You are welcome to share your thoughts on this article written by Jamey Wagner, Creative Director at Interbrand, Cincinnati

Long ago, my mother taught me a deceptively simple philosophy which has never failed during the course of my 19 years in branding and design. Her words of wisdom? “Mind your Ps and Qs.”

There are numerous theories about the origin of the phrase, “Ps and Qs.” I prefer the typographic theory that it’s because the letters “p” and “q” look very similar and, years ago, were stored side-by-side in type cases. Back then, it was easy for a typesetter to mistakenly pull a letter from the wrong slot and not even notice. However, that is not what my mother meant when she warned me to “mind my Ps and Qs,” — she was talking about being courteous, treating others with respect and building positive relationships.

To put this concept into industry terms, I have renamed it Relationship Branding. It is the low-cost entry—the private label brand, if you will—competing against the likes of Emotional Branding, Unleashing the Ideavirus, Experiential Marketing and myriad other branding and design philosophies. However, I submit to you that we don’t need dozens of mantras when one will suffice. After all, our business always has been and always will be about relationships.

Creating solid, personal relationships is the most important aspect of a design assignment—the combination of great chemistry, great atmosphere and great creativity can generate great design. Relationship Branding is a critical element in generating new business and building that business once it is in the studio. Think about it: All of us in the branding and design industry have been in countless shoot-outs for work, fiercely competing for the same clients and accounts, day in and day out. What sets you apart from another studio or design professional is the kind of relationships you have cultivated during your career. Of course, I am not saying that if you start being nice you will magically achieve success. You still need to be good at your craft: creating and producing innovative and strategic design work that attracts the notice of prospective (and current) clients. However, once these folks meet you in person, it is the relationship you build with them that sets you apart from the other guys, hands down.

Think of approaching Relationship Branding as you would a potential design solution: The product (you) is a “package” that needs an arresting visual and verbal design to connect with the target (the client or prospect), establish a positive relationship, and build brand loyalty. Here are five tips to make Relationship Branding work for you:

1. Get to know your clients— and their customers —better than they know themselves. In addition to educating yourself about a client’s products, markets and competitors, it is important to “get” your client’s target audience. Being able to empathize with a consumer or group of consumers and understand what motivates them to purchase your client’s products is all about creating relationships. You have to walk a mile in consumers’ shoes and use consumer and shopper research to get to know them—I mean really know them. If you don’t, someone else (namely, your competitor) will.

2. Engage with your clients. An important first step in Relationship Branding is to dispel common myths about designers —you know; that we are difficult to work with, egotistical, and the like. Be confident in your interactions with clients but don’t let your ego be an obstacle; reassure them that you can solve their problem, think like their customers and be empathetic. Take your emotion out of the evaluation process, protect the core idea and don’t sweat the small stuff. Above all, share your creative process and show enthusiasm for the project at hand. At Interbrand, our collaborative design process enable our Strategy & Research, Account Management, Design and Implementation teams to engage and align with our clients from the very first steps of a creative journey.

3. Teach, don’t preach. Clients bring varying levels of experience to the table—some have black belts in branding and design, others struggle to translate “brand speak” into layman’s terms. Leverage educational opportunities to strengthen the client-agency relationship and play the role of mentor.

4. Listen more than you speak. Remain attentive, engaged and sincere when communicating with clients, suppliers and co-workers. In short, be a great listener! Encourage everyone you connect with to talk about themselves and share their ideas. We were all made differently for a reason — so we can learn from one another. How you listen speaks volumes about how you think, process information, and value others’ opinions.

5. Appreciate and cultivate co-workers. How do you treat the people you work with? Unless you have a home office and work alone in your bathrobe and fuzzy slippers, you are likely interacting with others each and every day —and you have to carefully tend and cultivate those relationships. Believe me, I don’t like everyone I have worked with over the years, and we all have our differences; however, if you are at least professional and courteous with people, you’ll go much further in life and in your career. If you are challenging to deal with, you’ll likely be looking for another job. Design agencies—all companies for that matter—need to maintain a positive, collaborative culture at all costs. That process begins with each one of us.

Relationship Branding has the power to nurture and protect longstanding client-agency partnerships. It can help to mitigate miscommunication and defuse uncomfortable interactions. For example, there may be times when a project has competing priorities; with a positive relationship in place, it is easier for both the client and the agency to articulate their positions and align the team on a clear set of deliverables and outcomes. For me, the most successful and rewarding projects are those in which the entire team works together seamlessly.

Relationship Branding should come from the heart. Don’t be superficial about your client and co-worker relationships; most people can spot insincerity a mile away.  Smile, laugh more often, and mind your Ps and Qs. If you do, the rewards will be endless.  My mom and I promise.

About the Author

Jamey Wagner is Creative Director of Interbrand Cincinnati. He serves a team leader for the Design department, partnering with Strategy, Account and Implementation to ensure that visual strategies meeting marketing objectives.

Among clients that Jamey has worked with are Kimberly Clark, Dean Foods, Procter & Gamble, H.J. Heinz, Anheuser Busch, Inc., Campbell’s, Hiram Walker, Coca-Cola USA, Turner Home Entertainment, Tractor Supply Co., US Playing Card Co., Lowes, Fetzer Vineyards, Kraft, Walmart, Dell and Sara Lee.