Your brand is the face you show the world. It is the way people perceive your company. They gather evidence to build the picture of your company in their minds. They get their clues from your communications, what they hear and from their experience when doing business with you.
Everything you do or don’t do goes to building an image of your company in people’s minds. You are constantly branding your business. Seth Godin has a formula that explains the power of Brands. He shows that your Brand will be most powerful when your customers know what to expect and they have an emotional response to what you do.
You communicate your Brand in all advertising, and all material your customers take with them including packaging, bags, sales slip etc. It includes what you say when you describe your business, what’s written about your business, your signs, website, store decoration… You get the picture.
Your customer’s experience starts with how they hear about you, how easy or difficult you are to find, what it’s like to do business with you and ends with what happens after. As you can see, a good part of the experience doesn’t even include your involvement. That’s where a clear picture of your brand in other people’s minds is essential.
Crystal Clear Action:
- Take some time today to think about your business image.
- Write down the three words that best describe what you think your brand is.
- Try them out on some of your customers to see if they fit with their perception.
- Look at all your business communications and operations to make sure they reinforce your brand.
Resource:
Robert Middleton has a great free start up marketing kit for professionals. It’s a workbook and audio that everyone can use to quickly and clearly guide you through this exercise.