When I founded my consultancy business I chose the name ‘Black Swan Consultancy’ and this was the name of the business for a while. Hence the black swan logo, which is still EWC’s logo today.
I wondered if my clients prefered a corporate feel, or a personal touch when working with Edd Withers Consultancy. Although we have many different freelance staff working on many of our clients projects, nearly all client communication goes via myself – Edd Withers. This meant that the corporate feel didn’t quite work, it felt inconsistant. We also used an 0845 phone number – even though it was always answered by me. I wondered if people were sceptical of the 0845 number and the corporate sounding name – when they knew it was a ‘one-man band’.
So I decided to embark on a little experiment, using my business cards as A/B testers. I had 2 sets of cards made, one with the business called Black Swan Consultancy and the 0845 number, and the others with the business called Edd Withers Consultancy and my 0770636762 mobile number. All other details and images were the same. I handed them out 50/50 over about 3 months.
It soon became clear that I was getting many more leads and follow-ups with the personal feeling card.
I think because I am a consultant, and essentially I am the product – people trust the personal feel. They respected that I simply gave my personal mobile number, and it felt more trustworthy and wholesome.
So – that’s why we are Edd Withers Consultancy. Or should I say ‘I’?
Edd Withers