Success and Value in the Client Relationship: Are You a Mosquito or a Firefly?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, success is defined as favorable or desired outcome; where value is a relative worth, utility, or importance— though not always monetary in nature. It struck me the other night while thinking about the comparison between success and value that a  business often falls into one of two categories: mosquitoes and fireflies. While it might be oversimplistic to limit all companies to just two categories, read on and see if you agree with my conclusions.

Some mosquitoes feed on nectars, while others feed on proteins and iron in blood. Companies with short-sighted business models that are based solely on sales can be lumped into this category. Since they aren't expending any effort to get to know their clients (or their clients needs), they are free to spend their time following the sweet smells of short-term success just as the mosquito follows carbon dioxide and alcohol signatures of potential feeding targets . In many cases they offer solutions that put their own profitability above the needs of the customer. In short, their "success" is often at the expense of someone else.

Fireflies make a contribution to their surroundings. They have the ability to create an internal chemical reaction called bioluminescence which causes an area of the firefly's abdomen to glow; this light source is used to court potential mates. By emitting a light source in their environment, they are able to find partners to help them achieve success (in this case, by procreating and prolonging the species). When used as a metaphor for business, companies in this category seek to add value to all customer relationships, finding success themselves (which is not always monetary) when others succeed. In some instances, the best example of this success is when the fruits of these efforts yield a productive result for a third party.

Do you seek to contribute and add value to your customer relationships? If so, does that value extend beyond your own bottom line? If we asked five of your customers/clients, what would they say?

Thanks for reading. We invite your feedback in the comments below.

—Jason@Ideavise

"Relationships Don't Matter in Business." Wait…What?

Relationships don't matter in business. Or so I was told recently in a conversation which included that; one of the most short-sighted statements ever heard in business. The gist of the exchange was an executive telling a vendor that relationships don't matter in business—that they're immaterial to the process.

What's more likely is that this particular executive doesn't understand HOW to relate to people in business. And since he doesn't understand, he perceives it to be worthless.

If that truly is the view of this particular executive, then he's missed one of the primary purposes of commerce, which is service. The most successful type of service exists when the person providing it truly understands the position and need of the person receiving it. The best way to accomplish this is through communication—forming a relationship.

Our company's relationship with our print rep is a perfect example (shameless plug: Denise Cardona at Printworx in Watsonville, CA). Because of our history (read: relationship), I know that she's willing to do everything within her power to get our projects completed on time and within budget. Consistently, time and time again, she's put herself in a position to serve the needs of our company. And it's because of that relationship that I'm not currently in the market for a print vendor. I'm quite satisfied with the one that I have.

Relationships are foundational for trust, and visa versa. More often than not, companies have options when it comes to clients, vendors and community associations, and we typically gravitate toward sources that we trust. To postulate that relationships don't matter means that no value is placed on service or trust and  that price alone is probably the most important criteria (read our post from December 4th: How to Overpay by Shopping for the Lowest Price). Businesses that shop on price alone will never experience the value that solid, long-term relationships create.

Do business relationships matter to you? Regardless of the answer is yes or no, tell us about it in the comments below.

—Jason @ Ideavise

How to Overpay by Shopping for the Lowest Price

There's an old story which goes something like this:

A designer and a client were meeting to discuss an estimate for an upcoming project. After carefully reviewing the proposal, the client reached the final page where the financial terms of the project were disclosed. "You charge $1,500 for a logo?",  exclaimed the client. Without missing a beat, the designer replied, "Actually, the logo itself is free. The $1,500 is for the 10 years of experience that it takes to design the logo."

It's easy to assume that the price you're paying represents the tangible value of the service that you're receiving. Sometimes, this may even be the case. But often, there's more to the story. Value is more than price. Value also considers time and proficiency.

If a project costs half as much, but takes twice as long—depending on the job—it may not be a big deal. But if the same project costs half as much, takes twice as long and is riddled with errors, then you're obviously not receiving good value.

There are hidden jems in virtually every industry. People (and companies) who charge a fair price and offer a level of proficiency rarely duplicated by others in their field. They might initially appear more expensive, but these relationships actually save us money by helping to avoid the mistakes and pitfalls that trap the less experienced.

How do you choose vendors, contractors and suppliers? If it's based solely on whomever had the lowest price, then you're probably overpaying.

Do you have a value vs. proficiency story that you'd like to share? Leave us a note using the comment box below.

Thanks for reading.

—Jason @ Ideavise

Branding Basics: What is a Brand, and How Do I Strategize It?

What is a brand? Expert Marty Neumeier classifies a brand as, "A person's gut feeling about a product, service or company." Almost all companies use visual identifiers (logos) as a component of their brand strategy to help them differentiate themselves in the marketplace. But it shouldn't stop there. In fact, when I hear a company mention branding, most often they're referring to their logo. Unfortunately, that's selling the concept and process of brand strategy short.

