Just because you’ve built a brand doesn’t mean you’re done and everyone will want to buy. It isn’t like the famous line in the movie, Field of Dreams: “If you build it, he will come.” I wish it were that simple. No one said starting a business would be easy. It requires a great idea, innovation, marketing savvy, a competitive edge, a ton of stamina, a bit of a thick skin, and—ultimately—your business needs to provide a solution to the audience you are trying to serve.
You can have the most amazing product or service in the world and fail. Why is that? How is it possible to have the next best idea to sliced bread and not “make” it? Successful businesses take more than a motivated entrepreneur and an amazing idea. It takes strategy.
You’ve probably heard me refer to the term “connecting dots” in other articles I’ve written? Honestly, it’s one of the most important things you can do to get that “yes” which equates to a sale.
So what does it mean? When you were young and you went to a restaurant with your family, did you get a place mat with games on it to keep you occupied until your food arrived? One of my favorite games on the page was Connect The Dots. Remember how the picture wasn’t clear until you connected all of the dots and then it finally made sense? But, you had to follow a sequence—and if you didn’t follow it in the exact order it was numbered the picture wouldn’t be right. Well, the exact same thing is true in your business. Your audience views you and your product or service just like the restaurant place mat’s game. They encounter you, and initially the picture isn’t clear. Through exposure (sometimes immediately and sometimes over a period of time), the dots begin to connect and the picture becomes clear. How quickly the picture shows up is up to you. You have 100% control as to whether or not there is a complete picture and how soon the audience “gets” it.
Look at all of the touch points your customer will encounter along the path of experiencing your brand. Does your website sound and look like how you claim to do business? Does your collateral match the website and mirror what your brand promise is to the client? Do you and your team match the brand when they are encountered in person? Does every part of your business ooze your brand and the business mission?
Another important thing to note is that consumers need to see components of your brand numerous times, with consistent look, tone, and feel of the brand and its various campaigns in order to earn their trust. If the appearance varies, doubt in the mind of the consumer creeps in.
You need to touch your audience through a deep and rich dialogue, your differentiators need to be unique, and your value proposition needs to be crystal clear. You need to determine whether you provide a product or service that will resolve the customer’s need, and whether you are being authentic in your delivery—throughout every touch point.
