VALUES
Your value greatly depends on your values!
BY ZAIN AHMED KAMAL
A set of values is an integral part of brand building; it has its importance and benefits. In this blog, we will discuss it.
What are values?
Values are a set of rules or principles one follows in every day actions and decisions. Let’s understand this better with a hypothetical situation.
Suppose you are looking for a friend and have two options. The first person is educated, have proper manners, is helpful and loyal and the second person is a crook, cheat and abusive. Who will you choose? The first one I guess.
The same is with a brand. The business which takes care of its clients and customers by sticking to its values will be chosen by everybody and eventually become a brand.
Its Importance
and Benefits
Values are vital, period! I am talking about it from my own firsthand experience. It has unimaginable reward and let me tell you about it with some of my own experiences.
Be true to your clients
Long before in 2017 when I had just started my business I got a big project, a pretty big one.
It was for a very famous restaurant in Calcutta called Peter Cat, they had ordered 20,000 visiting cards. Not a normal one though, it was in the shape of a cats face with borders, lamination and other stuff.
The most complex and expensive project of that time and I failed at it miserably. Not once but thrice I got it done from different vendors but couldn’t deliver the expected quality. It wasn’t my fault; I did not have much experience back then. I knew about the technology for it but wasn’t aware of the limitations. (Will tell the entire story in a different blog so subscribe to my email list if you wish to be informed)
In the end, I gave up on that project after the third try as I knew it was not possible.
I had incurred huge loss and moreover, I had to return the advance amount given to me and believe me I had just a few bucks in my bank account, not even enough to repay my client.
Everyone told me not to receive the clients call and maybe block him; there is no point in returning the money as the client will not give you anymore project. Just forget about it.
However, I had to be true to my client and so I went and told him everything clearly that I tried three times and this is just not possible. I took a loan from a friend and returned every penny and guess what its 2020 and still he is my client giving me projects much bigger than that time. He trusts me more than he did before and things are super fine.
Imagine what a fool I would have been if I hadn’t returned the money.
Think about your customer, the customer will think about you
Back in 2018, I got a website designing project for Sparsh Interiors Pvt Ltd. Everything was going smooth; the layout was selected in the very first shot. The client was happy with the ongoing work. You could not want anything more.
On a Monday I had to meet them and show the website which was developed for them and my coder had to finish the work one day before on Sunday.
T hat Monday morning at 4am I got a call from my coder that he met with an accident and the website is not yet ready. I was tensed as I had promised them that it would be ready by then.
For a second I though ok let’s just leave a text and then skip all the calls I would be getting from them but then how they would they feel if I do something like that. Think about the customer and the customer will think about you.
So instead I went to meet them. Told them truly about the incident and requested for a weeks’ time. Guess what they appreciated me coming, meeting them and telling about the incident. At the end, they happily gave me one more week.
That is what I had needed, the problem was solved.
You don’t have to be cheap, you have to be worthy
Many people in my Industry and maybe in other industry too have a thinking that they need to be cheap to get a client. They have to charge them very less and only then they will be chosen.
However, that is not true. Tell me how do brands charges so much more and still get all the customers? Because they prove themselves worthy.
I had a meeting with the Marketing head of Salasar Insurance Brokers.
I showed her my business profile, she saw all my work and believe me she liked it so much that she asked if she could keep it. This was her statement –“I love your work and this business profile, can I keep it?”
The last question she asked at the end of the meeting – “are you people reasonably cheap?” To which I answered not at all, we are more expensive than most of our competitors but what we will provide is definitely going to be worth every penny. “I can see that from your work“-was her last statement and the meeting ended.
Very next day I got a call from her that the business head would like to meet me, the meeting went smooth, sent a proposal to them, got the work and they still are my clients. All of their work is done by my firm ZAK Designs.
Do not sell but help
There is a very famous proverb in the branding world “Not by selling but by helping you build a Brand”.
When you sell something you automatically put a price on it, however helping is priceless.
I am often asked to design logos for businesses and rather than just quoting them the price I ask them about their venture. I take a deep interest in their business and tell them how they can build a brand and why a logo is necessary. What kind of logo would suit best and more.
I give them many advice on how they can build a brand, how they can create their value etc
At the end of the day, I send them a proper proposal with all the information of what they are going to be provided with and I always give them something extra as a complementary gift. By doing this I put more value on the table and often get chosen even after quoting twice of what my competitors quote.
I clearly remember meeting the owner of Opaque Upvc Doors and Windows, a very successful and humble person. As told by him I was the 8th person he met for his branding purpose and my pricing was much more than what others quoted, yet he chose me because I was more professional and helpful.
So create your worth, be valuable to the client and you will be chosen irrespective of your pricing.
Hassle free service
Today if Amazon is successful it is because they keep the customers at the centre of everything. All their decision, initiatives and process are based on providing hassle-free service to the end consumers.
In all our projects we try our best to fulfil our commitment, if we give a date we always provide within that time. Not just that the goal is to provide quality designs which work for the client within the quoted date.
Zero Degree Cafe is one of our clients for whom we made a logo. The opening of their restaurant was in 7 days and the last designer was not able to satisfy them with his designs that is when someone referred me to them.
I promised them that they will get their logos within 5 days and they will love it. It was a commitment and I had to fulfil it.
On the fifth day, I gave them three logos and this one was selected. Tell me how it is (Check out the portfolio to see more of my work).
They were pretty happy with my hassle-free service.
This is all about Values; I hope it was helpful and informative. Use it in your business and see what difference it can make. Your values don’t have to be very fancy or anything, just help them achieve what they really want and then those customers will build your brand.
If you find this blog interesting or you think it can be improved in any way then do put it in the comment box. If you want me to write on any particular topic then please do comment and I will do the needful.
If you wish to know more about branding then you should check the blog on Brand, Branding and Branding Strategy.
Also, you can check out our blog on Core Purpose – A must for Branding.
If this can help any of your friend or relative in their business then please share it with them.
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Written by Zain Ahmed Kamal
