We Want Your Marketing Problems

We want your marketing problems. Yep, you heard that correctly. Bold…but true.

When Rob and I started this venture together, we identified a host of issues that both of us, individually, have ran across over the years that we have been in business. I will not say we’ve seen it all, but we have definitely seen our fair share of problems in the creative/marketing world. Everything from web designers bailing on their clients never to be heard of again, to improperly designed logos, to incorrect photo files delivered to customers, and a whole lot in between. Too many times creatives take the money, create sub par products then disappear or never correct the problems. This is unprofessional and irritating to the clients that have come to us with these issues, but it also annoys the hell out of us too. It’s a black eye on the industry.

Let me also say that this is not completely across the board. There are amazing graphics, photographers, and web creatives out there that do top notch artwork and understand that they need to give clients the highest quality of work and service. We love meeting these people! If you are reading this and feel like you are a highly creative, responsive, and responsible professional in one of these fields…drop us a line. We’d be excited to chat with you and see how we could work together.

If you are a business owner that has fell into one of these traps…we are sorry. If you spent way too much money on something that didn’t work or didn’t work very well, again, we are sorry.  We are also here to help find the solution.

Is your website outdated or not designed to your liking? Do you only have web sized files that a photographer delivered to you and are unable to use any images for print? Are the photos not very well focused or even eye catching? Is your logo pixelating and distorting when you try to add it to a larger sign, or even on the web? Did the person who made your website make it and then never return calls or emails? Not sure what to do with your business social media pages, or how to operate them to maximum efficiency? Was the cost associated with any of your marketing efforts beyond what you wanted to spend? Need a way to get customers to see what your product or service is REALLY all about? Don’t feel that the marketing company you used in the past completely understood your industry and business?

If you answered yes to any of the above or similar questions give us a call. We’d love to help with a free consultation.

We listen. We offer free advice. We dig deep into your business to learn as much as we can about it. We act quickly. We are not your typical marketing service. We have all the tools and know how to fix your marketing problems!

Analyze. Create. Achieve.

 

Let a Fresh Set of Eyes Take a Look

Crossword puzzles are frustrating. You get your first few words with ease, but soon you cannot see any new words at all. Your eyes have adjusted to the random letters and fail to see obvious words. The solution you ask? A fresh pair of eyes, a professional crossword solver. At 77 Design Company in Murrysville, we are your professional crossword solvers.

Okay, maybe not the greatest analogy, but crossword puzzles are a lot like small businesses; someone who runs the business day to day can easily and understandably miss small mistakes. That may cause his or her business to fall short of expectations. At 77 Design, we offer business consultations to help improve those small, but powerful, pieces of your business. We’ll come in and visualize the business with a fresh set of eyes and offer suggestions for improvement. Increasing awareness of employee activity is also another great example of what a business consultation with 77 Design can do for your company.

One example would be when an employee answers the phone. If you do not put an emphasis on phone training your employees…you may want to start! They are the first impression of your business given to a potential customer. It could happen that unbeknownst to you, or your employee, they may answer your business’s phone 70% of the time with a monotone or less than enthusiastic tone. They may answer the other 30% of the time with a happy and excited voice, depending on the day they are having or even the time of day. You could potentially lose 70% of those possible sales because potential customers talked to a more enthusiastic and excited employee at the business across the street who they liked better. Happy employees=happy clientele. Positivity, enthusiasm, optimism, and helpfulness are all contagious within your organization and that spreads to your customer base.

We can not only help to visually market your business better, but also advise you and your staff on best practices that will improve the quality of your brand, employee morale, and its sales.

If you’re unaware that you’re losing these clients, because that 30% of the time is the only thing you see then, 77 Design Company in Murrysville, PA will spot these issues immediately and find solutions that work for your individual business. We are in the business of helping business!

 

Analyze. Create. Achieve.

Introducing Our New Project Manager, Gabriella!

