With all this frantic networking we all seem to be doing at the minute, business cards are being handed around constantly. Being in the business of designing them and having them printed, I take an avid interest in what is being waved under my nose or presented so proudly – and it’s not always pretty.  Here’s why…

Non-uniform sized cards or poor quality print
Different sizes or shapes may make your cards stand out more – but not in a good way! I have been known to be partial to a die cut or folded business card, but if I can’t fit it in my card box, folder or wallet so I can find it easily it’s going in the bin – sorry!  And if the quality of the print is poor it can portray an unprofessional image for your company. Not only that but they are likely to fall to bits sooner rather than later! Competitive prices means that there is no excuse for a poor quality print these days!

Unreadable type
Make sure your card is readable – if the type is too small to read, if the font is illegible or if the colour isn’t easy on the eye then how am I supposed to contact you?!

No email address or website
If you have no email address or website on your card how can I  find out more about you?  Both are critical if you want to have a successful growing business.

Vague generic email addresses
You have just given me your card but how can I contact you personally if you only include an almost meaningless generic email address (sales@, info@, enquiries@ etc.) As a response mechanism on your website they are fine, but if my email is going to get dumped in a general inbox that gets looked at once a week if I’m lucky then it’s going to be harder to contact you. 

What is it you actually do?
This is really useful as a means of being able to remember who you are and why I need to contact you – especially if your company name doesn’t give me any clues. Just one line would do it – or you can always list your services on the reverse of your card – it’s crying out for some attention and often gets overlooked!

Any of these apply to you? If so you need to contact us. It is very easy to avoid these errors and it doesn’t need to cost a lot to get it right.

Not only can we get your business cards right for you, but we can create complete stationery packs and produce new marketing materials to present a uniform, quality image to your customers and tell them what they need to know about your business. 

For more details call Lesley on 0208 841 4314 / 07956 693807 or email lesley@wingreenhill.co.uk.
To see a small sample of our work, visit our website – www.wingreenhill.co.uk

When focusing on customers needs we always ask ourselves the following:

• Why should my customers use or buy from me?
• What do I do differently and what can I offer them that others can’t – or won’t?

At times like these you need to make your marketing material work harder for you so that your business stands out from your competitors. And if your competitors are cutting back on their spending while you carry on marketing and making your customers notice you, it stands to reason that you are more likely to ride out the recession and reap the rewards afterwards.

Marketing shouldn’t be seen as a cost but as an investment and if you invest in your brand, the result will have a positive effect on your success. With this in mind, it might be time to take a look at your marketing material and see if it is doing the job for you. Go on – have a look – then ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you happy with your logo?
• Is your brand / message strong, professional and consistent?
• Do your customers know about all the services and products you offer?
• Are you communicating frequently with your customers?

If the answer to any of these questions is NO – then we need to talk! 

For a no-obligation consultation and review of your current promotional material, please call Lesley on
07956 693807 or email me – lesley@wingreenhill.co.uk

Although it may seem insignificant, all supporting documentation – whether printed or electronic – needs to be consistent, sensible and clear to convey the message and image that made you stand out in the first place.

Unless you are a sole trader, new laws came into force last year that require companies and limited liability partnerships to have their legal name stated in legible lettering on all letters, order forms, invoices, receipts, websites and emails.  (Source: The Companies (Registrar, Languages and Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2006.)

• Your place of registration (ie. England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland)
• Your company registration number
• Your registered office address

More information can be found at  www.companieshouse.gov.uk

Now might be a good time to check that everything complies – and obviously if it doesn’t and you need any help, please feel free to give me a call. Don’t worry – I’ll make sure you won’t end up in the clink!

As designers we don’t really have a physical product to sell – but we do sell our talent and our expertise. When preparing pitches we have to invest a considerable amount of time and effort in gaining a genuine understanding of  the client’s business and objectives in order to present them with the best possible solutions – and hopefully win the job. Sometimes this can take days or weeks – it’s not a five minute job.

Although clients are taking advantage of the current economic climate, and have a wealth of suppliers to chose from, we really don’t feel that it’s fair for them to expect everything for nothing. After all we are trying to run a business as well! Granted, new business prospects may still need to see some kind of idea or concept – and of course when this is appropriate we can provide them – but working on lengthy proposal documents full of great – and free – ideas, for no reward or renumeration isn’t ideal.

Every time we present a proposal – whether it ends up being successful or not – there is still a cost involved. It might be the hard cost of materials or the time we take to prepare it. By giving away this time and expertise, we are in danger of de-valuing our service and this can have a long term negative impact on our business in pursuit of a short term gain. We usually weigh up the amount of effort and time we need to prepare proposals against the potential amount of business we can generate – and unfortunately nine times out of ten we would be better off channelling our efforts elsewhere!

At Win Green Hill, we feel strongly that clients should select a design agency based on their experience, the previous work they have produced, the value for money they provide and perhaps most importantly, the value and success of the relationship they feel they can have with the agency. If our clients can clearly understand our processes and our vision of how we will work with them to achieve their goals, this can be a key deciding factor when appointing the right people for the job – and no amount of free pitching can achieve this!

This is the story of my life!  Please note that the language gets a bit strong in parts so if you are easily offended I probably wouldn’t watch this.  And if you are one of my lovely clients it doesn’t apply to you – obviously – because you have all seen the light!