How your brand identity influences every sales conversation
Your brand – your reputation – is not a finite object or idea; it is not a logo, a website, or a product. It is how the customer perceives and experiences your company. A customer’s experience is composed of many different interactions and aspects, which collectively create their perception of your company. These perceptions create an image or idea about your business and its products or services – this is your brand.
If you are like most business owners, you have likely ignored the link between branding and sales.
To be clear, marketing is not sales, and sales is not marketing. But the two do go hand-in-hand – the stronger your brand identity and perception, the easier it’s going to be to sell to your customers.
How it works
To put it simply: Branding shapes your customer’s perception of your business. Sales drives action on that perception.
Long before the customer buys from you, their opinion is being shaped. They’re deciding if they trust your business and your products, if it’s worth spending money on your products, if the products will be of value in their life. They’re also subconsciously comparing this opinion against their opinion of your competitors.
When branding and sales are aligned:
- The customer journey feels consistent with every interaction and new impression
- Sales reps feel confident telling the company’s story
- The brand earns authentic trust through real customer success stories
Marketing ROI will improve because brand awareness translates directly into qualified leads – meaning easier sales and more money.
Ok, but how do you enhance overall brand identity?
Creating and managing a brand identity can seem overwhelming, confusing, and mystifying–especially if you are already having trouble keeping up on all the other things a business needs (i.e., production, regulation, finances, quality, personnel) but this does not have to be the case.
The way to build a customer-centered sales philosophy is to break the process down into small, manageable pieces that you and your employees can achieve over time.
Depending on your type of business, starting with these two fundamental principles may be all you ever need to establish and support your brand.
1. Improve your brand’s visual image
One of the first things owners lose sight of is their company’s visual image – especially their electronic presence. They get caught up in the day-to-day operations and overlook how the world perceives them from the outside. Ignore the outside at your own risk – that is where your clients are.
What people see is what they remember; it heavily affects their perception (i.e., your brand). You want to project success, professionalism, and trustworthiness. As your company grows, its image should grow also.
Are you using the same cards, website, letterhead, logos, taglines, graphics, and documents you have had since your business opened? Do they look homemade, cheap, or out-of-date? What do your service people and vehicles look like? How about the outside of your building? There is a difference between a working yard and a trash-filled eyesore. Do not just trust your own judgment; ask others how they perceive it and listen to their feedback.
2. Improve your customer experience, enhance brand identity
Is your customers’ experience simple, intuitive, and enjoyable? If so, great! If not, why? Why make it difficult for your clients to do business with you?
Understanding your customer’s viewpoint is the second basic strategy you need to create a successful brand. When was the last time you called your own company and worked your way through the voicemail system? How about the last time you updated your website? Have you tried to use it to order a product, make contact, or ask a question as a customer? How do orders get taken, and is it easy? Are your salespeople required to have ideas about improving service? How often are clients asked for feedback on the buying process?
The biggest complaint consumers have about buying experiences is poor customer service – a problem that extends to business-to-business transactions. The practice of impersonally selling via technology has made the need for excellent customer service more important than ever. The simpler you make it for people to do business with you, the better chance you have of selling more and more often.
Make it happen
To improve your brand identity is not a complicated goal if you start with these basics. It takes commitment, effort, and time to execute them successfully, but the effort will pay off. Customers want a positive interaction with your company. Show them that you are serious about your brand and are committed to giving them what they want. If they do not get it from you, they will get it from someone else.
