We all have a personal brand that we give off when we meet someone new. There are typically a few steps that we take before meeting with someone, so that we give off a great first impression. Based on how you present yourself, you will have an opinion formed about you in about 10 seconds after meeting someone. The same is true with your business.
Shortly after a client walks in your door they are already beginning to form an opinion about your brand. Were they greeted right away or were they made to wait for five minutes before even being acknowledged? Were they offered something to drink? Was it water from the tap or a cold bottle of water? All of these play into your brand or company personality. Follow these five simple steps to create your own stellar company brand.
Step #1 – Establish Strong Values and What Sets you Apart
Think about the “why” for your business instead of the “what.” By that, I mean think about why you’re business does what it does and the value that you provide to your clients.
Step #2 – Design A Great Logo
Unless you’re a graphic designer by trade, spend money on a great logo that will accurately represent your brand. Your logo is more than a graphic that ends up on the top of documents or a business card. Your logo is the symbol of what your brand and company embody and it’s very important that it is designed well!
Step #3 – Print Your Logo EVERYWHERE
TitleSmart, Inc. is literally printed EVERYWHERE and we take a lot of time to think about promotional pieces that would be valuable to our clients. You never know who will leave your office with a pen and where it will end up to bring in a potential new client or lead.
Step #4 – Be Consistent and Educate your Employees on Your Brand
Your employees are your best brand ambassadors and they should know exactly what your mission and vision are along with what you’re goals are for the company. As a leader, the more transparent you are the better your employees can represent your brand accurately in public.
Step #5 – Give a Great Customer Experience and Listen
Many companies are okay with being just good enough, and in my opinion that isn’t sufficient. When you focus on providing an excellent customer experience, your clients will begin to help build your business for you through word-of-mouth or social interactions.
If you can nail these five steps then you will be on your way to building a great brand for your business. Just remember that this isn’t just a one-time thing that you write down on a piece of paper and store away in a filing cabinet. Just like your company culture, you have to eat, sleep, breathe, and live your brand every day in order for it to catch on and last through the life of your company.