First Impressions Go A Long Way!

• Do you struggle with finding the right clients?
• Are you stuttering over answering the question, "So, what do you do?"
• Are you working hard at marketing efforts and seeing no results?
• Does the idea of "selling" yourself freak you out?

All of the above problems can be solved by sitting down with a Branding Specialist to uncover, reveal and unlock the hidden VALUE of what you are actually selling and doing for your business. It's not as difficult as you might think, you just need to reach out for the right help.

Who can you trust to help you?

First of all, if a Branding Specialist is promising the moon, you might want to walk away. We are living on planet Earth, and our bread and butter comes from real clients. So, find a specialist who is interested in YOU, and taps into discovering your company brand in a way that is truly unique to your message. 

There are three imperative questions an effective Brand Specialist will ask when a company is struggling with marketing and brand stra and visual materials:

1. What do you do?
   Most of us have a difficult time selling ourselves. It makes us queasy and uneasy. If you cannot vocalize what you do in two sentences or less, get the support you need to clearly and comfortably communicate what you do from a brand specialist. Your message must be CLEAR and SIMPLE. A good brand specialist is a sounding board and a think tank, a person who collaborates with you to find your voice in your marketing message.
2. Why do you do it?
   This is the MOST important underlying factor for effectively and successfully marketing your business. Forget about "because I have the best customer service skills," or any other rote business reason like, "I have the best product on the market." Really? So do a dozen other small business owners. Ask yourself: WHY IS YOUR BUSINESS IMPORTANT TO YOU? Why does it plug you in? Why does it get you up in the morning? What excited you enough to become an Entrepreneuse and stand amidst your competitors? What VALUES does it touch in you that you want to attract in others?
3. Who the hell cares?
   WHO do you WANT to buy your products or enlist your services? This is the third crucial component. You MUST visualize and identify EXACTLY what kind of client you want to be working with, as this will help you determine the final and important piece of your marketing puzzle. Have fun with this. What does your client look like? What are their interests? What clothing do they wear? What do they eat? What is their personality? What is important to them? The #1 Effective Tool for Salespeople, according to Fiona Walsh, is EMPATHY. That's right, not closing the sale, technical product knowledge, a university education or market share. EMPATHY. Get to KNOW your clients and what is important to them. What are their values?

Then, you own the block. Guaranteed. Once the above steps are carried out, the initial issues of marketing your business effectively will drop by the wayside, and you will be more aligned with successful brand strategy. First impressions go a long way!

Once you work with the right branding specialist to unlock this information in a way that gets you infused and inspired, then the next step is to create your visual brand. Check back for more on becoming your Own Business Dream Girl in tomorrow's installment!

Tonia Lenk is a brand expert and owner of Ideas In Bloom, a brand design studio specializing in collaboration on projects with clients who are dedicated to excellence, committed to the community and sustainability in the environment. She is a proud mother of four, and began her first novel in 2010. She recently took up flute, and shares her knowledge on print, web and brand design freely!

Brands I HATE

OK, So I am not a Virgin. Mobile. Lover. I mean, I am not a Virgin Mobile Lover. Why?

Their branding sucks.

OK, now that my cards are on the table, I'll tell you why. Virgin missed the mark on their actual client base with their pre-paid phone service. They are selling and appealing to the 12-18 year old demographic. Their message appeals to this age group, and they assume that this group lacks any form of intelligence. They have dumbed down their brand message so thoroughly, they forgot who is really paying for the service - the parents of this demographic. So, their message should be a partnership message between the kids getting the phones and the parents paying for the service.

They dumbed downed their message with slang and irrelevant glitz and language in the following areas: 
- educating their customers on the product in their brochures
- their message in their web site product and services content
- their recorded call centre customer service messages

My 12 year olds both got a phone this year. They are Virgin. Mobile. Customers.

The web site is "fun" and branded with the colours and Virgin logo. However, it's brand language gives little more than an invite to the "Virgin Fun Fun Fun Party." Finding information on the product and phone plans is a fact finding mission. Strike one.

The call centre recorded message is a bubbly voiced, sparkly girl, who overflows with unabashed enthusiasm about the Virgin Mobile service and product offering. I can almost see her girls bouncing, and her eyes sparkling with a shallow understanding of the words coming out of the hole on her face. Perhaps the 20-something college dudes that subscribe to the Virgin Mobile services have a "value added" 900 line experience whenever they call in to check the current status or balance of their account, but - as a parent - I am not comfortable with "kickin' in" or "pounding it" with Virgin's recorded messages. "So, C'mon, have FUN!" I just want to dial a number, get a balance, not be annoyed by a brainless twit in between harsh guitar takes on the phone.

Now, back to brand: Virgin missed the boat. I repeat, the people of consenting age are the paying customers. Virgin is trying to position itself as the "cool" go to cell phone for tweens, teens and pre-grads, and comes off looking like an unkempt teenager in a very competitive cell phone market.

So, although they are speaking to the 12-18 year old demographic, they need to be addressing the parents with information that is pertinent. There is a savvy way to do this without alienating both demographics. It's what brand companies get paid the big bucks for. I ponder, how much did Mr. Branford pay for this brand exercise as he delved into the mobile phone arena? Virgin has simply ignorantly dismissed the actual financiers of the mobile phone contracts: the parents.

I am still quite happy with my dog company, thank you. Less is more, and brand is more than just a logo.

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Tonia Lenk is a brand specialist and owner of Ideas In Bloom, a brand design studio specializing in collaboration on projects with clients who are dedicated to excellence, committed to the community and sustainability in the environment. She is a proud mother of four, and writing her first novel in 2011. She recently took up flute, and shares her knowledge on print, web and brand design freely!