Dress up
Your Business
By Mike
English
There are four actions
you can take to dress up your business immediately. The first is your
company name. Is it easy to pronounce and does it uniquely represent
your business and the value you bring to your customers? "Merchant
Services" and "bankcard service" may be somewhat
overused.
The second very
important action you can take is to develop a look for your
business's communications to your prospects, employees,
"influencers", and customers. A consistent format throughout your
business removes any confusion and misrepresentation. It also makes
your business shine. The message needs to be consistent not only in
the words you use, but in how it looks: color, fonts, etc. If you
need to seek assistance from a printing company, do it. It will pay
handsome rewards.
Create a logo if you do
not have one. Logos and a strong consistent message are good for
building brand awareness. Even for small companies branding is
important. Although it will not show dividends immediately, people
will begin to think of the value and services you bring to them,
unconsciously, when they see your logo. This is one way that many
Fortune 500 companies use to promote their company. Your logo will
appeal to both sides of a customer's brain. Remember that many people
are visual in nature. You can take advantage of that.
The last and perhaps
most important, is the professionalism and neatness of your sales
force. I've seen salespeople go out on the road that looked as if
they just completed a red-eye flight. For men a jacket, tie, and
polished shoes are crucial. People spend money with salespeople who
look polished. Many larger, well-established firms have a dress code
for employees that come in contact with customers and
prospects.
Mike English is a
marketing and business development consultant. Formally he was with
NCR Corporation for 17 years in sales and marketing management and
most recently served as the VP of Marketing at Dassault AT for two
years. He can be reached at mweng@mindspring.com
or at (770) 232-2738.
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