Hi! I am Gabriella Hatch, the new Project Manager at 77 Design Company. I wanted to tell you a little bit about myself, where I come from, and hopefully where I am going. I was born and raised 19 years, just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in a little town called Oakdale. It’s actually “America’s Hometown”, at least that’s what our sign says.
I was surely an “oops” child, my mother was 45 years old with no previous child when I came along. My parent’s previous retirement plan quickly turned into my love of the outrageously expensive equestrian sport and 8
years of college. With that said, my parents’ support has given me motivation and confidence to put my best foot forward in everything I do as well as creating a strong work ethic and a desire to learn.
Recently, I finished my first year at Duquesne University, where I am majoring in Psychology with a minor in political science. For as long as I can remember I have always had a fascination with the brain. When I was young I struggled with panic attacks, controlling the way I breathed in order to control the irrational fear I felt was intriguing to me even as a kid. Therefore when asked as a child what I wanted to be when I grew up, I only had two choices, a
rockstar or a psychologist. The rockstar thing hasn’t worked out for me just yet, so psychology is plan B. As for the future I envision for myself now; my end goal is to receive my PhD. in Psychology, take over my mother’s private christian psychology practice and possibly grow the business with horse therapy. What better way to learn how to run a business and market yourself effectively than to learn from a marketing company itself?
Officially as project manager, my duties include keeping up with social media accounts, billing, research, and everyday administrative duties. More than my official duties, I am thrilled to grow with this company and bring a new perspective to the table.
Analyze. Create. Achieve.

Keys to Successfully Market Your Business and Improve Life

Todays blog is all about some things it takes to successfully implement a business marketing plan and better execute personal goals. Hell, the below strategies are what it takes to be successful in any aspect of life!

Ever dealt with an individual or business that DRAAAGGGGS THEIR FEEEET, seems unmotivated, or is unresponsive? If you have ever hired anyone for a job around the house, called for an estimate somewhere, or been in business for more than 30 seconds we are sure that you have. Procrastination is a recipe for failure. It takes work from all parties involved to ensure that things go smoothly no matter what you do and marketing is no different.

One of the things we feel confident in at double 7’s is that responsiveness and communication are at the top of the priority list. You call, we call back. You get us information we need for your strategy, we get it done. You text, we text back. You have a question, we get you an answer. Period. Below are a few things you can start to utilize in your life and business to start trending towards success:

  1. Responsiveness-always call back clients, friends/family, and/or customers definitely within 24 hours, and preferably within an hour or 2.
  2. Problem Resolution-the saying “you can’t please everyone” is true, but its also true that if there is ever a problem, setting up a time to talk things out in a sophisticated and mature manner can be the difference between a pissed off customer and one willing to negotiate and meet in the middle.
  3. Professionalism-this one is a bit broad but always manage to present yourself as an expert in your field. Dress accordingly. Be friendly, optimistic, cordial, and good-natured. Nobody wants to deal with an unpleasant or despondent person that seems lost, obtuse, or frumpish.
  4. Motivation-wake up in the morning with a plan of action. Whether you are working for someone else, or yourself, its a good idea to plan how your day should go instead of just winging it. Even on the worst of days (and we all have them) try to plan something uplifting to you that you enjoy or can look forward to.
  5. Be Organized-even if you don’t have your shit together, pretend you do. We all have lives that often involve hectic work and family schedules but take a few minutes to gather the information you will need for the day and have it at the ready for anyone that may contact you.
  6. Prioritize-this is sometimes difficult but by creating a To-Do list with the number 1-5 things to get done you can save yourself a lot of issues down the road AND start moving ahead, see #’s 1, 2, and 5.

Below are a few Google reviews that we’d like to share. We know first hand that the customers that wrote these reviews follow most of these steps listed above on a daily basis. We couldn’t have created successful marketing strategies for them without their involvement and help. Enjoy your Friday everyone!

Analyze. Create. Achieve.

 

 

 

 

The Correct Customer

This weeks blog is all about finding yourself the correct customer. In the business marketing world, we deal with a variety of different sized businesses and business owners on a day to day basis. We’d like to share a few things that may be helpful in solidifying your business relationships.

Ever have a customer that wants to purchase from you then decides to go elsewhere, or worse yet to a direct competitor? How about a customer who always knows better than you about certain elements within your field? Constantly feeling on edge about dealing with one of, or a few specific clients? What about a customer that either pays late or not at all?

Most of us in business have dealt with one of the above scenarios (or many other issues not listed) at least once, if not several times. Not every client you pick up is going to be the best, most spectacular, awesomely phenomenal, magnificent, all amazing customer! You will run into issues every now and again, but this blog will give you a little ammo in deciding who to work with and who to not.

