“Who else is in this race?” (agency scene #4)
Why everybody wins if you share your agency shortlist.
Imagine the 100m running finals in Rio. Only now, Usain Bolt, Justin Gatlin and the other finalists run in the dark, their lanes separated by fences. Because if they would see, they would run only so fast to stay just ahead. And if they knew the others, they would make a deal between them who would get the gold medal. Right?
We all know it’s not like that. Why then, do so few ‘buyers of (digital) design services’ see it’s the same with agencies competing for their design job!
Sharing your shortlist means you disclose something about the approach, team and budget you have in mind. Which design agencies like where I work can comply with to give you a matching proposal. Or we can decide to challenge and give you an even better proposal. Knowing the others will also make us present our own strengths more clearly — thus giving you more choice. Don’t worry, we’ll be competitive. If we know the competition personally, we’ll want to beat them rather than strike a deal with them ;-)
We want to win your gold medal, just be open and you will get a more entertaining race, and who knows, a world record!
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