Whether you have an in-house design and marketing team or a contract with outside professionals, you’re taking a major leap of faith in believing that your team or contractors will deliver. This investment sometimes complicates your ability to communicate what you want, understand everyone’s roles, and trust the end product.

To help you make the most of your experience when working with design and marketing professionals, we have prepared an essential guide for you to use as you prepare for a Discovery Call. Here are our top recommendations.

Provide Information About Your Business and its Offerings Upfront

Clear communication is essential for success, so we always start with a Discovery Call for every project. During this phase, we collect information about your business, clients, market, competition, and marketing strategy. By openly sharing information, we can fully comprehend your business and create brand assets that effectively connect with your target audience.

Whether you’re a professional or a company owner, a business plan is the best tool you can have to share information about your brand. No matter how simple or elaborate your business plan is, documenting your background, goals, and vision is essential regardless of the size of the document. A well-crafted business plan is a roadmap for all your business activities, providing direction and guidance when making crucial decisions. With a comprehensive plan in place, you and your team will be better equipped to achieve success and reach your desired outcomes.

Be Unequivocal About Your Budget

When constructing a house, it’s essential to inform the builder of your budget in advance. If you keep your budget a secret, the builder may suggest building a mansion beyond your financial capacity or a cabin that falls short of your expectations. 

The same principle applies when hiring design agencies or professionals. They offer various services at different price points, so it’s crucial to communicate your budget to determine the best course of action. Only consider taking on projects you can afford to avoid financial strain.

Be Realistic About Deadlines

When embarking on a project, it’s crucial to prioritize doing it correctly rather than rushing through it. Setting strict deadlines is only necessary if you have a product launch, trade show, or campaign scheduled. Your business’s branding process occurs in stages, including planning, design, handoff, and launch. It is a continuous process that may evolve over the project lifecycle. As a client, it’s best to be patient and avoid adding new requirements before the project is completed.

Remember, there’s always time to make changes after finishing the project. Don’t stress if the initial stages of the project don’t look perfect; just like the Mona Lisa’s first stages weren’t perfect, the final product will be stunning.

Understanding the End-Product Should Help Meet Business Goals

Developing a strong brand that resonates with your customers requires more than aesthetics and attention-grabbing gimmicks. It’s imperative to keep in mind that your brand’s visuals and online presence must cater to your target audience’s specific needs and preferences rather than solely reflecting your personal tastes.

Never Design by Committee

We recommend that all our clients appoint one person within your company to be the go-to decision-maker about everything related to the project.

If this is not feasible for your business, we recommend carefully selecting a small subcommittee of 2 to 5 people. One person in the subcommittee should have veto power.

Why do we suggest this allocation of decision-making? Having too many decision-makers can hinder the project process because people’s opinions could clash, communication could get muddled, and even schedules get changed. With a protocol for decision-making and communication, the process could take weeks or months longer than necessary.

Stay Involved as the Process Unfolds and Give Timely, Helpful Feedback

As design and marketing experts, we believe in working together with you to achieve the project’s demands.

You have extensive knowledge about your business, having gained years of experience and understanding its every aspect. We greatly value your expertise in helping us create brand assets that truly reflect your business. Your continuous input throughout the process is crucial in ensuring that we achieve your predefined business goals. As the client, your commitment to regular and timely communication with your team is essential to attain the desired outcome.

Here’s how you can give us helpful feedback:

• Be candid. Ambiguity leads to misunderstandings and frustration.
• Tell us immediately if the project isn’t going in the right direction. Don’t suffer in silence.
• State the problem, not the solution. Instead of saying, “I don’t like the bright blue color,” we recommend saying something like, “I feel that the color doesn’t fit our established, traditional culture.”
• Provide examples of what you like. Send a link, a screenshot, or a hand-drawn sketch instead of verbally describing it.

Compensate Your Team On Time and In Full

Timely compensation is crucial for the success of any project. Payment delays not only put the project at risk of being jeopardized but can also bring it to a complete halt. Clients must fulfill their payment obligations with the same level of promptness and accuracy that professionals deliver their services. With timely and accurate compensation, the project can move forward.

Trust the Professionals to Do Their Job

Even if you skip the rest of this post, read our golden rule to working with design and marketing professionals: treat them as you’d like to be treated by your clients.

This guideline will positively influence your communication with designers, copywriters, and SEO specialists. It will help you more accurately judge their work and ensure that you pay them for their work accordingly.

Your business relies on a particular audience or client base to operate. You strive to provide excellent products and give your clients and customers an unmatched level of service. Our business is no different. We aim to provide you with a superior product (your brand visuals, website, or strategy) and give you outstanding customer service.

Lastly, it’s important to remember that just as you know your business, we know ours! We’re experts in brand identity and design, web design and development, online marketing, and content strategy—and we’re here to help you. To do that efficiently, we need your feedback and trust.

Work with an Experienced, Reliable Web Design Agency

At Brand & Press, we offer a thoughtful, strategic client experience. Our team is responsive, communicative, and professional. We’re committed to helping your business grow and building a heart-centered brand that people will love.

Contact us today if you’re looking for an efficient, reliable design or marketing professional to help you reach your business goals.