Weeding out problem customers is a difficult thing to do especially if you really need to pick up the account and/or the money. Bills need to be paid, the business needs to continue to operate, employees need their paychecks on time, and the doors need to stay open. We get it. You have to begin to look past this though, no matter how hard it is. There a few minor tactics you can begin to implement that will increase the quality of the customers you are servicing, which in return will tremendously increase the quality of your sales and eventually improve your business. Here are a few ways to make your life and potentially your business much better:

Interview Potential Clients

Yep. You read that right! Conduct your own silent interview when discussing the potential of working together. It is in the beginning of your new business relationships that you can also begin to key in on certain factors that will determine if they are the right customer for you for the long haul. Create a list of traits that you’d like to know about them, how they conduct their business or personal life (if you are dealing with individual customers,) who they are connected to, who they know, their demeanor, or other qualities that you’d find attractive in developing this working relationship with. It doesn’t matter if they are paying you huge globs of money if they are difficult to deal with or creating sleepless nights for you.

Set Boundaries  

Be specific early. Explain that you normally do not work on Saturdays or Sundays due to the kids soccer matches, or other family oriented events. Let them know immediately that you do not respond after 8:00 PM or whenever you shut down for the day/night. Discuss certain factors in pricing and set the bar that these prices are not negotiable (unless of course they are for you.) Be open, honest, and as helpful as you can be but let them understand there are limits. Truly great customers will understand and probably respect you more.

Explain Pricing and Payments in Full Detail

This should go without saying but all of your contracts and payment plans need to be laid out on the table and in the open. Slimy businesses hide fees and charge customers additional monies through fine print, so don’t be one of them. No handshake or verbal agreements will help you in the event of legal issues, so make it all contractually binding and easily understood. You should then go over everything step by step with your customer for what you expect and what they can expect.

Communication is Key

If you are like us, a constant communication is needed about the processes involved in your industry. Payments, length of time for projects, and any issues that arise should be discussed in detail and is very important in making the relationship go smoothly. Be straight forward and ask customers directly “if there is a problem can I contact you or your team and get a timely response?” Ask, “What is your turn around response time on emails, texts, or calls?” Communication is one of the most important factors in any relationship. Communicating effectively can also be the difference in making or breaking relationships.

There you go. The next time you sit down to contract new work or meet about a new project to take on remind yourself that it’s not always about the money. If you truly believe in what you do, the service or product you offer, and your work ethic and morals, then take into consideration WHO is your correct customer. It may help you and your client form a much stronger bond…and who knows where that may lead?!

Analyze. Create. Achieve.

77 Design Co.

 

 

 

What’s Your Perfect Image?

What is the perfect image for your business?

Tough question to answer but a very relevant question as well. If you had to hand your perfect customer the perfect marketing material, that would make or break a huge deal, what would this look like? Would it include a small series of photographs, one product shot, a team photo, just a logo, or perhaps an animated design? Creative commercial photography and graphic design can help, but it also takes some outside the box thinking.

Think about this a bit and understand just how important this could be to your business. Many business owners with little or no experience in the creative field could really struggle with this particular question, and it’s not an easy question to answer for even the most experienced creatives. We aren’t saying that we have the answer, what we are saying is that this is a thought provoking question that needs to be taken seriously.

Visuals make all the difference in catching a customers’ attention. We’ve talked about this in length before but this is an important topic for entrepreneurs to fully understand it’s value. The image included as an example below is one photograph that we feel aptly encompasses our business. Maybe we are right, maybe we are wrong, but one undeniable thing is that we are in the business of offering DAMN GOOD ADVICE so we feel it works well with our message.

Psychologically, many people are more likely to continue scrolling through a website, social media page/post, or drifting their eyes across your handouts when high quality images that are relatable to your business are included. There’s countless advertising and marketing studies that you can research on your own that will back up this claim. Go look, and better your business!

For any help brainstorming and creating ideas that will better bring attention to your brand, give us a call or drop us an email/message. We’ll be glad to give you some Damn Good Advice. We love what we do and we love to help businesses flourish!

Analyze. Create. Achieve.