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Dad Said: “When You Pay Peanuts, You Get Monkeys”

Dad Said: “When You Pay Peanuts, You Get Monkeys”

Father’s Day is this weekend. I was thinking about my Dad and the great advice he’s given me over the years. Like me, Dad’s a business owner. We work in different fields – he’s in carpentry, I’m in marketing and tech – but we have had one big challenge in common:

Quality Work Demands Quality Pricing

You have probably experienced this situation yourself. How many times have you talked with a prospect who is very enthusiastic about all of your experience and the work they’ve seen you do yet have them cringe at the price tag? This is a thing that happens. People want the Walt Disney World experience at neighborhood block party prices. It’s very frustrating – but my Dad has a great line for it. He says, “When you pay peanuts, you get monkeys!”

Tired of Monkey Business? Here’s What You Need to Do Differently

Any time you’re considering a vendor, you want to seriously evaluate what they’re offering. Take the time to look at their experience, talent, management style, the processes a company brings to the table matter and ongoing support. These are just a few of the factors that make one digital marketing and development firm, for example, quantitatively better than another. It’s important to know that the vendor you choose has the ability to do the level of work you need to support your business.

In a perfect world, we’d be making these comparisons on an apples-to-apples basis. That’s not the case when we evaluate service organizations. What really happens, too often, is we jump directly to the price tag and make our choices based solely on our budget. Without stepping back and asking more important questions about:

  • How does their project process work?
  • Who are the team members being assigned to the project?
  • What communication channels do they use?
  • What are the response time and turnaround?
  • How do they deliver assets?
  • How do they handle deadlines?
  • What is support like after a project?
  • What metrics do they track and why?
  • What industry best practices or benchmarks do they follow?

These items often validate the cost and why one firm will deliver a quality end product, but also a stress-free working relationship and experience.

As a consumer, when I made the choice to buy based on price it has bitten me in the butt – and I’m sure this has happened to you too. There’s a reason Dad says, “If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is!” When what you’re paying for doesn’t actually meet your needs, you’re wasting time, money and resources. Nobody’s budget is large enough for foolish choices!

As a vendor, I’ve learned to be very wary of the price-driven client. In any professional relationship, you should be evaluating your potential clients as they are evaluating you. If the focus of the conversation is bringing the price down, down, down, we are not going to be a good fit for that particular organization. They’ll be happier with someone who charges – and delivers – less than we do. Remember when you are experienced you cannot water down your skills even if you water down the project price.

The sweet spot – on either side of this equation – is where you are willing to invest in a quality relationship. Bargain basement prices generate bargain basement results. Smart, strategic choices may cost more – but they also result in relationships with committed partners, who consistently turn in their best efforts and deliver better outcomes. Teams eager and excited to work with you to achieve a common goal and success.

We can never forget that vendors are people too. No one likes being treated as a commodity. The way we recognize the value of someone’s effort, experience and expertise is by paying an appropriate price for those services.

If you want to be known as a quality business, you need to work with quality people. It’s that simple.

Thanks Dad for teaching me to value people and quality craftsmanship; and an understanding that paying peanuts will only deliver monkey business.

Originally published on Linkedin Father’s Day 2014

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Creative Director/Senior Designer

Tom DiGrazia

With over a decade and a half of professional design experience, Tom brings his knowledge of design principles and focus on user experience to every aspect of his contribution to TTG. Paying special attention to each client’s brand, personalized needs and individual interests, he strives to create compelling concepts utilizing intuitive and highly-refined design solutions. In addition to traditional and digital design work and oversight at TTG, Tom also boasts a wide portfolio of web development projects with the company, allowing him to stretch his CSS and HTML skills across multiple platforms and disciplines. He feels that being a designer in the digital landscape of websites, eCommerce solutions, email marketing platforms and social media, it is important to understand the code that goes into these areas as it assists his ability to tailor designs specifically targeted to achieve the best end result and further builds understanding and communication with backend development teams.

In his off hours, Tom is an avid pop culture enthusiast, staying up to date on the latest shows, films, comics and games. He can also typically be found taking part in a whole host of artistic activities that help him further stretch his creative legs. Regardless of the activity, Tom is always accompanied by his dog, Eli, and his cat, Tib.

Specialties:
Design, Photography, Illustration, Digital Imagery Manipulation, Wesbite Development

Platforms/Tools:
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom, HTML/CSS, Wordpress

Analyst/Strategist

Courtney Dumont

As Senior Marketing Strategist & Analyst at Technology Therapy Group, Courtney is energized by the ability to flex both her left and right brain daily. Courtney discovered her passion for Marketing at Bryant University, where she spearheaded research on students’ perceptions of Social Media Marketing for her Honors Capstone Project. After graduating Bryant in 2012, she joined the Technology Therapy team, where she’s honed her skills in social media, search and social advertising, email marketing, SEO, and more.

Since joining the team, Courtney has created digital marketing strategies and managed campaigns for clients across the country, ranging from plastic surgery centers, to jewelry stores, to construction companies. With a cohesive, cross-channel approach and a focus on data-driven decision making, she has increased their leads by up to 217%. But Courtney doesn’t leave her zeal for social media at the office; she also runs a local foodie Instagram account with her husband to document their meals across Rhode Island and beyond. Check them out: @hoppilyfed.

Specialties:
Marketing Strategy, Data Analysis, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Social Media

Platforms/Tools:
Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Facebook Creator Studio, Instagram, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Emma Mail, Google Data Studio, WordPress, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Microsoft Office