Let’s say a fellow business owner invites you out to a social event so you can meet some new people and maybe some potential clients. When you get there, your business bestie greets you with a smile and starts introducing you to some people right away.
When they introduce you to Ms. X of XYZ Company, what do they say? Do they talk about how funny you are? Or how great you are at what you do? Do they talk about their working experience with you and how XYZ Company would greatly benefit from partnering with you?
In most cases, when you’re being introduced to someone new, your introduction is showered with praises and all the wonderful things about you…
But…
Would the same things be said about you or your business when you’re not in the room?
“Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room.” —Jeff Bezos
Our job as business owners is to clearly communicate what we believe, where we stand, what we do, how we serve our clients…
But no matter how hard we work on determining our core values or how we show up on our social media platforms or how we sound like on our website or emails, it’s how we’re viewed by everyone else that determines the perception of our brand.
Branding is what makes that memorable impression on someone and allows them to know who you are as a business, what they can expect, and how you’re different from your competitors. It’s one thing to know who we are as a business, but how we communicate this (and communicate it consistently) is an entirely different thing.
I think that’s why we struggle sometimes…it’s that variable of who and what others say we are. And that’s why it’s extremely important to clearly define our brand from the beginning and communicate our values whenever and wherever possible.
Unfortunately, we all know people don’t always wait until they know all the facts before making assumptions. We see it all the time.
That’s why making that first impression is so crucial…
That’s why creating a professional logo to represent your brand is vital…
That’s why delivering the results you promise is necessary…
That’s why standing up for what you believe in is essential…
That’s why showing up for your clients is a non-negotiable…
People don’t wait to collect all the information about your business to decide whether or not they want to work with you. They’ll use whatever information they’ve been given, no matter how much or how little it may be, to make that decision.
They’ll base their decision on how your website looks…
They’ll base their decision on a social media post that resonated with them…
They’ll base their decision on a client testimonial…
They’ll base their decision on how you responded to a conflict…
They’ll base their decision on one of your programs they enrolled in…
They’ll base their decision on how you made them feel…
They’ll base their decision on the results you deliver…
As a small business owner, you want people to think highly of your brand. Beyond its visuals, we want them to feel the quality of your service, see how you show up to serve your clients, and why we make certain decisions for our business…
Every decision you make, every interaction you have, every little detail factors into your brand.
Even the businesses you partner with, the people you hire, your clients…they all become extensions of your brand. When you do business with someone, you should ask yourself if you’d want them to be a part of your brand because they ultimately become a representative of it. And when you build a strong brand that people believe in, you’ll establish a brand everyone wants to belong to.
“Every interaction in any form is branding.” -Seth Godin
We can’t really control what others say about our brand, but we can focus on being consistent in who we are and what we do which ultimately reflects what others say about us.
If you say quality is a priority in your business, then you should spend more resources on delivering higher quality services and products than your competitor.
If you say that creativity is a core value, you should focus on solving problems in a different way.
If you say that your brand focuses on strategy, then you should be spending time creating plans on how everything works towards future goals.
If you say your business helps people live healthier lives, you should have client testimonials that reflect that.
So how do we reinforce who we are, what we believe, and what we offer so that it aligns with what others say about us?
Brand awareness. The responsibility of brand awareness and management shouldn’t be the business owners alone. Anyone who represents your brand in any way, anyone who interacts with your clients or potential clients, should reflect who you are as a business and should always be listening to what is being said about your brand.
If there is something being negatively said about your business, take those moments and look at them as learning opportunities. If you hear people say that your product breaks after a few weeks invest in better materials so they last a lifetime! If people say your program is overwhelming, change the way you lay it out so you can break down your content in a way that’s easy to consume.
Know and understand what makes your business special and communicate that consistently, not by saying that you’re unique, but actually showing up and delivering in your unique way.
A great brand isn’t built overnight. It’s built over time through consistency.
If you don’t really know what others are saying about your brand, maybe there’s nothing really to talk about. And if that’s the case, we want to help you build a brand experience your clients can’t stop talking about!
All you have to do is book a free call to get started!
Until next time,
Happy Branding!
