3 thoughts for the week of November 9, 2009 (paying it forward, investing in logos, not agreeing)
November 11, 2009//Last Updated January 6, 2013
- Business is often dominated by the question “what’s in it for me?” If I do X (e.g. buy your product, give you information, introduce you to another individual), what is the benefit to me? What do I get right now for doing what you ask? Now, of course, there is always something to be said for the mutually beneficial proposition. But we’d like to offer that there are circumstances when the immediate benefit is not so obvious, not so immediate. There are times when you should do things simply because they are right, and just maybe you are sending a little good will out into the world. It’s the whole concept of Paying It Forward. You never know when that little bit of good spirit that you sent forth will come back to you.
- Ever heard (or perhaps even said) “Oh, I just need a quick, simple logo.” That is often followed by “It shouldn’t take very long.” And the general consensus, especially among small business owners, is that they don’t want it to take very long, and really don’t want to spend much money on one either. This line of thinking is fundamentally flawed. Business Marketing Tip #1: If you do nothing else, invest in a good logo. It is your first, middle and last impression. It will appear on nearly every piece of promotion you ever do. You are, in essence, giving a face to your company. It is giving a face to your baby. Don’t really think that is something you want to be careless about. Now, this doesn’t mean that you should break the bank to get a rock star logo, but you should be prepared to pay a fair price and dedicate some time to its development. In the long term, it is more than worth it.
- We are all familiar with the mantra “The Customer Is Always Right.” In some industries, this is a do or die proposition. But, and we say this with all due respect to clients everywhere, in the design industry this is not always the case. Of course, when a client hires a designer they most certainly should receive the work that they requested. And to do that, the designer must head all client requests and preferences. To create a design to the client’s satisfaction is a designer’s job. It is not, however, a designer’s job to automatically agree with the client. Don’t get us wrong; we want you to be happy. There is no greater feeling than seeing a satisfied client. But you also hired us for our experience and expertise. It is part of our job to utilize that knowledge to get you the best work possible, and sometimes this involves questioning some of your decisions. So, hear us out. We are not doing it to be spiteful. Our end goal is to make something that we all can be proud of. Let’s have a little healthy debate.
Posted in 3 Thoughts, Blog