There is a saying that goes, “how you do one thing is how you do everything.” This in true your personal life, with your business, AND with how you act within your community. How you treat people, including your behaviors and actions toward others, crosses over into every area of your life.
When it comes to the representation of your business, you must look beyond just your logo and marketing materials. Yes – those are important to your brand and defining your business – but your brand also includes the interior and exterior of your office, how you answer the phone, your response time to emails and customer service, etc.
Your business is a reflection of who YOU are. If you are organized, then your business will likely be organized as well. The same can be said for the opposing side – if you are disorganized, then your business may reflect that disorganization as well. The state of a business accurately reflects its leader.
In this video we will be discussing 3 things you should pause and reflect upon for your business and how it affects your overall brand.
Values
Values – Does the value of your business have anything to do with your brand values? Don’t be too quick to say no! And don’t be too quick to say yes, either! Let’s break things down first so we can see how the two relate.
When we say “brand value”, most people will think about a monetary sum. For example, this no-name pair of jeans could be worth $20 while this name-brand pair of jeans could be worth $120. Clearly there’s a difference in value here simply based upon the brand.
Yet, for your brand to be valuable, you don’t have to have the most expensive products or services in your industry. Your value gets multiplied every time a customer chooses to come back to you, chooses to do business with you over all the other brands in your industry and chooses to recommend your brand to a friend. And that choice is tightly connected to your core values.
So, if you want to create deep and meaningful relationships with your customers that will last for years to come – bringing you repeat business and in turn raising the value of your brand, you need to clearly define your brand values so that your audience can have something to connect to. Something they trust. And something they will want to stay loyal to.
Commitments and obligations
Commitments and obligations – DWYSYWD – Do what you say you will do. Consumers prefer to work with people who are reliable, trustworthy and focus on providing a positive customer experience.
Consider the following questions when reviewing how your brand is perceived by your customers and your community:
- Do you do what you say you will do? (refer back to palindrome).
- Are you reliable to your colleagues and customers? If you are diligent and responsible in your personal life, it is usually likely that this will reflect the business.
- Do you make time to invest in the growth of yourself as a leader and the improvement of your businesses?
- Is your staff happy? Do they feel valued? Does your staff trust the leader?
- How do you interact with colleagues, vendors and customers?
Business Representation
Business Representation – How do you present yourself in person AND online? It’s important that you are well represented not only on your website, social media and other marketing avenues, but also with in-person interaction and engagement within your community. Do your customers recognize your brand? Are you consistent with how you present yourself online versus how you represent yourself when out in public? Do you give your customers a reason to trust your business and your products, and ultimately YOU?
Another thing to think about: Are you focused solely on your business, or do you invest time in building your community. Do you give back, with your time and talents? Do you encourage your staff to participate?
Being focused on more than just your business and showing you care about the greater good of the community… that reflects a positive light on your business. If you are a real estate agent, you aren’t just selling homes – you’re selling community.
Our final word of advice…
Remember, your business is a reflection of who YOU are. Your actions in all areas of life contribute toward your success. Make sure you are living the reflection of what you want to see in your overall experience – and let that reflect upon your business.