Category: Brand Development

The word itself is shifty, implying that the intent of the planner is to deceive, and deception implies that some form of opposition is present.  An argument could be made that negotiation used to seem like a battle, but another argument could be made that the game is changing.   Here are a few highlights will stand the test of time:  

Be consistent across all aspects of your life.  Work, home, school, at public events, volunteer activities, etc.

Post content about your volunteer activities.  Junior achievement, coaching, music auxiliary, etc.

Share casual AND professional photos of yourself.  If people see all sides, they will connect better with you.

Change your idea of what a great customer is as well as what you think a great service provider means to them.  It may be different than what you have previously thought.  For example:  in the past, people looked at service providers as experts.  “What would I do if you weren’t there to tell me?”  Today, I argue that a relationship is more important than knowledge, mainly because information is so readily available.  Now people say:  “I trust you to confirm my decisions about the options/solutions I’ve chosen because you know as much about ME as you know about features and benefits.”

Make a list of everyone you’d miss if they were gone, and those who would miss you if they left.  In other words, anyone you connect with.  Historically, if someone moved from your local community, contact was perceived to be lost forever.  Not true today, so keep sending them birthday cards, their kids birthday cards, connect with them on social media,  Google them and send congratulations for successes… It’s easy today.  Chances are good that someone they know will move to Iowa.  Who will they recommend to help them?

These ideas probably don’t sound new or innovative on the surface, but try following through on every one of them.  It may be more difficult than you think.

NOW!  When quotes on key rings were cool, I had that one.  It’s the motto of most teenagers even today.  Self-serving motivations that drive immediate results rarely create lasting relationships.  The person seeking the result often lacks the patience to truly take an interest in anything outside of themselves, at least for more time than required to get what they want.  

Traditional strategies perpetuate this reality.   The more distractions there are, the more precise a message has to be. And the more distractions there are, the less time there is to build relationships. Eventually, the massive clutter will cause people to stop and think:  “Is immediate gratification more important than lifelong relationships?”  The choice is yours.

Is it better to measure production or permission?  Traditional wisdom says production, but one should realize by now that this site isn’t based on traditional thinking.  The argument will likely be:  “How do you measure PERMISSION?”

My first real job was serving tables in a nice restaurant when I was 18.    The middle-aged lady who trained me shared one piece of advice that I’ll never forget:  “Don’t count your tips until the end of the shift.”  As a brand new waiter with no industry experience, I accepted her wisdom as part of the training process.  Now, 30 years later, a deeper meaning has surfaced.

The second a customer is seated at a table, they have given permission to be served.  Interactions will occur throughout their visit that either enhance or diminish the value of their dining experience.  For the server, the value perceived by the customer is reflected in their tip.  Even more interesting is the fact that some customers have favorite servers:  Ones that they’ll sit in the bar for two hours just to ensure they get the next table in their section.  To those customers, the face of the business (brand) is their favorite server, and that server has as much control over that brand’s image as any article, ad or review the brand makes available.

This unspoken partnership in brand perception should not be taken for granted or violated by either party.  EVER.