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Think_of_Your_Business_in_a_BRAND_New_Way
| Think of Your Business in a BRAND New Way
I was recently working with a client and started discussing his
brand. He mentioned his suppliers had a brand, but he didn’t.
Every business has a brand and it’s how you look after that
brand that is critical. The consumer selects a garden centre
based on their view of your brand, they rarely select it because
of the brands you have on the shelf. Your brand is the most
critical brand.
According to Steve Cornwall of Cornwall Design (ref: Better
Business Magazine April 2003) you should check your brand on a
regular basis. I can’t agree more. Your brand is critical to
your success and you need to emphasise to your team the key
issues to enhance and maintain a consistent brand message.
Key issues include:
Every team member must ensure the message is consistent Many of
your team may not appreciate how important your brand name is,
and they may not be aware how everyone of them effects the
brand. Draw up a list with them of the important factors of the
company brand and how they influence the brand.
Be consistent in everything Your brand should be consistently
portrayed on all your signs, business cards, letter heads, point
of sale cards, team members uniform and so on. It’s not just
something you place on a sign outside your centre. It should be
consistently portrayed in everyway you communicate with your
customers.
Your brand is more important than profit I know many readers
will disagree with this, but I strongly feel your brand is more
important than profit. There will be times when you will need to
forfeit profit to preserve the reputation of your brand in the
eyes of the customer. If you don’t you may have a short lived
brand.
Introduce mystery shoppers to check your brand Your brand
integrity should be measurable. If you can’t measure it, you
can’t manage it. The biggest influence on your brand is your
team. Introduce a mystery shopper system into your business to
check that your brand reputation is being adhered to.
Your brand is your U.S.P It’s what you do differently from
everyone else to make you stand out from the crowd. Ensure you
have a Unique Selling Proposition (U.S.P) and promote it via
your brand.
Don’t be afraid to take risks with your brand Successful
businesses take risks, especially in such a volatile world.
Encourage your team to take risks whilst preserving your brand
integrity. But don’t forget to support your risk takers.
Support your team all the time If you don’t support your team,
they won’t grow your brand. They are the ones that have the
maximum customer contact and they are the ones that need support.
Focus on your real customers Not everyone wants to deal with you
and your garden centre. Identify who your true advocates are and
make sure your whole team are aware whom they are. Your brand
success revolves around these people selling your brand for you
by word of mouth.
Keep up with trends For your brand to be relevant, customers are
looking to you to be a leading edge retailer. They want you to
offer the latest trends, fashions and colours. Keep up to date,
read the relevant magazines and ensure the whole team are aware
of those trends.
Be seen as a leader in your community, the industry and by your
team and promote your brand at every opportunity. It’s a never
ending process, but it will deliver success.
About the author:
John Stanley is a conference speaker and retail consultant with
over 20 years experience in 15 countries. John works with
businesses around the world assisting them with their
merchandising, staff and management training, customer flow,
customer service and image. Visit www.johnstanley.cc or email us
on newsletter@johnstanley.cc.
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