“Your prices gave me a bit of sticker shock, to be honest.“
“I can’t justify spending thousands and not walking away with physical items.“
“Well I can find someone else to do the exact same thing cheaper.“
These are all things I’ve heard from people during consult calls for my branding services. I think tact sometimes goes out the window when it comes to talking about money, but I get it. My services are expensive. Not as expensive as some, but more expense than others. And I’m not planning to lower them anytime soon because I know exactly what goes into those services. Creating a strategic, intentional brand from scratch is one of the hardest parts of building your marketing toolkit. It’s so much harder than throwing together 264 different looking graphics just because the templates are available on Canva. So let me break down some of the maybe unseen value that you’re getting when you book a brand package with an experienced designer (like me!).
I’VE GOT THE EXPERIENCE
Speaking of experience, I have over 10 years of it. That’s over a decade of experience designing logos, brands, and websites, working directly with clients, managing my schedule, and refining my design skills and style. The direct result of that shows in how I run my business and manage projects. I’ve streamlined my processes over the years so they run like a well-oiled machine. My communication is on point and I’ve become a master at translating my clients' feelings + feedback into design speak so we can express what you intend with visuals. And I’ve been in the game for long enough to have seen many common scenarios so I can provide guidance with a perspective that someone without my experience may not have.
I’M ALWAYS LOOKING OUT FOR FUTURE YOU
Anticipating your needs as a business owner is also a big part of the value brought to the table. From logo layouts to file types, I’m always aware of how my clients might be using the materials I create for them. I create brand assets that can be used over and over again in multiple different ways. And I'm also thinking ahead to usage. For example, knowing how a logo will print if it has a certain texture or how it could look if it’s printed in a very small or very large format. My goal during a brand package is to set you up for success so you have everything you need to keep your brand cohesive and don’t need to keep coming back to me if you don’t want to.
I WON’T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME TO
That’s not what you’re actually paying me to do. A good brand designer will listen to you, hear your intentions, and assess what the best way forward will be. And that may not always be what you as the client have suggested. Because part of the reason you hire me is that I am not you. This isn’t your area of expertise and that’s why you’re looking to hire an expert. I bring the ability to see things from the outside and then use my judgment and experience to make the best recommendations. Sometimes when you’re so close to things it’s hard to see it from another perspective, and the most important perspective is that of your ideal client. I believe a good brand that's the right fit for your business is where your likes + the way you want to be portrayed intersects with how your ideal clients are feeling and what they’re looking for.
I can totally see why the value of establishing brand foundations can be hard to quantify. The results may not be obvious or immediate and if you don’t see the value in it, you may not be ready. And that’s OK. Most businesses start without it and that may work pretty well for awhile. But when you get to the point where word of mouth referrals aren’t enough anymore, or not portraying a professional image is getting in the way of growing, it may be time to make that investment.
