presents the findings of 525 interviews conducted with clients of design agencies, and aims to monitor the health of client/agency relationships. It’s probably the closest you’ll get to getting inside the head of your clients – and prospective clients – and finding out what they really think about you. The findings make compelling reading. If you’ve been following these reports for several years now, as I have, you’ll also get a sense of deja vu. Many...
Value creation is the primary aim of any business entity and arguably the single most important communication of ourselves. Yet many creative firms struggle with understanding for themselves and clearly defining the value of what they do for clients. Akin to my piece on Positioning oneself as an Expert, in which I question whether being an ‘expert’ is something that one should declare of oneself, should we be defining our own value? Obvious maybe, but our true value is often revealed and most truthfully told by our clients and customers through authentic testimonials and reviews. After all, they have the experiences...
My reason and purpose (the ‘why’) for starting teer was this… I’ve worked with some great designers since the mid 80s, yet I experienced many to be somewhat ‘reactive’ in their work-behaviours outside of fee-paying client projects. I saw this as an opportunity to help them change. It gave me a reason and a purpose for starting teer – to understand their challenges and to help shape and influence behaviours that drive designers to lead a more ‘proactive’ work life. Having proactivity as the driving behavioural characteristic at the core of your agency can enable greater control of your future, and allow designers...
Owner-founders and leaders of design agencies: For those that may be falling into the trap of narrowing your field of exploration to mostly sharing stories, thoughts and latest project news across Linkedin, Twitter, etc, in the hope a prospective new client will get in touch… Having clearly defined client- and project-fit profiles will give you clarity, foundations, a benchmark and fresh impetus for understanding and then shaping your outbound communications, marketing collateral, talks, thought pieces, presentations, etc. Think carefully about what the criteria for your perfect client- and project-fit profiles look like….we can help here. Shaping these profiles for your agency...
Today, there’s a wealth of free resources and advisers in the market offering growth-related support and strategic guidance to owner-founders and leaders of the many small firms in the design industry. Some of the many invest time and money exploring these resources and/or engaging an adviser to help them develop a strategic growth plan which is all well and good for those firms that are going to ensure they do manage to successfully implement the plan. My day-to-day conversations with these size firms frequently reveals just how many struggle to implement a growth strategy in the ongoing consistent manner that’s...
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For years, the typical mindset and prevalent behavioural characteristic of many designers towards agency-client relationships has been ‘reactive’ and not ‘proactive’. Why, and to what extent has this changed? With the right guidance, working proactively can transform work-life experiences for the better, and put designers more in the driving seat. The trouble with conventional new business exploration New research published by Design Week (20 March 2017) reveals that 70% of clients still expect designers to free pitch. The What Clients Think 2017 report, which is based on interviews with 455 clients of design consultancies, shows that while nearly 90% of...
