Why am I sharing this entirely domestic and personal piece of news? Because it struck me that the same principles apply to installing a new kitchen as apply to clients commissioning me to carry out marketing communications projects.
Choosing a supplier
Initially, we tried one of the biggest names in kitchens (no names, no pack drill!). We found the showroom impressive and the salesman very positive. Unfortunately, when the designer turned up, he had a gloomy, ‘who sold you this then’ attitude. Most uninspiring. Could we trust him to handle a major investment in our home?
So back to the drawing-board, and we did what we should have done in the first place, ask around. One name kept coming up: a smaller company who could offer us personalised service.
Note: 100% of my business comes from word-of-mouth recommendation. I never have to advertise. I’d like to think that speaks volumes for the service I provide. Clients regularly comment on how helpful it is to be able to hand over their projects to a safe pair of hands, leaving them to concentrate on the job in hand. They often say, “I feel calmer already.” They know they can turst me to handle their end customers sensitively and courteously.
Sometimes they’ve tried large, expensive agencies first and been badly stung – and even treated with arrogance by the London agencies.
Achieving quality results
We knew that the layout and content of our new kitchen would be dictated by the space available and our budget, but within those limits we wanted a bit of flair and innovation. We didn’t know what was on the market and hadn’t time to research it.
Whereas our initial supplier only came up with ideas if pushed, Bob became positively creative. He has a keen aesthetic sense of what will work and, while we didn’t accept all his ideas, but it was great to have a fresh eye on our rather tired kitchen.
Note: as I’ve said before, I’m a firm believer in ‘we don’t see the water we swim in’. Working with clients, I find that they often take for granted the things they do well. I can suggest new ways to bring their strengths to the fore and capitalise on them. I’ve recently encouraged one technology company to focus more on the business benefits of their software, rather than its technical heritage. This is already paying dividends in resonating with the target audience.
Managing the project
Another thing we liked about our chose company is that Bob owns and runs the business, so he takes an active interest in the quality of work his installation team perform and can nip any problems in the bud. He’s been a guiding force throughout the project to keep it on track.
Note: I’ve been on your side of the desk. I know that while you don’t want to be bothered every five minutes, it’s good to have a regular update on how things are going, even when all is well. I also know that the last thing you want is a nasty surprise when I send in my invoice; so if we start to have ‘mission creep’, I’ll discuss any budget impact with you sooner rather than later.
So, in short, domestic and commercial projects are not so very different. Both demand:
- A supplier you can trust, who’s happy to work within your givens of budget and timescales
- Creativity in line with the objectives and audience
- Good project management throughout
