A candid perspective from Mike Myatt for Forbes Creating or expanding business relationships is not about selling – it’s about establishing trust, rapport, and value creation without selling. Call me crazy, but I don’t want to talk to someone who wants to manage my account, develop my business, or engineer my sale. I want to communicate with someone who desires to fulfill my needs or solve my problems. Any organization that still has “sales” titles on their org charts and business cards is living in another time and place, while attempting to do business in a world that’s already passed them...
My product design and development consultancy client Hyphen and brand design agency Identica have formed a collaborative partnership to proactively explore new ways of developing brands and products, both for their existing client base and to look at generating their own product and brand IP. Where existing clients of either agency are interested in exploring new areas and potential product and brand innovation, each agency will assist the other in bringing new ideas to launch. In addition the two agencies are exploring ways in which they can develop their own IP, which they will then either bring to market themselves...
Graphic designers are clearly stimulated by the creative process and frequently provide ‘effective design solutions’, but how often do they make a concerted effort to monitor the outcomes of their work, or provide any meaningful evidence of return on investment? Business owners and marketers on the other hand, that engage the services of graphic designers, may also be stimulated by the creative process, yet they are absolutely focused on the outcome of their investment in design. So, whilst both sides work together with the common objective of a ‘positive outcome’, it could be said they have a somewhat different focus....
“Your views on how designers build ‘valued’ relationships with their existing and/or prospective clients.” * Offer attractive retainers. * Research & build a body of knowledge & future trend predictions within a sector, (that can also hold Intellectual Property) and interpret & apply that knowledge & trends to businesses within the sector. Use that to open up the door to client businesses you wish to work for and seek to elevate your business to ‘partner’ status not merely a supplier selling their wares. Consider different ways of doing business that do not rely purely on fees for services. * Understand...
FAO Designers… As an accredited advisor on the DBA Experts Register (March 2011 – May 2012), I’m conducting a very short survey (just 6 questions), and would appreciate a moment of your time. Whether you’re a DBA member or non-member, your participation will help to shed some important light on how designers / agencies view the DBA Experts Register. If you have any questions about the survey then please don’t hesitate to give me a call on 07957 627052. Please insert your email address (preferable so I can acknowledge your participation) where the survey form requests your ‘Name’. Thanks for your time and...
Design agencies are missing out on a simple and creatively rewarding way of attracting new clients. It’s nothing new, but it’s rarely used. I call it, ‘proactive working’. It’s all about seeing an opportunity for good design, arguing the case for change, then pro-actively approaching clients with proposals. Almost every agency invests time and resources pitching for new business. Based on research I commissioned, the typical design consultancy will take part in between 10 and 20 pitches a year. There are obvious benefits to pitching: the agency knows there is an opportunity. Be it a new project or a new...
The question of whether an agency should position itself as a ‘specialist’ or as a ‘generalist’ remains something of a conundrum. There is a dilemma for growing agencies – it is a mistake to be too broad/undefined in approach (no USP – just a design firm like others) but it can also be a mistake to be too specialised (cannot afford to rule out potential business). An agency that specialises can be perceived as having real expertise and knowledge in its field, yet maybe a narrow offering. An agency that offers a broad range of integrated skills and disciplines can...
As a new financial year begins for many charities, thoughts turn to the impact this recession is having on charitable giving, and the subsequent effect on strategic management, planning and marketing budgets in the run up to 2009/10 annual reporting. The annual report can be a valuable marketing tool, and more than ever in these recessionary times, clever and careful planning can maximise the impact and value of this mandatory publication. Rather than opting for the convenience of simply commissioning a rework of last year’s structure and design format with last year’s design partner take a moment to consider the...
Design Week | Opinion | 19 April 2007 As a business development consultant working with creative groups, I attended a recent ‘win without pitching’ lecture by Blair Enns with an open mind. Enns’ talk was engaging, his theories prompted some challenging questions from reputable groups in the audience, and I left wondering how I can take something from this lecture for the benefit of groups I work with. So, was I actually convinced by all this theory, or left still searching for answers to the free-pitch conundrum? Having subsequently read Enns’ ‘Ditch addiction to the pitch’ article, I must ask,...
Design Week | Opinion | 18 May 2006 As a business development consultant working with small- and medium-sized design groups, I use lead generation services to help me identify opportunities for my clients. Recently, I tried to subscribe to a well-respected service on behalf of a new client, but was turned away on the basis that I work with more than one consultancy and could potentially ‘share’ information with my other clients. This ‘subscription sharing’ forced the service to protect itself by preventing freelance new business people from subscribing. I’ve since learnt that other lead generation-based services targeting the design industry...