So what is brand strategy? I 'd propose that it's a planned effort by a product, service or company to use consistent practices, interactions and design language in order to build a sense of value and trust in the eyes of current and potential customers. Yes, that includes the logo (right there in that design language part).

You might be thinking, "Value and trust— Got it." But there is a third component which could be the most important aspect of brand strategy, and that's consistency. To demonstrate why consistency is important, allow me to use an example: Suppose that you stopped at the corner coffee shop each morning on your way to work  (which isn't much of a stretch for some of us). For the first four days of the week, the coffee is amazing. Perfect roast, great flavor, etc. Then, on Friday, you swing by the same coffee shop for your daily cup of joe only to get to work and find that the coffee is awful. Not just questionable, but absolutely unpalatable. Are you going to go back to this same coffee shop week after week? After all, 80% of the time, their coffee is great. My guess is that you probably won't. There are plenty of other options in the coffee marketplace, and you're not going to waste your time and money on an inconsistent experience. Consistency is the difference on whether you continue to patronize that business. They've diminished their value by violating your trust that they'd provide a consistent product, day after day.

And the thing is, the story above only mentions the product aspect of the company/customer relationship. That same analogy, however, can be applied to virtually all facets of the business including; customer service, marketing, advertising, etc. You can start to see how the concept of a brand is so all-encompassing. It's difficult to think of a single element within a company that's unable to be tied to the brand in some way.

To recap, brands are important because they allow you to differentiate your product, service or company. When solid brand strategy is implemented consistently, a brand builds value in the eyes of its customers and creates a trust relationship. It's not difficult to imagine that people are much more comfortable buying things that they value from companies (or individuals) that they trust. Every interaction affects the perception of the brand, and it's virtually impossible to find an aspect of a business that doesn't have an impact on the brand in some way.

Thanks for reading.

—Jason @ Ideavise

Questions about brand strategy or positioning? Drop us a note in the comments section below.

Ideavise Press Release

Long Time Cycling Industry Professionals
Launch Professional Services Firm
Focused on the Needs of Small Businesses

November 10, 2009, Colorado Springs, CO — Industry professionals Jason Lombard and Brian DeLong are proud to announce Ideavise, a professional services firm. Their new venture is focused on bringing cost effective design, marketing, brand positioning and technology solutions to the small business market.

Capitalizing on their in-depth knowledge of the bicycle and outdoor industries, the Ideavise team offers stand-alone services such as; print and electronic design, broad-based marketing, brand identity consulting, as well as integrated business technology solutions. Ideavise also specializes in mobile web app development, website design, ecommerce implementations, email marketing and more.

Ideavise clients also enjoy the benefit of communicating through a single point of contact— even across projects that would normally involve several different companies. “One of the ways that we add value for our clients, is by saving them time and money through streamlined communication,” says DeLong, Ideavise Partner and Project Director. “Instead of trying to manage a vendor for design work, a vendor for marketing and a vendor for website implementations, we’ve established a company with the resources to accomplish each of these tasks. This saves our clients time and energy, and allows them to focus on running their business.”

In an ongoing effort to improve the level of service that their customers receive, Ideavise recently hired key positions to increase the depth and bandwidth of the team. Lending her unparalleled interpersonal skills as well as an extensive Mar/Comm background, Jackie Petro has joined Ideavise in a Marketing and Public Relations capacity, and Del Kahre brings his extensive programming expertise spanning multiple platforms, languages and operating systems.

Now entering its second year, Ideavise is proud of the strong relationships that they’ve built with top-tier industry companies, as well as their commitment to giving back through work with several industry associated non-profit agencies. “We’ve been excited and highly motivated by the response that we’ve received,” says Jason Lombard, Ideavise Partner and Creative Director. “It’s incredibly rewarding to have the opportunity to work with such an exceptional group of clients and more importantly, be able to build long term relationships—which is always important with brand strategy and technology.”

About the Company

Drawing on over 20 years of collective experience at cutting-edge companies, Jason Lombard and Brian DeLong noticed a void in the market. During their tenure at brands like Santa Cruz Bicycles, Light & Motion, Carmichael Training Systems and Fox Racing it became obvious that large-scale agencies existed to satisfy the needs of sizable companies, while smaller companies went largely unserved. Additionally, they noted that this void spanned multiple channels including that of the retailer, the distributor and the manufacturer. In response to this need, Ideavise was born in 2008 as a full-service identity agency specializing in design, marketing, brand positioning and technology solutions. With offices in Colorado and California, the Ideavise team works with clients all over the United States.

Ideavise can be contacted at (719) 355-3579 or via their website at http://www.ideavise.com.

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