A wonderful guest post by Impression Sign. It is so great when companies align! This article fits right along with our HEART Principle so much that we couldn't have written it better ourselves! Nice job!
We are definitely not experts on love (by any means) but we do know a thing or two about loyal customers. While we count our lucky stars every day for them, we know it’s not all just dumb luck. We put in a lot of hard work into finding our perfect matches before we begin working on a project. Everything we do is purposeful. And the formula for setting up your brand and building a business people talk about not because they have to but because they want to isn’t easy but it’s worth it.
Be a human
Skip the jargon, people want to buy from other people, not a “business”. Be real, use a conversational tone whenever possible in your marketing and direct engagements. It makes people feel good to support others they enjoy talking to, learning from, or those that bring value to their life. Millennials and Gen Y often support businesses because they support the people behind the business. A mission statement is often no longer enough to show others there’s a person behind that business.
Always be transparent
Many of today’s consumers like those who are honest, those who apologize, those who allow themselves to be humbled. They’re no longer just impressed with confusing, fancy-sounding jargon. They again, want to support people, not just a business. They want to feel confident they’re making a good decision and feel good knowing they’re supporting something that identifies with their views.
Don’t sell
A lot of people don’t want to be sold to, with so many online resources often they’ve already done some of their research before they even found you. With our online purchasing habits, we’re no longer comfortable feeling pressured to buy something. If you push too hard you could easily lose a potential buyer. With so many responsibilities and possibilities to be distracted, often patience becomes the new name of the game. If you’re being authentic, you’re giving your audience value and you’re talking about the things you know consistently, you’ve already done most of the selling.
Be a leader
Show what you know, digitally and in person. Teach others things they either want to know or things that you make sound so incredibly interesting, they didn’t even know they wanted to know it. Every time you speak or publish something online is an opportunity to show you are a leader within the industry. It’s also an opportunity to connect to others, show them you’re a real person behind the business, and sell to them without selling anything at all.
Create good content
Good content adds value to people’s lives and gives them another reason to fall in love with your brand. All content created should have a mission or help representing who you are. Content should not just be posted to stay relevant but because you have something worth sharing that is relevant to your mission. Show others you’re worth investing a few minutes of their time with and give them content that makes them feel good. It’s also an excellent platform to display critical thinking and problem-solving skills to your specific industry.
Invest in good talent
The right people can make all the difference, from the way they handle a bad day to how they handle someone else’s and how they uphold your company’s values. Spending on the right talent and investing in those you see potential in can make or break your business. Leaving an impression that reflects your specific set of values and services can be hard to grow. Company culture and flexibility can help foster the right environment for those you already feel share the right values to help your company harness its full potential. Those people are the ones who will help sell you and create the stories that others will want to talk about, and those people and stories are what will make people fall in love with your brand.
Make your product something you’d be proud or excited to buy
Is your end product or service something you’re proud of? Train your employees to recognize things that should not pass through a quality control check. If you outsource your product have someone inspect those items as well, to make sure they represent your brand well before they’re out in the world or on shelves. You want to make sure your products or services are something you’d buy or invest in. And, your immediate answer isn’t yes it might be tough to get others to fall in love with you.
Always stay flexible
Sometimes things won’t always go smoothly, whether it’s an internal issue or a tough return. If there is any way your service or business can overdeliver, do your best to always keep that goal in mind, every time. Life happens and companies that recognize that, not only win in the end, they get talked about for going above and beyond. Staying positive in negative situations also helps stave off bad reviews which consumers are more apt to post about.
Make your audience happy
Give consumers content they can believe in and sales or service transactions that go the extra mile. In today’s day and age, customer service experiences are being overlooked. While marketing and content is important don’t forget about the actual sale or service. There are a lot of potential touchpoints and moments to make a big impact on your consumers. Make sure your employees are always thinking about how they can go the extra mile to make someone smile. Sometimes one tiny gesture can make all the difference in building a successful brand. You never know just who might see it.
If you love what you do it's easy to be genuine. Being genuine with your audience and sharing the love you have for your business helps other people love it to do. So do what you do best, show love for your business wherever you can, hire those that align with your mission, and continue to deliver amazing service. If you’re leaving the world better than you found it with every business interaction or transaction you make it will be hard for others not to fall in love with your brand.
And, if you do get dumped… If someone does wind up falling out of love with your brand, as with any relationship, it’s important to communicate. Make sure your business does its best to address any issues or shortcomings that may have been neglected. It is possible to recover consumer relations and even turn an upset consumer into a loyal brand follower. It also just depends on how your business handles the situation.
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