I get a lot of emails and phone calls from potential new clients wanting to work with us, many of whom have never been through a branding process or worked with a design team. Very often the emails read something like this: “I love your work. We need a logo and a website. What will that cost and how long will it take?” or “I’ve never been through this process before, can you tell me what to expect?” Many people are seeking a quick reply with a quick answer. These are very important questions, and there are many more, but none of them can be answered without beginning an in-depth conversation. The vast breadth of design and branding projects possible makes a short answer impossible! Also, Rock+Feather takes great pride in developing long-term relationships with their clients, so we see this as the very beginning of the conversation… which will hopefully last years!
So how do we begin a conversation for the first time? Rock+Feather has developed a 3-step process for potential client inquiries, each stemming from the previous step. Through the years, we have found this process works very well for both parties. Here’s how we do it:
- Preliminary Call :: The potential client and I (Nicole) have a brief 20-30 minute phone call to get an overview of their business or organization and its basic branding and/or graphic design needs, as well as talk a little bit about who Rock+Feather is and what we can offer. This will give us both the opportunity to see if the collaboration could be a good fit! We like to call this “getting the broad strokes”.
- Exploratory Meeting :: If it does seem like a good fit, we continue to conversation! We choose a time that Nicole will visit their place of business (even if it’s a home office) to meet with the client (and possibly other leaders on their team) face-to-face for a more in-depth conversation about the business, and both immediate and long-term goals/needs. This meeting gives us the details: do we have a good rapport, is the project scope mutually understood, what is the personality of the business and the leaders on this project. All of these things are crucial in a successful design partnership.
- Proposal Development :: After that in-person meeting where we both gain a deeper understanding of the scope of the project(s) and each other, if both parties agree that Rock+Feather is still a good fit, we develop a proposal for the client. This opens up the conversation for how we might collaborate in ways that benefit the client. The proposal, which clearly outlines the scope, the relationship expectations, and the budget, often goes through several iterations before it is agreed upon and signed by both of parties.
Choosing a branding and design partner is an important choice, and the success of the collaboration that will come out of it is a crucial step in growing your business. Rock+Feather’s goal with this 3-step process is to help potential clients make the right decision, even if their choice is not us.
As a footnote, I want to point out that none of Rock+Feather’s time during this initial 3-step process is billed to the potential client, and proposals are prepared at no obligation to them, of course.