The Human Element of a Sales Cycle

I believe that behind every sale is a social exchange—it might be an acknowledgment of need, a leap of faith, or a willingness to reexamine to gain a fresh perspective, but it's inherently human. This belief may put me (and my agency) on a different timeline than our competitors, but it isn't something that data has been able to disprove.

Five years ago, we partnered with the LA Group on an RFP for a project with the City of Oneonta. We spent weeks researching articles and reports before conducting focus groups. Later we created speculative designs to demonstrate the directions in which the city could go to promote itself; among the options was staying the course. Our most important role is sometimes being a mirror, helping people determine whether they are acting deliberately or unconsciously.

We had hoped that the process would lead to an additional contract, allowing us to guide stakeholders through a process of goal setting, storytelling, and placemaking. Months passed, and though we stayed in touch, the iron, as they say, grew cold. We continued working on other destination marketing initiatives and kept Oneonta in our minds.

When the City of Oneonta was awarded DRI Funds from the State of New York, they sent out at an RFP, this time to assist with branding and implementing wayfinding signage. Enter the human element I mentioned earlier. We put together a proposal that factored in the months we had spent working with people in the city, as well as the years we had spent on other projects. We connected the dots of lessons learned in other cities, times spent in the surrounding areas, and our desire to see the work we had started through to fruition that would benefit Oneonta.

“Trampoline Design will be an exciting firm to work with,” City of Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig said. “Their energy and enthusiasm for Oneonta will prove to be contagious. The team was impressed with their comprehensive approach to engaging the entire community in the process.”*

We've been working on the project for close to a year. We have spent a great deal of time in Oneonta speaking with people, canvassing the streets, listening to the concerns, hopes, and ideas of students at the two colleges in town, business owners, landlords, residents, and tourism representatives. Change is challenging, failing to move forward can be fatal, and so we work together finding new ways to honor what has been while keeping an eye on the road ahead. The City of Oneonta has incredible things to offer, and in the months to come, their message will grow in frequency and voice.

We put together a behind the scenes look at the process, from exploring a new brand to beginning to launch that brand. Everyone in our shop has contributed to this project. And, as so often happens for our team, we have fallen in love with the subject of our creative. The City of Oneonta is worth your time!

* Mayor Herzig's quote was taken from Oneonta's Daily Star.