Can We Get a Quote?

For most of my career, one question came up more than any other.

"Can we get a quote?"

Sometimes it came with a budget.

Sometimes it didn't.

Either way, I've learned that a quote isn't where the conversation should begin.

I know that sounds strange coming from someone who builds events for a living.

But here's the problem.

A quote tells you what something costs.

It doesn't tell you what you're trying to accomplish.

If I don't understand the objective, I don't know what I'm quoting.

I don't know who the audience is.

I don't know what message needs to be delivered.

I don't know whether we're trying to educate, celebrate, motivate, or launch something new.

Without those answers, any quote I give is just a guess.

That's why I usually push back.

Not because I don't want to provide a price.

Because I want to provide the right one.

The best projects I've worked on didn't start with a spreadsheet.

They started with a conversation.

What are we trying to accomplish?

What does success look like?

What does the audience need to leave with?

Once we answer those questions, the design starts to take shape.

Then we look at the budget.

Sometimes the first idea changes.

Sometimes it gets simpler.

Sometimes we find a completely different solution that works even better.

That's part of the process.

The objective stays the same.

The design adapts to the budget.

Not the other way around.

Eventually, you'll get a quote.

But by then, it isn't a guess.

It's a plan.

—

Jason Dalton
Founder, 721 Industries