“Just build your brand!”
This is pretty common advice that I see online in regards to business marketing. It’s not bad advice. I mean, what are the negatives to having a good brand?
However, I feel too much emphasis is put on branding. But before I make my case, let’s first consider this scenario:
A case of two restaurants
For the sake of illustration, let’s contrast two hypothetical restaurants that I’m sure we can all relate to.
Restaurant A: Most every area has a small, hole-in-the-wall restaurant that looks a bit dingy, has poor signage, and isn’t in the best part of town.
But this same restaurant consistently has a line out the door and is beloved in the community for great food and service.
Restaurant B: Is glitzy, has a name brand, and a souvenir shop where you can buy all sorts of chotskies with their logo splashed over them.
However, restaurant B has mediocre food and the servers have attitude and frequently ignore their customers.
It’s not about you(r business)
Branding is how you want your business to be perceived. Obviously, you would want it to be seen in a good light and desirable in the public eye.
But the problem with this approach is that you make it all about you, or rather, your business. You’re focusing on yourself and working from there.
It would seem restaurant A was focusing on their customer while glitzy restaurant B was focusing on their own image.
The “secret” behind a great brand
When you think of the great brands of our time: Starbucks, Apple, Nike, Netflix- the branding is simply a component in their success. It’s oneof the many things that they do well.
However, behind the brand is a successful business that runs like Usain Bolt after three Redbulls and a bowl of Wheaties. In other words, they are the best-run businesses in their class.
The branding helps consumers remember the great experience they had with this business.
What about our little, old tile businesses?
Like I said earlier, good branding isn’t a bad thing. But if the owner of a small construction company wants to really impress their customers, I contend they will get further with the following:
- Say what you are going to do
- Do it
What does this mean?
- Tell the customer you’ll be there at 8 am. Then pull in at 7:55.
- Tell the customer you’ll be done by the end of the week. Then wrap up Thursday or Friday in the morning.
- On an estimate, do you tell the customer you think a project will cost about $10,000 and when you actually write it up it comes out higher? Instead, tell the customer your ballpark is $12,000. Then write it up for $11,000.
It’s simple, I know. Simple to say, simple to write, but hard to do.
But if you can master this simple step you’ll get referral, after referral, after referral. Just like restaurant A in the example above.
If you’re serving your customer properly it won’t matter how snazzy your branding is… or isn’t.
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